On arrival in Tashkent, we drove around the city to get a feel for the place and to see the streetscapes. Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and is a huge metropolis with a population of over 3 million people. As the city gets reconstructed, some of its rich history has remained: Tashkent's mosques, Soviet-style subway stations, classical opera houses, and theaters.

Dinner was at the Dillinger Bar which was celebrating its 1st birthday. We had a rather western dinner for a change washed down with a local beer but we did finish off with a complimentary cognac.

Our hotel here tops our accommodation for this trip and we thought perhaps the tour company want us to go home with a positive feeling!! Anyway, we will make the most of our few nights here in comfort including a pool, sauna, and bar.

Given that it is 40+ degrees during the day we are doing our sightseeing in 2 phases and going back to the hotel in the middle of the day.

This morning started with a visit to the Monument of Courage which is dedicated to the 1966 earthquake that impacted Tashkent and is one of the most significant monuments in today's city. On 26 April 1966, at 5:24 a.m., an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 shook the city. The earthquake had had its epicentre at a depth of 10 km right under the central blocks of Tashkent, in about the place where the Monument of Courage was erected. More than 300,000 people were left homeless and forced to live in tents.. The artistic image is represented by a black cube made of granite which shows a dial with a clock, the date and year symbolizing the earthquake. The crack from the black cube leads to the image of a family. Here we see a woman holding a child with one hand and a man trying to protect them from the strike of nature. However it is not meant to be a sad place, the main idea of the monument is friendship, fortitude, and courage of people. Newlyweds traditionally bring flowers to the monument.

Khast-Imam Square is the religious centre of Tashkent and construction began in the XVI century. This ensemble was named after one of the first, venerable imams of Tashkent - Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Ismail al- Shashi Kaffal - Hast Imam. Hast or Hazrat is translated as a saint and the word "Kaffal" means the profession - locksmiths. There is a large library with over 30,000 manuscripts but the 'piece de resistance' is the 1300-year-old Koran hand-written on deerskin in the second half of the 7th century AD by Caliph Othman. It is a huge manuscript of some 300 pages. Kept under glass you can look but no photos and there is one very alert guard there to ensure no one does. This relic is unique in that its individual pages preserved the blood of Caliph Osman himself as the legend says he was killed while reading this book.

Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum The Kaffal Shashi mausoleum stands at the northwest corner of the Khast-Imam square. It commemorates the life of Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi, a native poet, linguist, polymath, and scholar who lived in the 10th century and traveled widely throughout the Islamic world. It was built in 1542. The building is constructed of brick, adorned with majolica of historical inscription. There are graves of the Great Imam's sons - Muhammad at-Shashi and Nizamiddin Shashi as well as a number of disciples.

Tillya Sheikh Mosque is also a part of the Khast Imam complex and was built in 1856. The mosque consists of a winter building, a summer yard, a dome in the center, and the dome gallery, and is one of the largest mosques in the city.

Barakhan Madrasah, The madrasah, and two built-in mausoleums were constructed during the 15th and half of 16th centuries. It is gorgeously decorated with traditional ornaments and gilding, but with time this building has gone through several redesign processes. Its main hall as well as the nameless mausoleum and darskhana are vaulted with turquoise domes.

Kukeldash Madrasah, Located at the south-western corner of Tashkent it was built in 1569 by sultans Barak Khan and Dervish Khan. This historical monument is the largest of the 23 madrassas of old Tashkent and has a traditional architectural design. This can be found in the rectangular courtyard that is encircled by khujdras. Occupying a central position in the town, Kukeldash played an important role in the urban life of old Tashkent. The Madrasah was a Muslim educational institution, which served as a high school and a Muslim "seminary" and interestingly still serves as a Koran School for future Imams today.

Amir Timur Square is the main square of Tashkent covered with green trees, with the centrepiece being a bronze equestrian monument to Timur, the great statesman, and commander of the Middle Ages, one of the founders of Uzbek statehood. The layout of the square is a system of 8 alleys diverging radially from the Timur statue originating from 8 streets, which intersect with the avenues in the centre of the city. The square is surrounded by impressive buildings and a clock tower. You can see these in my photos.

Pre-dinner drinks were had at the hotel bar and then we headed out to the Guten Pub for our final group dinner. We still have tomorrow for more sightseeing but we fly out tomorrow night, hence having the dinner tonight. A lovely surprise was the gifts we received from the tour company. We will certainly remember Uzbekistan.