Central Asia

Central Asia is one of the most ancient cradles of civilization. It is a special world the beauty of which is forever imprinted in memory.

Pure nature, original culture, monuments of medieval architecture, noise and aromas of spices of the Eastern bazaar, cities with a thousand-year history, some of which will surprise you with ultramodern infrastructure, while others will conquer with colorful neighborhoods, where the life is moving way slowly and leisurely, like hundreds of years ago.

This journey will take you along the historical paths of the nomadic and settled Turkic people. During the trip, you will immerse yourself in the ancient culture and history of the Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Uzbek and Turk people. “SRP-Travel LLC” Travel company invites you to discover a new world of travel and get an unforgettable experience! During the 12-day trip you will see 3 countries of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey) and 7 cities of the Great Silk Road, the oldest of which is more than 3,000 years old.

Kyrgyzstan

Located on the caravan line of the Great Silk Road, Kyrgyzstan to this day is the center of ancient monuments, unique culture and interesting traditions. The most significant monuments of the Great Silk Road are here: the oldest city of Osh, which is more than 3,000 years old; Nevaket city of V-VI centuries, and Suyab of VI-VII centuries; monuments of the Kara-Khanid times of the X-XII centuries, Burana tower, Uzgen architectural complex, Shah-Fazil Mausoleum, Balasagun city, Gumbez of the national hero Manas of XIV century, Karavanserai Tash-Rabat of XV century.

Here you can visit real nomads, live in a yurt, ride horses, enjoy scenes of eagle hunting, try the kumys, the ancient drink of the Turkic nomads, the recipe of which is passed down through generations.

Kyrgyzstan is called the Switzerland of Central Asia for a reason. The amazingly beautiful mountainous landscape of the Central Tien Shan is the point of attraction of thousands of tourists, many of whom believe this country is the most friendly and hospitable region of all the Central Asian states.

The special attention is given to the Kyrgyz Sea - the mountain lake Issyk-Kul, its water does not freeze even in severe frosts. The lake is considered as one of the cleanest on the planet. The water’s composition resembles the sea and is famous for its unique healing properties.

Tourism in Kyrgyzstan is developing very rapidly. In 2011, the state was visited by only 820 thousand tourists, then, in 2018, this mark reached 1.4 million!

Such a tourist influx is explained by the fact that the government of the country began to give priority to the safety of foreign citizens. Relevant programs were approved in April 2016 and January 2019.

According to the program of development of the tourism sector for 2019-2023, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic S. Sh. Jeenbekov declared the 2019 as the Year of Regional Development and Digitalization of the country. The program is aimed at promoting the country's tourism opportunities and creating the most comfortable conditions for foreign guests. Over 3,000 policemen and 800 volunteer warriors are responsible for the safe rest of citizens, rescue services and insurance companies are organized, and there is a public order guard at the tourist places.

A visit to Kyrgyzstan is a sea of unforgettable impressions and unique flavor of Central Asia. We invite you to enjoy the picturesque nature, the greatness of the mountain peaks covered with eternal snow, the crystal-clear purity of the mountain lakes and the rich cultural heritage of the era of the Great Silk Road.

Turkey

Turkey is a home to picturesque natural landscapes, these are ancient cities and ancient fortresses, these are gentle sea and velvet sands, these are healing springs and salt caves, these are romantic cruises and bright nightlife. Essential advantage of vacation in Turkey is an abundance of sights: natural, architectural, historical and cultural.

Turkey resorts are washed by four seas: the Mediterranean, Black, Marmara and Aegean. All these regions are famous for clean beaches, hot climates and luxury hotels. The swimming season here is open from March to November. Leisure beach day can be easily combined with an active and extreme tourism, and diving. .

The most visited tourist destination is the Turkish Mediterranean Coast, Antalya and Kemer regions. Besides the golden strip of beaches, there is a whole galaxy of unique sights that amaze the imagination - from the ruins of ancient cities to the “alien landscapes” of Cappadocia (a picturesque mountainous area comparable in beauty to the Grand Canyon in the USA) and Pammukale (a unique thermal resort with white terraces created by nature itself). Especially, you can see the ruins of the legendary Troy and the ancient city of Ephesus. The temple of Artemis in Ephesus is in the list of the “Seven Wonders of the World”. .

Istanbul is a beautiful city located at the center point Europe meets Asia. Its history goes back more than twenty-seven centuries. There are many monuments of antiquity. The largest of them is the Hagia Sophia, which has one of the most iconic museums in the world. Amazing scale and beauty of the mosque (Blue Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque, Bayezid Mosque); magnificent palaces (Dolmabahche Palace, Topkapi, Beilerbeyi Palace); the richest collections of artifacts in museums; The Eastern tale of the large colorful bazaars and excellent shopping opportunities allows Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey, to win the hearts of tourists. .

The annual tourist flow to Turkey is very large. Following the results of 2018, about 40 million tourists from different countries visited this country. Turkey ranks as the 6th in the world among popular tourist destinations.

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a colorful country of Central Asia with a rich history, full of delicate traditions of the East, charm and grandeur of the oldest cities in the world.

The land of the Uzbeks saw the emergence and the fall of the great empires of Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, the devastating wars and the construction of amazing architectural monuments. The country is lucky to be located in a picturesque oasis in the center of the intersection of the roads of the Great Silk Road, along which the numerous caravans of Mediterranean, Indian, and Chinese traders passed. Here, at the crossroads of cultures and civilizations, cities were rapidly emerging and flourishing, new types of crafts appeared there, lively trade was conducted, the local cuisine acquired a national flavor, absorbing the savory features of overseas meals that traveling merchants readily told about.

In 2017, the Uzbek land was visited by 2.5 million people, then, in 2018, the number of visitors reached 5 million! Now Uzbekistan is confidently bypassing European countries and writing the leading positions of international tourist ratings into its history.

The award to Uzbekistan in the nomination “Gastronomic tourism” in the National Geographic Traveler Awards 2018 competition according to the National Geographic Traveler magazine became a sensation. The Republic received 34% of the vote, leaving behind Italy (21%) and Azerbaijan (17%).

In many ways, this success is explained by the fact that the safety of tourists is an indisputable priority in Uzbekistan. It is one of the few countries of the former Soviet Union with a low crime rate. The general law-abiding citizens, the work of law enforcement agencies, the effective application of law, 24-hour patrol of city streets ensure a high level of security for their people and guests arriving in the country. The country respects foreigners, the locals are always friendly (they even call for tea in a warm company) and are ready to help get to the right place.

Glowing in the sun with bright pearls, cities of modern Uzbekistan are proud of themselves on the Silk Road: Samarkand, Khiva, Bukhara. Every year they attract more and more tourists eager to touch the mysterious charm of the East. .

In the walls of the historical places of Bukhara, Samarkand, and Khiva, you can still hear the roar of voices, the sound of a camel's harness and the quiet singing in an unusually beautiful but indistinct language. .

Khiva

The main attraction of modern Khiva is the inner city the medieval Itchan-Kala. The ancient citadel is surrounded by a mighty wall, and each building inside is a monument of architecture and a separate landmark. At the same time, about 300 families who are engaged in traditional Uzbek crafts still live here. The wooden columns of the Juma Mosque are fascinating, the carving on each is different from the next one. The contemplation of the surroundings from the observation deck of the Kunya-Ark fortress shocks the conscience. The climbing up a narrow spiral staircase to the top of Islam Khoja complex is exhilarating, you can admire from there an incredibly beautiful view of a medieval city lying next to the Kyzylkum desert. This complex is the highest in Khiva (56.6 m) and its architecture resembles samples of the XIV century. One of the iconic landmarks of the city, Muhammad Amin-Khan Madrasah, is opposite the Kunya-Ark, it was built in the middle of the XIX century. It is the largest madrasah in Khiva and in whole Central Asia.

Kalta-Minor Minaret is considered to be the true symbol of Khiva. It strikes the imagination with its dimensions: 29 m in height, 14.5 m in diameter, 15 m in depth of the foundation. However, the tower rises above the ground by only a third of the originally planned height (70 m). The construction of the building was suspended in 1855, when the ruler of Khiva, Muhammad Amin Khan, was murdered. As a result, the tower remained unfinished, and now looks like a huge glazed barrel. Against the background of the clay constructions of Khiva, the huge turquoise dome of the Mausoleum of Makhmud Pakhlavan stands out picturesquely in the very center of the ancient fortress Itchan-Kala. 300 years ago it was a modest mausoleum of the poet and warrior, who became the hero of the city and was canonized after death. Today, a whole complex has grown up here, including a khanqah, a mosque and other buildings.

It is impossible to feel the whole atmosphere of Khiva without visiting the beautiful Tash-Khovli Palace, the walls, columns and ceilings of which are decorated with unique patterns. Here you can see the magnificent carving on ganch and marble, windows closed with copper openwork grilles. Thanks to such exquisite architecture, complemented by rich decor, the Tash-Khovli Palace is a masterpiece of Khiva architecture of XIX century.

Samarqand

Samarqand is an ancient majestic city of the fairytale East. For more than 2,700 years, it was an important center of the Great Silk Road, a place for the development of science and crafts in the Middle Ages. This is a city where legends come alive, resembling the fascinating Eastern tales.

The main attraction is the central square Registan. One of the most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world, Bibi-Khanym Mosque is located in Samarqand. It is worth visiting the Gur-Amir mausoleum. The famous Amir Timur rests for many centuries there under the jade gravestone. A place of pilgrimage for three religions - the pistachio tree, which has been growing at the tomb of the prophet Daniel for 500 years, invites to ponder about the eternal. You can think about the greatness of the stars by contemplating the remains of the Ulugbek Observatory.

One of the most mysterious and unique architectural monuments of Samarqand - the Shah-i-Zinda complex, is located nearby the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. It consists of rows of refine sparkling blue colors tombs. Shah-i-Zinda consists of eleven mausoleums, built one after another in the XIV-XV centuries.

A unique ensemble of ancient tombs (1370-1449 years) is located near Afrasiab settlement. It is also called "Street cemetery". Building of mosques and mausoleums of XI-XV centuries oddly stretched on both sides and their blue domes look like an elegant necklace from the top.

The most beautiful synagogue in Uzbekistan “Kanesoi Gumbaz” is located in the historical Jewish quarter in the eastern part of the Old City of Samarqand. It was built in 1891 for the Jewish community of Samarqand. The building is decorated with a dome that rests on an octahedral drum. By the way, “Gumbaz” is translated as dome from Persian, Tajik and Jewish languages. The atmospheric hall is decorated with photographs of famous rabbis, the walls are decorated with exquisite wood carvings and traditional plaster of ganch (a mixture of gypsum and clay). "Gumbaz" is a functioning synagogue and a living reminder of the once rich life of the Samarqand community of Bukharan Jews.

Bukhara

Bukhara is the city called the “pillar of Islam” in the Muslim world. A great mosques and shrines of saints are preserved here. Many of the historic buildings were built during the XVI – XVII centuries. More ancient buildings were destroyed by the horde of Genghis Khan in 1220, but despite this, the seen is impressive.

• The Ark Fortress is a massive fortress located on the Registan square. Ark Citadel was a residence of Bukhara khans and a symbol of their power. The palace of the rulers of the Bukhara Emirate, the throne room, the cells for criminals, the Djami mosque and the livery yard are preserved inside the fortress. The citadel occupies about 4 hectares. The Eastern part of the fortress was destroyed in XX century during the revolutions and civil wars. This place is the archeology reserve now.
• Kosh-Medrese architectual ensemble includes 2 buildings: Modari-Khan Madrasah and Abdullah-Khan Madrasah. The ensemble was constructed in XVI century. Instead of the geometric ornaments usual for Islamic structures, a Chinese dragon and the Simurgh bird are depicted on the walls of buildings. There are two mosques in the Madrasah: winter and summer. Both mosques are distinguished by exceptional luxury in the decoration of walls and ceilings.
• The Samanids Mausoleum - small in size but great in historical importance. It is in the list of the architectural masterpieces. The Mausoleum has become a place of three graves. It is assumed that one of them belongs to the son of the founder of the Samanid dynasty. The construction of the mausoleum relies on IX century, but only in the XX century it was discovered and reconstructed.
• Bukhara synagogue. The building is located in the city center and is about 400 years old. There are many stories about how this synagogue was created. According to one of them, an elderly Jewish widow asked to build a synagogue instead of her house, when the government wanted to buy it. At the end of the XIX century, the synagogue was closed by the authorities of the USSR and re-opened five years later by the request of the Jewish community. The building functions to this day.
• The Poi-Kalan complex from the XII-XVII centuries consists of 4 monuments: the Kalan mosque and the Miri-Arab Madrassah facing each other, Kalan minaret located in between, and to the south of Miri-Arab you can see the small Amir-Allimkhan Madrasah. Ensemble Poi-Kalan is the business card of ancient Bukhara: not visiting this complex means you did not see Bukhara at all.

Bukhara is a city that was founded in the V century BC and still exists today. It is a city that throughout its existence has experienced an incredible amount of rise and fall, a city that became then the distant outskirts of foreign empires, and after all the capital of the great khanate. It outlived the noble warriors of Alexander the Great and the invincible hordes of Genghis Khan.

Today, Uzbekistan is a country with modern service. On the Uzbek land, the warmth of the sun is closely intertwined with the sincerity and hospitality of people for whom the tourist is the most welcome and honored guest.