Tashkent ’s New Face: Soviet Modernism Meets Islamic Classicism
Tashkent ’s New Face
Travel Guide Samarkand – Spring/Summer 2025 feature
Stand‑first: Tashkent is rewriting its skyline once again. From cosmic metro mosaics and concrete colossi to shimmering white‑marble mosques, Uzbekistan’s capital is where Brutalism and blue domes coexist. Pack curiosity (and a wide‑angle lens): the city’s hybrid identity offers Europe’s architecture buffs, foodies and slow travellers a long‑weekend playground with Central Asia’s friendliest welcome.
Tashkent ’s New Face: Why Go Now
- Metro Museum Reborn: A €120 m illumination project (completed March 2025) now spotlights the Soviet‑era mosaics, chandeliers and stained glass of all 29 underground stations. Photography ban lifted—tripods allowed outside rush hours.
- Modernism on the Watchlist: DOCOMOMO Eastern Europe added Tashkent’s ‘Solar City’ civic buildings to its 2024 endangered treasures list—go before the crowds of preservationists arrive.
- Visa‑free & Wallet‑friendly: 30‑day visa‑free entry for EU/UK passports; contactless pay on public transport, lattes €1.50.
- Green Corridors: 25 km of segregated cycle lanes launched April 2025 linking Old Town to the new Tashkent City park.
Tashkent ’s New Face: Three‑Day Urban Taster
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metro Art Crawl: Kosmonavtlar → Alisher Navoi → Mustaqillik Maydoni | Lunch in Chorsu Bazaar dome, then walk Khast‑Imam complex | Broadway pedestrian street for street‑food and live jazz |
| 2 | Guided tour of Soviet landmarks: Hotel Uzbekistan rooftop, Palace of Peoples’ Friendship | Contemporary art at Tashkent City Art Gallery | Plov festival at Central Park (Fridays) |
| 3 | Bike the new riverside cycleway to Minor Mosque | Boat ride on Anhor Canal, café‑hop in Yakkasaray’s courtyard cafés | Opera night at Navoi Theatre or rooftop cocktails at Hilton Tashkent |
(Add a day trip to Chorvoq Reservoir for mountain air if time allows.)
Soviet Modernism: Concrete Dreams & Cosmic Tiles
1. Hotel Uzbekistan (1974)
A 17‑storey grid that flares like a paper fan. Ride to the 16th‑floor bar for a 360° city panorama. Tip: sunset martini €6.
2. Tashkent Television Tower (375 m, 1985)
Europe’s eighth‑tallest freestanding structure. Observation deck at 97 m reveals how Soviet city‑planners threaded green belts between micro‑districts.
3. Kosmonavtlar Metro Station (1977)
Cobalt ceramic medallions of Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova glow under LED uplights—now selfie‑legal.
4. Palace of Peoples’ Friendship (1981)
Nicknamed the ‘Rhombicube’; its modular aluminium façade was restored in late 2024. Occasional philharmonic rehearsals are free to sit in.
Architect‑led walking tours depart daily 10:00 from Mustaqillik Square (90 min, €10).
Islamic Heartbeat: Domes, Scripts & Spiritual Calm
- Khast‑Imam Complex: Home to the 7th‑century Uthman Qur’an, displayed in a climate‑controlled glass cube since 2023. Respectful dress compulsory; scarves loaned free.
- Minor Mosque (2014): Snow‑white marble plates imported from Košice, Slovakia, echoing Bukhara’s timeless blue but in Baltic hues.
- Cupped Calligraphy Cafés: Try saffron‑cardamom latte at Zarif café while watching artisans inscribe verses on ceramic plates.
Tashkent ’s New Face: Taste the Contrast
| Experience | Modernist Mood | Islamic Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee fix | Breadly—industrial loft with tungsten bulbs | Besh Qozon—arched ayvan, rose‑water iced tea |
| Fine dine | MOD—molecular lagman in geometric plating | Caravan—pillows, tanbur music, lamb shank pilaf |
| Nightlife | Studio 25—DJ sets in ex‑printing press | Moonlit Courtyard—sitar‑jazz under carved cupolas |
Sustainable Footprint
- Use Tashkent’s Nextbike docks (first 30 min free) instead of taxis.
- Fill up at Blue Tap stations—part of the city’s plastic‑free pledge.
- Buy CityPASS+ (digital) for bundled metro/bus + three museums (€9).
Practical Planner
- When to go: Mid‑April–early June & late‑September–October (18–30 °C, cotton‑candy skies).
- Getting around: Metro 20 cents/trip; Yandex Go taxis start €1 within centre.
- Where to stay:
- Hilton Tashkent City – glass‑walled infinity pool, next to Amir Temur Museum (€170).
- Art Hostel – leafy courtyard dorms, breakfast pancakes (€18).
- Boutique Eco‑Hotel Maydoni – solar panels, Uzbek‑Nordic décor (€75).
- Connectivity: Citywide 5G (Ucell) since 2024; e‑SIM packs €10/15 GB.
- Cash & Cards: Visa/MC widely accepted; keep small notes for bazaar.
- Dress code: Relaxed, but cover shoulders/knees at mosques; carry a scarf.
Top Photo Ops
- Turquoise domes of Khast‑Imam at golden hour.
- Futuristic vault of Alisher Navoi station—use wide‑angle lens.
- Brutalist relief outside Wedding Palace, backlit sunrise.
- Skyline from Hilton rooftop, with TV tower silhouette.
- Neon reflections on Anhor Canal after rain.
Uzbek Soundtrack
Create a Spotify list mixing 1970s Uzbek funk (e.g. Botir Zokirov) with contemporary electro‑folk (Sevara Nazarkhan 2025 album). QR code link in margin.
Take‑away Souvenir: Limited‑edition enamel pin series featuring Tashkent metro mosaics—sold exclusively at the new Metro Museum shop; €4 supports station maintenance fund.
Ready to plug Tashkent’s architectural mash‑up into your Central Asian itinerary? Share this guide, tag your photos #ModernistMinarets and keep the conversation going!
