Nur-Sultan (Astana)
Nurzhol bulvar's centrepiece is this 97m-high monument, a white latticed tower crowned by a large glass orb. This embodies a Kazakh legend in which the…
Must-see attractions in Central Asia
Fergana Valley
The palace of the Khan of Kokand, with seven courtyards and 114 rooms, was built in 1873, though its dazzling tiled exterior makes it look so perfect that…
Bishkek
Collections of Kyrgyz embroidery and felt rugs, a splendid variety of paintings, and rotating exhibitions of local and international touring works all…
Aysha-Bibi & Babazha-Katun Mausoleums
Kazakhstan
In Aysha-Bibi village, 16km west of Taraz, are the tombs of two 11th- or 12th-century women, legendary protagonists of a local Romeo and Juliet tale. The…
Almaty
This 1100m hill on the city’s southeast edge is crowned by a 372m-high TV tower visible from far and wide, and affords great views over the city and the…
Kazakhstan
This large park on the south bank of the Irtysh contains several interesting exhibits and is well worth a couple of hours of your time. Moving west from…
Kazakhstan
This picturesque turquoise lake, 1.6km long, rests in a rocky bowl at 2500m altitude, reflecting the Tian Shan mountains and the giant fir trees in its…
Kazakhstan
With more than 200 steppe lakes in and around the reserve, the area is a vital stop on major bird migration routes from Africa, the Middle East and India…
Museum of Victims of Political Repression
Shymkent
This small museum documents Soviet oppression in Kazakhstan, from the dekulakisation (Soviet campaign of political repression from 1929 to 1932) and…
Almaty
This is the best art collection in the country, with Kazakh, Russian and some Western European art and a room of top-class modern Kazakh handicrafts, with…
Nur-Sultan (Astana)
The yurt-shaped museum showcases beautifully presented exhibitions on weaponry and warfare, with striking murals greeting visitors. On the ground floor,…
Kazakhstan
Part of the Ile-Alatau National Park and located 70km east of Almaty, this beautiful, densely forested gorge, carved out of rock by the whitewater of…
Kazakh Museum of Folk Musical Instruments
Almaty
In a striking 1908 wooden building (designed by cathedral architect Zenkov) at the east end of Panfilov Park, the city’s most original museum is a must…
Nur-Sultan (Astana)
This rare relic of the 1950s may be gone in a few years' time, banished by the relentless wrecking ball, but for now you can see this enormous, decaying…
Kazakhstan
This gorgeous lake is a thriving habitat of over 200 different bird species. Apart from its attraction for birdwatchers and general scenic beauty, there…
Kazakhstan
A couple of hours' drive from the settlement of Basshi that's part of the Altyn-Emel National Park, this sand dune emits a rumbling sound not unlike an…
Kazakhstan
A curious collection of 15 communist busts and statues, mostly Lenins – including Kazakhstan's tallest Lenin! – stands in a small park behind Hotel Semey…
Tashkent
The New Soviet men and women who rebuilt Tashkent after the 1966 earthquake are remembered in stone at the Earthquake Memorial just north of Mustaqilik…
Samarkand
On the northern side of the Registan is the Tilla-Kari (Gold-Covered) Medressa, completed in 1660, with a pleasant, gardenlike courtyard. The highlight…
Samarkand
The Ulugbek Medressa, on the western side of the Registan, is the square's original medressa, finished in 1420 under Ulugbek who is said to have taught…
Samarkand
The entrance portal of the Registan's Sher Dor (Lion) Medressa, opposite the Ulugbek Medressa and finished in 1636, is decorated with roaring felines that…
Khiva
Khiva's Ichon-Qala is one of the great highlights of Uzbekistan. The perfectly preserved medieval walled town is home to dozens of mosques, medressas and…
Khiva
To your left after you enter the West Gate stands the Kuhna Ark – the Khiva rulers’ own fortress and residence, first built in the 12th century by one Ok…
Historical Museum of Sughd Province
Tajikistan
Built within the reconstructed southeastern bastion of the city wall, this museum houses a fascinating set of modern marble mosaics depicting the life of…
Bukhara
Lyabi-Hauz, a plaza built around a pool in 1620 (the name is Tajik for ‘around the pool’), is the most peaceful and interesting spot in town – shaded…
Dushanbe
Pictured on the 20TJS banknote and just 30km west of Dushanbe, the remains of this 18th-century fort make for an interesting day trip from the capital…
Bukhara
This mausoleum in Samani Park, completed in 905, is the town's oldest Muslim monument and one of its most architecturally interesting. Built for Ismail…
Kyrgyzstan
This turquoise-hued glacial lake is one of the most beautiful in Chuy oblast, and the surrounding peaks and verdant pastures certainly don't do anything…
Tashkent
The primary attraction of Khast Imom square is this library museum, which houses the 7th-century Osman Quran (Uthman Quran), said to be the world’s oldest…
Uzbekistan
The Termiz Archaeological Museum is reason enough to visit Termiz. Unveiled in 2001, the museum is a treasure trove of Buddhist and Bactrian artefacts…
Tajikistan
Shaded by ancient chinar (plane) trees, a pair of small but ornately stucco-fronted 17th-century tombs are set beside a fine old mosque with tapering…
Kyrgyzstan
Though the full Unesco Biosphere Reserve includes seven mountain lakes and numerous rare flora and fauna, the star attraction for most visitors is the…
Dushanbe
Beneath an impressive arc of blue mosaic stars, the nation's most revered poet, Rudaki, is honoured here at the heart of the central park named after him…
Uzbekistan
Impressive mud-walled Ayaz-Qala, located 23km north of Boston (Bustan), is actually a complex of three forts. Its heyday was the 6th and 7th centuries…
Tajikistan
This 12th-century fort is the most impressive of the Wakhan Valley's many tumbledown castle ruins, complete with multiple walls and round watchtowers. The…
Tashkent
The striking new Minor Mosque, also known as the white mosque for the colour of its marble, is proof that Uzbekistan still knows how to create sublime…
Tashkent
It's impossible to miss the handsome gold onion domes, pastel blue walls and 50m bell tower of the impressive Assumption Cathedral. Built in 1958 and…
Tajikistan
In the northwest of the country, 30km east of Penjikent, the Fannsky Gory or Fan Mountains are a beautiful range of sharp-peaked mountains, many snow…
Khiva
At the back right corner of the throne room in the Kuhna Ark, a door in the wall leads to a flight of steps up to the watchtower, the original part of the…
Tajikistan
Measuring around 4km in length, this stunning lake (2195m), high in the Fan Mountains, is a spectacle not to be missed. Willows, feathery tamarisk and…
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