The Pearl cities of the East

Arrival in the morning, transfer to hotel for early check-in. After breakfast, we start our excursion with the old town, the “Eski shakhar”, which seems to have been spared by Soviet planners to show the original appearance of the buildings. It continues with the complex of Hazrat Imams, which includes the Barak Khan madrassah (XVI century), the old mosque Djami (Friday) still in the work, and the mausoleum of Kaffal Chachi - the tomb of a great philosopher, poet and teacher of Islam lived in the tenth century. It's still a place of pilgrimage for the locals. Then we will stop at the bazaar Charsu, the city's most famous farmer's market and a great place to meet many locals coming from the surrounding countryside dressed in traditional costumes. Finally panoramic tour of the modern city: the Independence Square, the square of Amir Temur, the Theatre Square.
Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport to board the domestic flight, direct to Urgench capital of the province of Khorezm. Arrival in Urgench. Meeting with the driver and starting to Khiva (30 km). Now Khiva is a large open-air museum. The city tour includes (The order of the visits will be determined by the guide): the statue of the great scholar Al-Khorezmi (Algorithme) founder of algebra, located next to the main entrance of Ichan Kala, the fortified town. Then the tour continues with the Kunya Ark of the seventeenth century. Fortress and residence of the rulers of Khiva, in which there are the harem, the mint, the stables, the armory, barracks, mosque and the palace stables Tosh-Hovli, in which Inside you can admire the most sumptuous decoration of Khiva, including ceramic tiles, stone sculptures and carved wood. The building consists of 2 parts: the private (harem) and the Public (reception room and courtroom). Visit to Djuma mosque or Friday Mosque, with 213 carved wooden columns supporting the ceiling. The columns were brought from different regions of Central Asia (X-XIII centuries). Lunch. After lunch continues with the mausoleum of Pahlavan Mahmud - poet, philosopher and legendary wrestler, who became the patron saint of Khiva. It’s considered to be the most sacred and honored place in Khiva and one of the most beautiful monuments of the city, with its magnificent courtyard and beautiful decorative tiles. Free time.

Dinner. Overnight in Khiva.

Breakfast. Today continue our excursion Kalta-Minor Minaret (1855), Medrese of Mukhamad Amin-Khan (XIX), Kunya-Ark Fortress (1868-1888). the minaret and the medrasa of Islam Khodja (1908-1910). Lunch time. After lunch free time.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Bukhara via the Kizilkum desert. En-route stop to enjoy views of the desert and Amu Darya river. Arrival in Bukhara, hotel check-in, free time. Dinner. Overnight in Bukhara.

Breakfast. Full day excursion to Bukhara. The city, one of the oldest settlements in Central Asia, with its age-old buildings and a historic center still inhabited, is located in a desert oasis east of the lower reaches of the Amu Darya river (Zeravshan). The city tour includes (the order of the visits will be determined by the guide): Ismail Samani Mausoleum, the oldest and most valuable in the country, a masterpiece of medieval architecture, built by Ismail Samani for his father Nasr I. Ismail Samani , the founder of the Samanid dynasty. It is called "Jewel of the East". The Chashma Ayub Mausoleum. According to legend, Job went to Bukhara to save the inhabitants from the lack of water and hit the ground with his stick. At that point just flowed a spring of water. Take a walk in the bazaar of Chasma Ayoub, near the mausoleum. We will see the Bolo-Hauz Mosque, the Emirs official place of worship, built in 1718 and located next to the door of the Ark, the center of the city, the official residence of the rulers of Bukhara. The Ark Fort inhabited since the fifth century. until 1920, when it was bombed by the Red Army, now in its interior is almost entirely made up of ruins except some former royal apartments which are home to several museums. The Ark Citadel – the center of government system of Bukhara (IV c. BC). Lunch.
After lunch continue our excursion: The complex Poi Kalon - including the Kalon minaret, the Kalon mosque, the madrassa Miri Arab, madrassa Said Alimkhan - is a central part of the city of Bukhara, with its impressive minaret of the twelfth century, from which the muezzin recalled prayer to the city.

Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast. Today visit the mosque Magoki Attar (well herbalists), which stands on a Zoroastrian temple of the fifth century. Later destroyed by the Arabs in the twelfth century and converted into a mosque. The markets covered belong to civil architecture of the sixteenth century: Taki Zargaron was the bazaar of the jewelers, the Taki Telpakfurushon hatters, the Taki Sarrafon of the money changers. We continue the tour with the Ulugbek Madrassa, the oldest in Central Asia (1417) and served as a model for many others. Visit the sixteenth century Madrassa Abdul Aziz Khan, also be considered a real gem and the twin brother of Ulugbek, not restored, was built by the homonymous king to blur in size and the splendor of Ulugbek. And yet the square Labi Hauz, a plaza built around a bathtub in 1620, with a statue in the middle of Hoja Nasruddin, a "wise crowds" that appears almost mythical tales of Sufis around the world. To the east stands the statue of the madrassa Nadir Devan Beghi 1622 and on the west the Khanaka. Entrambi buildings are named after Treasury Secretary Abdul Aziz Khan who financed the built in the seventeenth century. Free time permitting, visit the atelier of traditional puppets.

Dinner and night in the Old Madrassa Nodir Devon Beghi.

Breakfast. Morning drive to Samarkand through Shahrisabz. City tour around Shahrisabz: the ruins of Ak-Saray palace (“the White Palace”) – Tamerlane’s summer residence (XIV-XV cc.). The Dor-us-Saodat complex: “The Khathrat Imam mosque” – a multi-step mosque with a cupola shaped hall and decorated iwans (XIV c.), Gumbazi – Saidon the mausoleum of Saids (relatives of Prophet Mukhammad, “The Kuk-Gumbaz mosque” ("Blue cupola") – was built by Ulugbek on behalf of his father Shakhrukh (XV c.). Arrival to Samarkand and check-in at the hotel.

Dinner. Overnight in Samarkand.

Breakfast.
Full day tour through Samarkand. The best definition for this city is "the crossroads of cultures". The history of Samarkand begins in the mists of time. Historical documents show that Alexander the Great conquered in 329 BC, at the time it was called Maracanda, and it was an oasis city in the valley of the river Zeravshan. A center where they lacked the wealth, the place where they had flourishing trade and crafts. From the first century BC on the Silk Road became the road that connected China with the Mediterranean and Samarkand found himself in a strategic position not only in terms of trade, but also cultural. Fought and conquered by various successive powers (Chinese, Arabs, Samanids, Turkish Seljuks), in 1220 it was destroyed by the hordes of Genghis Khan. But in the second half of the fourteenth century the Mongol ruler Tamerlane in Samarkand did just the capital of his vast empire and made it extraordinarily lavish in terms of architecture. For 35 years the city was rebuilt and full of sites with artisans and architects from all over the Empire. The grandson of Tamerlane, Ulugbek, excellent astronomer, ruled the country and the city for 40 years, continuing the work of art and building several schools devoted to mathematics and astronomy. We will visit the Registan square which in medieval times was to be the commercial center of the city and entirely occupied by the bazaar, where the three Madrasse (1420 madrasa Ulughbek, Sher Dor madrasah in 1636 and Tilla Kari covered gold in 1660). The monument is one of the most beautiful places in Central Asia, a triumph of tiles, ceramic blue and harmonious spaces. Then we visit the Bibi Khanim mosque, located northeast of the plaza, with its 41-meter high portal, has an interesting history: it was commissioned by Timur after the success of his military campaign in India for his wife. The building was completed in 1404. By the time it was a gigantic mosque, but built with some structural defect, such that in 1897 led to the collapse during an earthquake. Continuation of sightseeing with the Silk Road Bazaar and the necropolis of Shahi Zinda which houses among other mausoleums and tombs, including one that is said to have been placed the body of the cousin of Muhammad. Visit the site and the museum of Afrosiab (the ancient settlement place in the hills above Maracanda arose before the city), which houses the archaeological discoveries more important found on the site of the excavations. Finally, the observatory of Ulughbek, dated 1420. Free time.

Dinner in a traditional house with specialties “Uzbek Plov". Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast. After breakfast visit the mausoleum of Tamerlane (Guri - Amir), built by the order of Tamerlane for his nephew Mukhammad Sultan, who died in 1403, which houses the remains of the sultan and his family. Then drive to Konigil village to explore traditional way of making Samarkand paper from mulberry. 16:00 Transfer to the station to catch the high speed train to Tashkent (2h10m), arrival and dinner time.
Overnight in Tashkent.

Breakfast. Return flight to Homeland with great expressions!