 Urgench is a crossroads when traveling towards Khiva. Beyond this asset, the city has no particular appeal.

Asia

Assalomu alaykum! Welcome to Uzbekistan, an epicentre for many civilisations, a place steeped in world history and tradition, and home to rare, untainted landscapes. Once a witness to the grandeur and decadence of the Mongol and Persian Empires and a privileged step of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan still has countless treasures from its multicultural past. From the Bukhara Madrasas to the gems of Timurid architecture, we come to the Khanate of Khiva in the heart of the desert, which seems almost timeless . You can feel the weight of history pervading the whole area. The country also offers great excursions, on foot and by camel, and the opportunity to discover wildlife which, despite the drought, remains as varied as it is exotic. During walks in the steppes and mountains, you will have the opportunity to observe gazelles, scorpions, lynx, mountain sheep and even snow leopards in their natural habitats.

Uzbekistan

Urgench

Khiva is a small, fortified town located in the middle of the Uzbek desert. The town is an open-air museum with an enormous number of Islamic religious monuments that are open to visitors.

Khiva

 Bukhara is considered to be the holiest city in Central Asia. It's a key stop on a  trip to Uzbekistan between mosques, madrassas (Islamic schools), and even mausoleums that have been here for thousands of years. 

Bukhara

Tashkent is a nice city to visit - Uzbekistan has some economic development here, far from the traditions of the East and very touristy cities of the West.

Tashkent

Merv is an ancient, historic Islamic city on the Silk Road and is one of the finest examples of early Islamic culture. 

Merv

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Today, the city lies in ruins but , at least according to legend, Merv was the largest city in the world in the twelfth century, when it was an opulent oasis on the Silk Road. Historically, it played a role in the development of the Islamic world as important as that of Cairo or Baghdad. Nonetheless, I unfortunately have to admit that my visit left me a bit disappointed. That's because it was such a leap of imagination to envisage the splendor of the city as it must have been in the past. Very little of the Merv of antiquity remains, except for a few fortified walls, the citadel and a mausoleum. It is a fabulous experience to find historic remains so deep in the arid desert landscape, which makes the visit particularly compelling for during a <a href="/turkmenistan/">visit to Turkmenistan</a>.

Merv is an ancient, historic Islamic city on the Silk Road and is one of the finest examples of early Islamic culture.

Merv Vacations

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