Surrounded by the mountains of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, the lush Fergana Valley lies. The Syr Darya runs through it, creating fertile farmland. The second most populous cities in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan are located in the Fergana Valley. It is considered the most conservative and the fertile part of these three countries.
Famous for its melon and crafts, the Fergana Valley is a flat oasis in a region renowned for mountains, deserts, and steppes. Many prominent civilizations and people have come through this Valley, including Genghis Khan’s army and Alexander the Great. The remnants of these civilizations and men are scattered across the Valley, crossing several international borders.
I chose these sites based on my own travel experiences. These places below have charmed and fascinated me. While most guidebooks focus on mountain treks, disaster tourism, and Silk Road sites, the Valley is frequently ignored. Tourism there is rapidly developing. It is possible to do these sites on one trip. These sites are in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. For American citizens, Kyrgyzstan doesn’t require a visa, but Uzbekistan and Tajikistan do. If you have questions about visas or border crossings, please e-mail or direct message Wandering in Eurasia. Caravanistan also has excellent information.
Kokand Palace
There were three khanates (kingdoms ruled by khans): Kokand, Bukhara, and Khiva in Uzbekistan. The Kokand Khanate controlled parts of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Its capital was Kokand, a mid-size city on the southern side of the Valley. The last Kokand khan needed summer palace to house his harem, so in 1873, he built the Kokand palace. The Russians captured the city three years later. Currently, a few rooms and courtyards still stand. It is a regional history museum, discussing the history of the Valley before the Russians arrived.
I went to Kokand in January because I worked too much and wanted to see more of the Valley. I took the morning train from Andijan, which took a long time. Arriving in Kokand at 8 am, I was hungry and ready to learn about history. After concluding that there is no Tim Horton’s in Kokand, I settled on a café with blini and instant coffee. Afterward, I took a taxi to the palace and walked up the palace’s gateway. Buying the cheap ticket, I walked around the palace. Currently, the palace is going through restoration. One can walk through the chambers where the khan would greet foreign and domestic leaders, the throne room, the Russians’ office, several museum exhibits, and some of the khan’s bedrooms. The Russians burned the infamous harem, needing space for their horses. Looking through the museum, I learned that women used to wear burqas in the Valley and saw some examples of Uzbek in Arabic script. I walked to the back of the palace and gazed out at where the harem was.
Walking around the palace might take an hour. I would suggest seeing Kokand and another site in the Fergana region, either Rishton’s pottery or Margilon’s silk factory. Kokand is easy to walk around and has some old mosques and madrassas worth seeing. When I went to Kokand, I went to the Rishton Ceramics Museum and had dinner in Fergana. I recommend taking a shard taxi from your point of origin. Taxis cost 15,000 sum per hour per seat. Don’t take the train. The palace costs 5,000 sum to enter.
Andijan’s Registan
Close to Osh on the east side of the Fergana Valley, Andijan lies. It is an ancient city and the birthplace of the Mughul empire founder, Bobur. Andijan used to be surrounded by an ark. There was a Registan, which is a public square surrounded by three madrassas. Inside the ark, there was majestic mosques and old buildings in a Registan existed; some still stand today. This fort existed from the fourteenth century to the eighteenth century; "during that period, the city of Andijan became so dominant in the region that people came to call inhabitants of Fergana and East Turkestan “Andijanis” (Starr 15). Considered by Uzbeks to be the most sacred city of the country, Andijan’s old city centers around a lovely Registan with a minaret in the middle. Surrounding the Registan, there is an eclectic regional history museum, an impressive mosque, and Bobur’s house when he lived in Andijan.
I lived in Andijan for ten months so going to the Registan was my favorite city walk. It is colorful and vibrant, reminding me of the importance of Islam in the city. Across from the central mall, I could grab an ice cream and walk around the ensemble. Down the street, there is the gigantic Jome Mosque and the Babur Literary Museum. These sites displayed the ancient side to the modernizing Andijan. I wrote the Registan in my pieces about Andijan.
To go to the Registan, you can take a private taxi or a Damas, an Andijan mini-bus. Damas 33, 3, or 222 will take you to the Registan. When you arrive in Andijan, you can ask to go to Eski Shaharga. Only pay five thousand sum if you take a private taxi.
Rishton Ceramics Museum
Particular soil around the Rishton area creates unique pottery. During the Soviet era, factories existed, producing ceramics for the whole USSR. Vendors in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan sell this. After the Soviet Union’s fall, the factory closed, but several masters remain. One of them, Rustan Usmanov, has an incredible museum and workshop.
After walking around Kokand, we went to Rishton because it was close to Kokand and Fergana. My superior at the US embassy had told me about the pottery in Rishton. As an art aficionado, I had to go to the museum. My Uzbek friend made our reservation. When we arrived, Rustan Usmanov’s son greeted us. He spoke English and led me around the factory. The workshop had pottery from ancient Rishton. My tour guide let me hold it. I watched as apprentices decorated the pieces of pottery. At the end of the tour, the master’s son presented me with pieces created at the workshop. I spent twenty dollars buying two pieces. I intend to go back there someday.
Rishton is between Kokand and Fergana. You can take a shared taxi from Kokand to Rishton or Rishton to Fergana. It only takes forty-five minutes. There are private taxis or public transit options as well. Though I highly recommend Rustan Usmanov’s workshop, my colleagues have mentioned other studios that are worth looking up. A tour should take an hour.
Yodgorlik Silk Factory
The colorful adras print originates in the Fergana Valley. Adras (a multi-colored blend of cotton and silk) material is sold across Central Asia from Bukhara to Almaty, but it is made in the Fergana Valley. Margilon is home to the cheapest and best quality adras and silk in Central Asia. During Silk Road times, Margilon was well-known for its production of silk. While many factories produce it, Yodgorlik Silk Factory provides excellent tours for English speakers.
I have toured the silk factory twice, once in English and once in Uzbek. I gained more from my tour with my family than I did with the Uzbek tour guide. After lunch in Fergana, my family took two taxis to Margilon, a city twenty minutes from Fergana. We arrived; an English language tour guide familiar with my friend greeted us. She insisted that my mom and I wear traditional Uzbek jackets. A fascinating thing she told us was that each region in Uzbekistan has a unique adras pattern. Each part of the process had a corresponding room. They showed us how silk goes from a worm into the fabric while we were holding silkworms. The tour guide gifted my brother and me with silkworm cocoons. In another room, a man demonstrated the dyeing process. When we arrived at the weaving rooms, our tour guide allowed us to attempt weaving. While my brother picked it up, I will be sticking to my day job. We ended at the gift shop where my parents bought Christmas gifts.
Margilon is twenty minutes from Fergana. You can take a mini-bus or a shared taxi from Fergana’s autovokzal. You can also take a private taxi or order one on Yandex (the Russian version of Uber). The train stops in Margilon so you can get off there and go to the factory on your way to Fergana. It is easy to reach from Rishton, Fergana, Kokand, Andijan, and Namamgan.
Aksikent
Located on the banks of the Syr Darya outside of Namangan, this is a recently discovered archaeological site. It was the capital of ancient Fergana during the ninth and tenth centuries. The conqueror of India and Afghanistan, Babur, was born there. His family ruled that city. Until recently, it was unknown; archeologists are slowly unearthing this site. According to a colleague, they uncovered more since October. The site will probably be more developed now.
I went to Aksikent with my colleagues after a daylong conference. My colleague’s counterpart arranged a bus to take us to the ruins and paid for our admission. We walked up the wooden entrance to a flexible structure. We waited briefly as a tourism promo shot inside. When we were finally let in, an archeological masterpiece releaved itself. I looked down and saw a city appear out of the sand. Buildings and walkways preserved over centuries. The archeological find is in the center of the building in a roped off the area while exhibits with paintings, explaining the importance of this site. I gazed at the discovery and imagined what life was like for Babur and his family. Outside of the plastic building, they were other digging sites. Maybe someday, the entire town will be unearthed.
Unfortunately, I do not know which minibus to take from the center of Namamgan, but if you want a private taxi, you can ask to go to Aksikent. It should only cost 10,000 to 20,000 sum to go to Aksikent from Namamgan. It costs 5,000 sum to enter the area.
Khujand’s Citadel
When Alexander the Great arrived in the Valley, he founded a city called Alexander the Farthest. While the city has had several rulers, Khujand remains a critical city to the Valley and Tajikistan. A citadel on the bank on the Syr Darya was built in the 17th century to protect the city from potential invaders. Since then, it has seen successful invasions from the Khanate of Kokand, Russian Army, and factions during the Tajik Civil War. Now, there are two museums; one about the citadel and another about the history of the Sughd region.
I was in the Fergana Valley, testing in Isfara. My friend and I decided to go to Khujand, taking a break from the monotony of Isfara and assisting our colleagues in testing. Our one-handed driver dropped us off at the Panjshanbe Bazaar. My colleague left me to walk around the town. I walked from the bazaar to the river and then found the Citadel. Surrounding the Citadel, there is a green, pleasant park. I walked into the Archeological Museum. While buying the ticket, the woman at the front desk handed me a Russian-Tajik-English food dictionary created for tourists. I spent a couple of minutes looking at models of the Citadel and then climbed up on to the roof of the Citadel.
The roof is unkept. A stray puppy ran around the top of the Citadel and construction vehicles. The views of the city and the Syr Darya are gorgeous. I felt surrounded by history, climbing around the top of the Citadel. After that, I went to a regional history museum. It was clean and well decorated. I spent about ten minutes there because there was not a lot of English. Waiting for my friends, I read my book in the sunny park and watched several brides and grooms wall around the park.
Khujand is a lovely city. There are good cafes with excellent European food and hotels. Khujand is a good weekend trip. I think that it is critical to understanding Tajikistan. While it is possible to fly from Dushanbe, the flight is a bit expensive. It is better to take a taxi from Dushanbe. During the winter, the mountain pass is closed so one must take the flight. Like many drives in Tajikistan, the scenery is stunning. One can find taxis to Khujand at Tsementzavod in Dushanbe. I traveled to Khujand from Isfara. If one is in Isfara, go to the autovokzal in the bazaar. I recommend buying Lonely Planet’s guide to Central Asia because it has a detailed map of Khujand. The museums cost one dollar each.
Suleiman-Too
Kyrgyzstan’s second-biggest city, Osh, revolves around a mountain in the center named Suleiman-Too or Solomon’s Throne. Suleiman-Too has been a site for religious worship since ancient times. Famous for its bazaar, Osh was a spot on the Silk Road. It looms over Osh; the town encircles it. Allegedly, it is the final resting place of Solomon, the son of David. The legend states that Bobur went to the mountain to pray before he conquered Afghanistan to pray. Tourists and pilgrims come here for the views, history, and hiking. In May 2019, I was one of them.
I went to Osh in the spring of 2019 as a day trip, traveling back from Karakol. I had friends in Osh. Several people had recommended Osh to me. Also, it is super close to my apartment in Andijan. After a lovely walk and lunch with a friend in Osh, I decided to ascend Suleiman-Too. It seemed like an easy climb. As I quickly started my climb, I noticed that the rocks were worn, making them slippery. I am terrified of heights and envisioned myself sliding down the side of the mountain. I slowly ascended the mountain and relaxed when I summited it. The views on top were stunning. Mountains encircled the Fergana Valley. From the north and the east, I saw the mountains from Kyrgyzstan. From the south and the west, I saw the mountains from Tajikistan. All the flat land was Uzbekistan, where I lived. Women prayed in the mosque nearby. I decided to descend.
It is a very walkable city; each of its sites connects. Kyrgyzstan has incredible tourism infrastructure; signs will point you in the right direction. I regularly take the flight from Bishkek to Osh. It is reasonably priced. Suleiman-Too is the big mountain in the middle of the town. It is hard to miss.
Uzgen Minaret and Mausoleum
Similar to Osh and Andijan, Uzgen was an important trading center on the Silk Road. A Turkic tribe, the Karakhanids, built a city there, overlooking the Kara Darya, a tributary of the Syr Darya. Most of the settlement was ransacked by the Mongol Horde’s army. Still standing today are an ancient minaret and mausoleum. The minaret used to be much taller than it is now. The mausoleum houses rulers of the Karakhanids. This ensemble is from the 11th Century.
While on a work trip to Jalalabad, I decided to go on a day trip to Uzgen. My former counterpart from Andijan was born in Uzgen; I wanted to see what her hometown was like and to climb the ancient minaret. After an hour's bus ride from Jalalabad, which went through Uzbekistan, I arrived in the bustling bazaar. My former counterpart's nephew greeted me, showing me his hometown. We walked to the archeological park. He paid the entrance fee. There are three ensembles at the park and two areas where the city buildings were. First up was climbing the minaret. I’m deathly scared of heights. When I climbed my first minaret in Khiva, I ended up stopping on the way down and was unable to continue out of fear. I had to have help down by two nice Uzbek men. I was skeptical that my climb in Uzgen was gonna go better. We climbed quickly. Students were playing around at the top. They spoke English and enjoyed practicing with me. The views from the top were gorgeous. I could see the whole town and the Kara Darya. Walking down the minaret was difficult. It was dark and steep. To distract my mind, I talked with the students about their English classes. Wanting to see the Kara Darya, we walked the edge of the ledge and looked at the river and Nizhny Uzgen. Turning towards the aging madrassa, we strolled in. The stonework was like stonework in Bukhara.
You can get to Uzgen from Jalalabad and Osh through private taxis, shared taxis and matryoshkas (like mini-buses), just go to the autovokzal. Going to Uzgen is an excellent stopover if you are going from Osh to Bishkek or Jalalabad. One will only need to spend two hours there. Also, climbing minarets are hard because the stairs are steep. Like Osh, Uzgen is well-marked. It is easy for tourists to find the minaret.
I hope this blog post inspires you to plan a trip to the Fergana Valley!
I cited The Ferghana Valley by Fredrick Starr in this piece.
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