Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
Head to head
Uzbekistan VERSUS Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan – which Silk Road country will you pick?
In 2019, you voted Uzbekistan as your top emerging destination; in 2020, Kyrgyzstan stole its neighbour’s crown. What is it about these two Central Asian republics that exerts such a draw, and how can you choose between them? UZBEKISTAN
You’ll find iconic mosques, madrasas and minarets clad in turquoise and blue tiles in the heart of the Silk Road. Ismail Samanid’s mausoleum (pictured) is one of the earliest examples of classic Islamic architecture, with models from medieval Uzbekistan even helping inspire India’s Taj Mahal.
Human history here dates back over 10,000 years, with Zoroastrian, Buddhist and Manichaean societies prevailing long before the arrival of Islam in the 8th century. The Navoi petroglyphs depict extinct wildlife; Alexander the Great built at Nurata and Kampir Tepe; and more than 50 ruined castles have been excavated in Khorezm.
Silk Road cultures are enshrined in Uzbekistan and its UNESCO sites. Emperor Timur brought craftsmen to Samarkand from as far as India and Iran, and masters in woodwork, silk weaving, ceramics and miniature painting continue their legacy today, which can be admired at Tashkent’s Applied Arts Museum (pictured).
There’s an empty beauty in the Kyzylkum Desert, which covers much of Uzbekistan. But here, too, you’ll find the Amu Darya River with its fertile flood plains; the agricultural patchwork of Fergana; man-made reservoirs and lakes; and the snow-capped peaks of the Chimgan range, which beckon hikers and winter sports enthusiasts alike.
KYRGYZSTAN
Kyrgyzstan’s predominantly nomadic population left little in terms of a built environment, but the population made up for it in the 20th century. Cities such as Bishkek and Osh boast Soviet architecture, from classical opera houses to Brutalist apartment blocks.
The vast poem Epic of Manas describes the triumphs of Kyrgyz hero; this oral history is key to national identity. Scientists have discovered remnants of an ancient civilisation at the bottom of Issyk-kul Lake and hundreds of carved balbals (pictured) on the steppe, while the Burana Tower’s all that remains of an ancient city.
Kyrgyzstan’s culture was born on horseback. It’s defined by a clan-based society and the traditional migration of the nomadic population. You can still sleep in a yurt beneath a felt shyrdak rug, ride bareback besides flocks of sheep or even use a trained golden eagle to hunt for rabbits.
More than 90% of Kyrgyzstan is mountainous. If you rolled Kyrgyzstan out flat, it’d probably cover the same land area as China. Bishkek is ringed by jagged peaks; Issyk Kul and Song Kul (pictured) are Central Asia’s most photogenic lakes and the country offers high mountain passes, gorges, forests and meadows.