Optional extension to Ferghana Valley - 1 night / 2 days

Day 01 Thursday: Tashkent/Ferghana
Morning transfer to the airport. A short flight to Ferghana.
During your two days stay visit several interesting places that include:
Ferghana City is the administrative centre of Ferghana region. Its territory is 70 square km and the population is 230,000 people.
The history of the city dates back to 1877. It was decided to build a new city 12 km. from the old town of Marghilan. Initially it was named as New Marghilan. In 1924 the city was named as Ferghana. At present Ferghana is an important industrial centre of Uzbekistan. Regarding the capacity of production Ferghana stands on the second place in Uzbekistan after Tashkent.
Rishton is 50 km to the west of Ferghana City. Since ancient times Rishton was famous for its ceramics. There are deposits of red clay, natural minerals and abundance of mountainous vegetation that is needed for painting process. Rishton artisans became famous all over the world for their technology of ceramic production.
Kokand City is situated in the western part of the Ferghana Valley and it was its capital from 1709 to 1876. The Great Silk Road had played a major role in the development of the city.
The territory of the Kokand Khanate included nearly the whole territory of present Uzbekistan. There were 29 khans in the history of the Khanate. The most outstanding ruler was its last khan – Khudoyar. From 1845 to1876 Khudoyar-Khan was the ruler of the state just before the annexation of the Kokand Khanate to Russia.
Many mosques and madrasahs were built during Khudoyar-Khan’s reign.
Khudoyar Khan Palace - was built in 1860 -1872 in magnificent style with seven courtyards and 113 rooms. Only two courtyards and 19 rooms have survived. The Palace occupied four hectares.
Tsarist troops blew up its fortifications. At present the palace houses the museum of history.
Narbutabey Madrasah - the largest religious school in Kokand, closed by the Bolsheviks in 1799, reopened again in the years of independence of the republic, instructing nearly 80 students.
Madari Khan Mausoleum - was built, on the main cemetery, in 1825 for the khan’s mother by the best architects of the Kokand Khanate.
Dakhma-i-Shokhon (Grave of the Kings) - was the family mausoleum of the Kokand khans, built during the rule of Umar Khan (1809-1822) who was also buried here. A beautiful fence surrounds the mausoleum, as well as a prayer place. The entrance doors are decorated with carved inscriptions in Arab, taken from Koran, as well as verses written by Umar Khan himself. For a long time, the mausoleum was dilapidated and turned to ruins. In 1971 it was completely reconstructed by local handicraftsmen.
Overnight at the hotel.

Day 02 Friday: Ferghana/Tashkent
Continue with the tour of this magnificent valley also known as the heartland of Uzbekistan. The tour includes visits to:
Marghilan (1st century BC). Marghilan’s best-known son is Zaheruddin Mohammad Babur, the founder of India’s Moghul Empire in the 16th century.
As legend says the name of Marghilan is linked with the invasion of Alexander the Great to Central Asia in the 4th century BC Alexander the Great had passed the way from Khojand to Uzghen and back. During that campaign he visited twice the settlement that was long after named Marghilan. Local people met Alexander with bread and chicken. He liked the meal and asked about it. He received a reply: “Murginon” which meant “chicken and bread”. From that memorable day the town was named as “Marghilan”.
Since old days Marghilan has been famous for its wonderful and fine silk. Via the Great Silk Road traders brought Margilanian silk to Baghdad, Cairo and Athens.
Nowadays the population of Marghilan is 165,000 people with the territory of 50 square km. Marghilan is the silk production center of Uzbekistan.
The souvenir factory “Yodgorlik” still is the only one in Central Asia where original handmade methods of silk production have remained. Silk fabric manufactured here is considered as one of the best in the international market.
Andijan is situated in the Southeast of the Ferghana Valley and is surrounded by high mountains and hills.
The history of the city goes back to the 9th century AD. In ancient times the Great Silk Road passed through this town, which was known as the eastern gate of the Ferghana Valley. In the 10th century Andijan was the part of the Samanids Empire. In 1483 Zaheruddin Babur was born here, and Andijan became the capital of the Ferghana State and its major Silk Road trading center. Later Babur had to go to Afghanistan and he ruled Kabul for two decades, then in 1526 he marched into Delhi and founded the Moghul Empire in India. The dynasty of the Babur's had ruled India for more than 300 years.
The Babur Literary Museum - is situated behind the bazaar, occupying the site of the royal apartments, where Babur lived and studied in Ark-Ic_hi, the town’s citadel that exists no more.
Juma Mosque & Madrasah - built in the 19th century, is said to be the only building to survive the 1902 earthquake. It is also a regional museum with historical exhibits on display.
Late afternoon transfer to airport for your flight to Tashkent.

End of the tour.

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