This amazing country seems to have stepped out of the pages of oriental fairy tales: endless deserts and sky-high mountains, ancient cities and fortresses, mosaic facades and blue domes of mosques and madrassas, delicious food, hospitable people - all this is Uzbekistan. 
A great opportunity to see its wonders with your own eyes. Still in doubt? Then here are a few more facts about Uzbekistan and its inhabitants.
1. In Uzbekistan, the sun shines 300 days a year, and in summer the thermometer rises above 40 °C. Therefore, it is better to come here in the spring, when peaches and almonds bloom, or in early autumn, when the famous Mirzachul melons ripen.
2. A fifth of the country’s territory is occupied by mountains. Just 100 km from Tashkent, the sky is supported by the snow-capped peaks of the Western Tien Shan, and the highest point is the peak of the Gissar Khazret-Sultan ridge, rising 4643 m above the ground near the border with Tajikistan. 
The pinnacle of Uzbek cuisine is pilaf, included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List. 
3. The most popular tourist sites in Uzbekistan are the cities of the Great Silk Road: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. 2,750-year-old Samarkand is the same age as Rome and one of the oldest cities in the world. The capital of Uzbekistan is also over 2 thousand years old: Tashkent was founded during the times of Zoroastrianism.
4. After the conquest of Tashkent, the city was built according to the plans of military topographers, taking as a basis first the avenues and lines of Vasilyevsky Island, and then the Moscow radial layout. Therefore, unlike other Asian capitals, there are many wide straight streets and the metropolis of three million is not stuck in traffic jams. 
5. The Tashkent metro is the first in Central Asia and one of the most beautiful in the world: the stations are lined with marble or granite, decorated with colored mosaics and elegant lamps. Thanks to a well-thought-out ventilation system, the metro is cool even in extreme heat.
6. Uzbekistan is home to one of the largest gold deposits on the planet - the Muruntau mine in the Kyzylkum desert. And cotton is called white gold here: the country is one of the top five global fiber producers and exports 75% of its raw materials. 
7. The pinnacle of Uzbek cooking is pilaf, included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List. In Uzbekistan, there are hundreds of recipes for the iconic dish; the Central Asian Plov Center operates in Tashkent, and supermarkets sell canned pilaf, which you can easily take with you as a souvenir.
8. In 2017, Uzbekistan Airways took first place among CIS air carriers in the “Best in-flight catering” category. Even in economy class, passengers are offered pilaf, manti, samsa and red wine.
9. Incredibly sweet and aromatic Mirzachul melons are considered the most delicious in the world: they grow without abundant watering under the generous Uzbek sun. For the same reason, all fruits from Uzbekistan are rich in natural sugars. 
10. One of the main Uzbek holidays is Navruz, symbolizing renewal. It has been celebrated on the day of the spring equinox since time immemorial, and for 40 days after it, women prepare “sumalak” - a festive dish made from sprouted wheat grains.
11. Residents of Uzbekistan are very hospitable: they are ready to invite even a stranger into their home and give them tea, so there are always nuts and oriental sweets on the table. Only half a bowl of tea is poured for the dear guest, so that he asks for more as often as possible and is not in a hurry to leave. 
12. Uzbeks are born diplomats: they avoid conflicts in every possible way, do not like to refuse directly and respond to almost any request with consent - “hop miley”. Moreover, if it is impossible to resolve the issue, they will offer even the most ridiculous options - just so that no one leaves offended.
13. Uzbeks are accustomed to living in a large community, and the typical social model is represented in a city quarter - a mahalla, whose residents celebrate holidays and solve problems together. In mahallas, the ancient custom of mutual assistance has been preserved - hashar: neighbors jointly repair and build houses, maintain order and improve their area.
14. According to the UN, Uzbekistan is ahead of all CIS countries in terms of the level of happiness of its residents: in 2020, the republic took 38th place out of 156 in the ranking of the happiest countries in the world. 
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