Taskent, Uzbekistán
Tashkent – Uzbekistan’s capital – was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1966, while the country was under Soviet rule. Some 300,000 people were left homeless, but with matchless Soviet muscle the entire city was rebuilt and restored – indeed, it is said that construction work started the day after the quake.
As a result, you’ll find a charming mish-mash of restored 12th-century mosques and classical Russian architecture alongside blocky Brutalist buildings and statues of workers with bulging biceps. Stay at Hotel Uzbekistan – which towers over the city’s main park – to experience some faded Soviet glory up close.
Epic Uzbekistan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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