Heli-Snowriding - Uzbekistan

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Cultural and Natural Uzbekistan is a country rich with history and is a motherland of some of the world's ancient civilizations. Here such powerful states as the Kingdoms of Baktria, Sogdiana, Parthia and Khorezm arose, blossomed and passed away.

In the 15th century AD Uzbekistan was a core area of a huge empire created by the Mongol-Turkic general, "the Master of Constellations" - Tamerlane.

More than 20 centuries ago numerous caravans carried precious items of silk, gold, porcelain and spices along the Great Silk Road connecting China to Europe

Uzbekistan is also the birth place of many world-famous medieval scientists and poets including Avicenna, Alisher Navoi, Ulughbek, Al-Khorezmi, Beruni, Al-Farghoni, Imam Al-Bukhary and others.

Many hundreds of years ago on the territory of present-day Uzbekistan fascinating cities with their wonderful palaces, mosques, madrasaahs, parkss and gardens were built. Most of them have been destroyed but some still remain enabling the inquisitive contemporary traveller to admire the monuments of medieval Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.

Uzbeksitan today is the country where centuries-old antiquity exists in harmony with modern civilization. Harmonious correlation of times is seen everywhere. Ancient monuments, Old Town houses made of adobe bricks stand next to many-storied sky scraping buildings constructed in accordance with the unique designs worked out by architects of the 20th century. The traditions of the people are being carefully preserved.

Arts and crafts have been developing here throughout the centuries; their secrets have been passed from generation to generation as great treasures. The unique works of unknown masters strike you dumb by the flight of fancy. In present-day Uzbekistan traditional cultural values are being treated with great care, the state supports revival of the arts and crafts, contributing to their further development. Uzbek ceramics, embossing, wood carving, golden embroidery, carpets, varnished miniature, jewelry are well known far outside our country.

Non-material heritage is not less unique and has been acknowledged by UNESCO. For example, the folklore singing of Baysun district, Surkhandarya Province, Uzbekistan, is included as a cultural object in UNESCO list to be protected by the international community.



Melodiousness and oriental rhythms of ritual songs and musical compositions sung and played in other regions of the country are amazing.

The institution of family remains firm in Uzbekistan. It is considered one of the most important values of life. Uzbekistan is notable for the world's lowest divorce rate. As a rule, Uzbek families have many children, especially in the rural areas, where women are mostly housewives. They combine housework with arts and crafts such as hand-spinning, embroidery, carpet weaving. Their works are common in any local house, which Uzbek women usually decorate with great love.

The dishes of National Uzbek cuisine are notable not only for their practicability but for certain skills required for their cooking. Unique Uzbek pilaf, aromatic transparent shurpa (soup), juicy manti made of dough bags and meat, shashlyk with its smack of smoke and spices are very famous. It would be unthinkable to have a dastarkhan (table-cloth) without greens, vegetables, fruit, sun-fed melons and bunches of grapes. Melting on the tongue sweets, nuts and almonds cooked by grandmother's old recipes compliment the dastarkhan. Green tea is a favorite drink of the Uzbeks. It quenches thirst on a sultry day. Uzbekistan is truly an amazing land with original national culture where the heritage of ancient times is carefully preserved.