Discover your Uzbekistani roots

Questions to ask the older generation

Memories fade faster than photos. Ask these over a meal or a phone call, and write the answers down.

1. Which town or region of Uzbekistan did our family come from? Was it near Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva?
2. Who was the first in the family to leave Uzbekistan, when, and why?
3. Which dishes from Uzbekistan were cooked at home? Did anyone make Palov or Somsa?
4. Does anyone in the family still speak Uzbek, or use a few words of it?
5. Were there songs, prayers, games or holidays from Uzbekistan that the family kept?
6. Are there old photos, letters or documents from Uzbekistan? Who has them?
7. If you could visit Uzbekistan together, where would you go first?

A short history of Uzbekistan

The land that is now Uzbekistan has been a crossroads for thousands of years. Persian, Greek, Arab, Turkic and Mongol rulers came and went, and the Silk Road made its oasis cities rich and famous for learning. Under Timur and his descendants, Samarkand became one of the great cities of the world. Russia conquered the region in the 1800s, the Soviet Union created the Uzbek republic in 1924, and Uzbekistan became independent in 1991.

1. 329 BC

   Alexander the Great takes Samarkand

   In 329 BC Alexander the Great conquered Sogdiana, the land around Samarkand, which the Greeks called Marakanda. The local people resisted fiercely, and his army was held up in the region for a long time.

2. 1220

   Genghis Khan takes Bukhara and Samarkand

   In 1220 the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan captured Bukhara and then Samarkand, destroying much of both cities and killing many of their people. It was part of the Mongol conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire, which ruled the region at the time.

3. 1405

   Timur dies and is buried in Samarkand

   Timur died in February 1405 while leading an army toward China. The mountain passes to his home town of Shahrisabz were blocked by snow, so he was buried in the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum in Samarkand, which later became the family tomb of his dynasty.

4. 1483

   Babur is born in Andijan

   Babur, a descendant of Timur, was born in Andijan in the Fergana Valley on 14 February 1483. After losing Samarkand several times to the Uzbek Shaybanid rulers, he turned south, conquered Kabul and then northern India, where in 1526 he founded the Mughal Empire.

5. 1924

   The Uzbek Soviet Republic is created

   On 27 October 1924 the Soviet authorities redrew the borders of Central Asia along national lines and created the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. It remained part of the Soviet Union for the next 67 years.

6. 1966

   An earthquake destroys old Tashkent

   Early on 26 April 1966 a shallow earthquake struck right under the centre of Tashkent. Most buildings were damaged or destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes. The city was rebuilt in a modern Soviet style with wide avenues and large public buildings.

7. 1991

   Uzbekistan declares independence

   On 31 August 1991, as the Soviet Union was breaking up, Uzbekistan declared independence. Independence Day is celebrated on 1 September. The country joined the United Nations in March 1992.

8. 2025

   Uzbekistan qualifies for its first World Cup

   In June 2025 a goalless draw away against the United Arab Emirates sent Uzbekistan's football team, the White Wolves, to the FIFA World Cup for the first time. They became the first Central Asian country ever to qualify, and played at the 2026 tournament in North America.

Family recipes to cook together

Palov 2 h · serves 6Dimlama 2 h 30 min · serves 6Mastava 1 h 15 min · serves 4Achchiq-chuchuk 15 min · serves 4

Uzbek words to teach the grandchildren

Towns and regions

• Tashkent, Tashkent: The Tashkent Metro and its decorated stations, Chorsu Bazaar under its great blue dome.
• Samarkand, Samarkand Region: The Registan square and its three madrasas, Timur's tomb, the Gur-e-Amir.
• Bukhara, Bukhara Region: The Kalyan Minaret and the Po-i-Kalyan complex, The Ark fortress.
• Khiva, Khorezm Region: The mud-brick walls of Itchan Kala, The short, tiled Kalta Minor minaret.
• Nukus, Karakalpakstan: The Savitsky Museum of Art, Karakalpak culture and crafts.
• Moynaq, Karakalpakstan: The rusting fishing boats of the ship graveyard, A small museum of the Aral Sea.
• Fergana, Fergana Region: Shady parks and avenues, Trips to the silk workshops of Margilan.
• Margilan, Fergana Region: Hand-woven silk and ikat cloth called atlas, The Yodgorlik silk workshop.
• Kokand, Fergana Region: The Palace of Khudayar Khan, Its role as the main transport hub of the Fergana Valley.
• Andijan, Andijan Region: The birthplace of Babur, The Jome Mosque and madrasa.
• Shahrisabz, Qashqadaryo Region: The ruins of the Ak-Saray Palace, A large statue of Timur.
• Termez, Surxondaryo Region: Ancient Buddhist sites such as Fayaz Tepe and Kara Tepe, The Sultan Saodat complex.