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Photo: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Timur (1336 – 1405) was the brutal and brilliant nomad warrior who united much of central Asia under his rule and laid waste far beyond. He was badly injured while livestock-rustling in childhood, hence his western name of Tamerlane, Timur the lame. When Uzbekistan became independent in 1991 its rulers sought a national cultural narrative and legitimacy, and fastened upon Timur. This grand building opened in 1996 is as much a shrine and political statement as a museum.
The Amir Timur Museum is located in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. It opened in 1996, and is dedicated to the Turco-Mongol warlord Amir Timur (Tamerlane).
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Exhibitions of contemporary Uzbek artists in a modern building. Overpriced for what you get.
Neoclassical 1940s structure, built by Japanese prisoners of war.
Oʻzbekiston tarixi davlat muzeyi
The first floor is a small exhibition area, the second covers from the Stone Age to the takeover by the Soviet Union, and the third is dedicated to independent Uzbekistan from 1990. Signage is in Uzbek, Russian and English, but patchy and dimly lit. The museum has been closed for refurbishment since June 2024 with no word on timescale.
Turkiston Sanʼat Saroyi
Concert hall in a modern Soviet confection, reasonable facilities, events inexpensive by western standards.
Built in 1899 to serve the city's German community. Under the communists it was variously a warehouse, opera studio and concert hall, then re-consecrated in the 1990s. It is not open to the public except for attending services.
Oʻzbekiston Davlat Sanʼat Muzeyi
Large collection of Russian and European art, many depicting Uzbek people and their lifestyle and antiquities. The previous curator should be out of jail by now, he served a long sentence for selling the works on the black market and replacing them with copies. No info on the length of the temporary closure, which is possibly to stop him having another go.