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part to the conquests of Chinggis Khaan as well as that of the Soviets in more recent times . The Soviets are responsible for the modernity of the architecture after rebuilding the city in the 1960s after an earthquake all but flattened the old city .
A European atmosphere hides any assumption that Tashkent is indeed a central Asian city . Laneway cafés , street markets , wide avenues and parklands certainly give Tashkent a uniqueness amongst its peers . It ’ s clear that tourism plays a huge part in the economy of Tashkent , and the city has responded by demolishing many of the Soviet era buildings and replacing them with modern high-rise hotels owned by foreign investors . Culturally , Tashkent is important to the Islamic world , not only holding one of the earliest known examples of Quran but also many intricately decorated mosques and temples . Again , the brightly coloured tile the choice of decoration .
We rode our way down the Kazak border , detouring for the
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