February 27, 2021 · 1 min read
Ethnic tourism is about exploring the lifestyle of local people and getting to know about them in a better way. Uzbekistan which is referred to as the melting pot of various dynasties today is home to many ethnic groups who don the hat of unified Uzbekistan and take utmost pride in doing so.
Uzbekistan today is the most populous country in Central Asia and is ranked the third-largest state by population in CIS with a population of exceeding 31.5 million, trailing behind only Russian and Ukraine. Uzbeks constitute 80% of country's population while 5% are Tajiks, 3% are Kazakhs, 2% are Russians, 2.5% are Karakalpaks, 1.5% are Tatars. The other minority groups which still live in Uzbekistan are: Bashkirs, Germans, Jews, Lithuanians, Greeks, Turks, Koreans, Iranians, Armenians, Georgians, Azerbaijaniset cetera.
Such sheer ethnic diversity can be partly attributed to the strategic and ideal location of Uzbekistan which is situated in the core of Great Silk Road. The cities of ancient Uzbekistan were important caravanserai spots and transit points. Subsequently the region got quite rich which attracted people from various neighbouring area. Even after the Russian rule and subsequent division of it, many ethnic groups other than Uzbekistan settled in the country and lead a normal livelihood as Uzbeks.
In your ethnic tour to Uzbekistan you'll be meeting with ancient oriental ethnic group and be closely looking at their different way of doing things which evolved from time to time since Uzbekistan was in its nascent stage. Every important event such as birthdays, marriages, funerals are accompanied with traditional ritual etiquettes which originated in ancient time and filled with the wisdom of ancestors.
Tashkent which is the capital of Uzbekistan will give you the best multi-ethnic experience where there are multiple ethnic groups living in harmony. Other cities like Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva, Boysun, Chimgan, and cities of Fergana Valley too will not disappoint you in your Uzbekistan ethnic tour.
