Stand on the pedestrian mall of Zarkaynar Street and the Khazret Imam Complex opens up around you: a 16th-century madrasah on one side, a mosque completed in 2007 on the other, and a wide walkway running straight through the middle of it all. It is the clearest single place to feel how many centuries of building have been layered onto one another in this city.
Tashkent suits travellers who care about architecture, religious history and the texture of a Central Asian capital rather than a polished circuit of monuments. The Old Town rewards slow walking, the metro and museum stops reward curiosity, and the religious buildings reward respectful timing.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time in Tashkent, ordered so the strongest come first, followed by a one-day plan and answers to the questions travellers ask most.
Top things to do in Tashkent
1. Khazret Imam Complex
This is a collection of religious buildings 2 km north of the city centre, reached via Metro Gafur Gulom. It was assembled piecemeal from the 16th to 21st centuries, so it lacks the unity and geometry of, for instance, the Registan of Samarkand, and it is transected by the wide pedestrian mall of Zarkaynar Street. The complex is free to enter daily 09:00-21:00, but individual buildings have their own admission.
Within the complex, Barak-Khan Madrasah on the west side was built in 1532 and contains two mausoleums: of Suyunchxoʻjaxon, the first Shaybanid ruler of Tashkent, and the "nameless" mausoleum intended for Barakh-Khan or Baroqxun, who is buried in Samarkand. Tellya Sheikh Mosque on the south side was built from 1890 to 1902, and the Hazrati Imam Jome Mosque on the east side was built in 2007 in traditional style. Give the complex a half day rather than an hour.
2. Moyi Mubarek Madrasah
Next to Tellya Sheikh Mosque, this building of 1857 houses the world's oldest Quran, written 644/648 AD (23-27 AH). It is open daily 09:00-16:00, and adult admission is 40,000 som.
Combine it with the rest of the Khazret Imam Complex, since it sits inside the same group of buildings and the opening hours are shorter than the complex's own.
3. Kukeldash Madrasah
On Navio Prospect at Metro Chorsu, this yellow-brick madrasah was built in 1570 by the vizier, scientist and poet Kulbobo Kukeldash; Kukeldash means "the Khan's foster brother". It has been a caravanserai, fort and museum, but since the 1990s it is again a madrasah, ranged around a large courtyard with hujras (pupils' cells) and a darshakona and mosque in the corners. It is open daily 08:00-18:00, adult admission 15,000 som.
The Dzhuma Mosque, also known as Khoja Ahror Valiy Mosque, is next to it, prominent on raised ground and built in 1451, so the two are naturally seen together.
4. Chorsu Bazaar
Chorsu Bazaar is one of ten modernist buildings in and near Tashkent listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2026. It anchors the Old Town, the area west of the river with the oldest buildings.
Come here as the starting point for a walk north into the little higgledy-piggledy streets, which still have something of an old town ambience, though much of the surrounding area is modern, with boulevards seething with traffic.
5. Shayhantaur
This small burial complex is free to enter daily 09:00-16:00, from its east side off Abdulla Qodiriy, near Metro Alisher Navoiy or Paxtakor. In Soviet times the name applied to a whole city district. The complex was wrecked in the 1966 earthquake and only 3 of its 16 monuments survived.
Sheihantaur Mausoleum inters the 13th-century Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur; it was built in the 14th century but much altered since. A few metres south, Khavendi Takhur Sheikh Mausoleum was built in the 14th century but rebuilt in the 18th and 19th, and is plain within. A few metres north, Kaldyrgach-biy Mausoleum has a pyramidal dome that invokes the tents of the Kazakh steppes. Yunus Khan Mausoleum, 100 m west, was part of the complex but is now within the grounds of the Islamic University and seldom accessible to others.
6. State Museum of the Temurids
On Amur Timur 1, near Metro Amir Temur Xiyoboni or Yunus Rajabiy, this grand building opened in 1996 and is as much a shrine and political statement as a museum. It is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-17:00, adult admission 40,000 soʻm.
To understand what you are looking at, know that Timur (1336-1405) was the nomad warrior who united much of central Asia under his rule and laid waste far beyond, 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.
7. Museum of Applied Arts
On Rakatboshi 15 at Metro Kosmonavtlar, this is a charming small museum of traditional arts and crafts, in a 19th-century merchant's mansion. It is open daily 09:00-18:00, adult admission 25,000 soʻm.
Its size makes it an easy addition to a day that already includes the metro stations and the city centre, rather than a destination in its own right.
8. Kukcha Mosque
Also known as Sheikh Zayniddin Jami Mosque, on Mannon Uygur at Metro Bunyodkor, this is a huge mosque rebuilt in the 1990s. In the garden behind is the mausoleum of Sheikh Zayniddin, a Sufi holy man. He lived in the 12th-13th centuries, but the mausoleum is 16th century, rebuilt in the 19th.
Pair it with Abdulkasim Madrassa, erected in 1850 in honour of the scholar Abdulkhasim Khan and now a crafts outlet, which is nearby at Metro Milliy Bog.
9. Minor Mosque
On Kichik Xalqa Yo'li (Little Ring Road) at Metro Bodomzor, this is a grand mosque in gleaming white marble, built in 2013/4 in traditional style. "Minor" means minarets, but the mosque is named for its neighbourhood of that name. It is free and open 24 hours.
Mirzo-Yusuf Mosque, built in the 1880s and large, tranquil but fairly plain, is also at Metro Bodomzor and open Monday to Saturday 10:00-20:00, so the two can be visited on the same trip.
10. Holy Assumption Cathedral
On Avliyuata 91 at Metro Toshkent, this Russian Orthodox cathedral was built in 1871. It was closed down by the Soviets but restored in 1945, and enlarged in the 1990s with the bell tower rebuilt in 2010. It is open daily 08:00-20:00.
St Alexander Nevsky Church, a dinky Orthodox funeral chapel within Botkin cemetery, was built in 1904 and makes a quiet companion stop.
11. Sacred Heart Cathedral
On Taraqqiyot ko'chasi, this Roman Catholic church was first built as a chapel for Polish prisoners of war in 1884. A larger church took shape from 1912 but was suppressed by the Bolsheviks; in the 1930s the parish priest held secret masses here, hiding in plain sight, until the communists had him shot. It had a series of secular uses and became derelict, but was rebuilt from 1993, re-consecrated in 2000 and promoted to cathedral in 2005. Entry is free.
Opening hours are Monday 09:30-12:30; Tuesday to Saturday 09:30-12:30 and 15:30-18:00; Sunday 09:00-18:00, so plan around the midday closure.
12. Evangelical Lutheran Church
On Sadyk Azimov 37, this church was 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, held Sunday 10:00-12:00.
Treat this as a stop only if you intend to attend a service, since there is no general visiting.
13. Islamic Civilisation Center
This is a brand new museum, a grand building south of Khazret Imam. It opened in March 2026, and entry for foreigners costs 310,000 som (April 2026). Visits are by 2-hour guided tour only, in English, Russian or Uzbek.
Just south of it, still under construction but free to walk through as of March 2026, there is a fake "neighborhood" apparently meant to be an exhibit on what a city was like in centuries past. Combine both with the Khazret Imam Complex, which is immediately north.
14. Tashkent Polytechnic Museum
At AK UzAuto, Amir Temur 13, about 200 m south of Amir Temur Park, this museum mostly displays antique and Soviet-era cars. It is open Tuesday to Sunday 09:00-18:00, adult admission 20,000 soʻm.
Its location south of Amir Temur Park makes it a straightforward pairing with the State Museum of the Temurids on the same stretch.
15. Art Gallery of Uzbekistan
On Buyuk Turon 2 at Metro Mustaqilliq Maidoni, this modern building hosts exhibitions of contemporary Uzbek artists. It is open Tuesday to Saturday 11:00-17:00, adult admission 50,000 soʻm.
Note that it is overpriced for what you get, so go only if contemporary Uzbek art is specifically what you want to see.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Chorsu Bazaar and walk north into the higgledy-piggledy streets of the Old Town while they still have their ambience. Then take Metro Chorsu to Kukeldash Madrasah, open from 08:00, and see the Dzhuma Mosque next to it on its raised ground.
Afternoon. Head to Metro Gafur Gulom for the Khazret Imam Complex and spend the bulk of the afternoon inside it: Barak-Khan Madrasah, Tellya Sheikh Mosque, the Hazrati Imam Jome Mosque and the Mausoleum of Abu Bakr Muhammad Qaffol Shoshiy in the northwest corner. Fit in Moyi Mubarek Madrasah before it closes at 16:00, since it holds the world's oldest Quran. If time remains, walk south to the Islamic Civilisation Center, remembering that entry is by 2-hour guided tour only.
Evening. Take the metro to Amir Temur Xiyoboni or Yunus Rajabiy for the State Museum of the Temurids, open until 17:00, or if you are later in the day, finish at Shayhantaur, free to enter until 16:00, and then walk the city centre as the light goes.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of day to visit the Khazret Imam Complex?
The complex is free to enter daily 09:00-21:00, but individual buildings keep their own admission hours, and Moyi Mubarek Madrasah closes at 16:00. Arriving in the morning or early afternoon gives you the widest choice of buildings.
Do I need to pay to enter the religious sites?
Some are free and some are not. The Khazret Imam Complex is free to enter, Shayhantaur is free, Minor Mosque is free and Sacred Heart Cathedral is free. Kukeldash Madrasah charges 15,000 som, Moyi Mubarek Madrasah 40,000 som, and the Islamic Civilisation Center costs foreigners 310,000 som.
Can I visit the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a tourist?
No. It is not open to the public except for attending services, which are held on Sunday 10:00-12:00.
Which sights are near Metro Bodomzor?
Both Mirzo-Yusuf Mosque and Minor Mosque are at Metro Bodomzor, so they can be visited together. Mirzo-Yusuf Mosque is open Monday to Saturday 10:00-20:00, and Minor Mosque is open 24 hours.
Decide which of these you want most, check the opening hours that apply on your dates, and start building your days around the Old Town and the Khazret Imam Complex.