Amir Timur Square
Amir Temur xiyoboni
The heart of new Tashkent, with an equestrian statue of Amir Timur, the honeycomb-faced Uzbekistan Hotel, the Timur Museum, and the Broadway pedestrian street.
Amir Timur Square was laid out in 1882 as the city center under the Tsarist governor-general. Over the years it has held statues of Kaufman, Stalin, and Marx. After independence in 1993, these were replaced by an equestrian bronze of Timur raising his hand, bearing the words “Strength lies in justice.” Today it is the heart of new Tashkent.
The square is a circular park surrounded by several notable buildings. To the north is the Uzbekistan Hotel (1974), a Soviet brutalist landmark with a honeycomb-like concrete sun-shading facade. At the northwest corner is the Timur Museum (1996), whose blue dome imitates Timur's mausoleum. It displays Timurid weapons, miniature paintings, and historical maps. Admission is about 40,000 som, and it is closed on Mondays. On the east side stand a Tsarist-era clock tower (1947, commemorating World War II) and the International Forum Palace. On the south side is the Faculty of Law, housed in the former Tsarist-era women's secondary school.
Sayilgoh Street, on the west side of the square, is popularly known as “Broadway.” In the evening it has painting stalls, street performers, souvenir shops, and ice cream vendors, and it runs all the way to Independence Square. The square is free and open all day. The exit from Amir Temur Xiyoboni metro station, where the red and green lines meet, leads straight into it. Allow 45 minutes for the square and another 45 minutes for the Timur Museum. In the evening, walk along Broadway to Independence Square to see the fountains and lights, then have dinner at a city-center restaurant other than Chorsu, such as Caravan or Afsona for Uzbek food.
Note: The century-old plane trees on the square were cut down in 2009, so there is little shade today, and it gets very hot at midday in summer.
Opening hours
Open all day (Timurid Museum 10:00–18:00, closed Mondays)
Nearby sights
- Amir Timur Museum
- Broadway (Sayilgoh Street)
- Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre
- State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan
- Independence Square (Mustaqillik Maydoni)
- Palace of Prince Romanov
- State Museum of History of Uzbekistan
- Courage Monument (1966 Earthquake Memorial)