Tashkent Metro
Toshkent metropoliteni
Central Asia's first metro, opened in 1977. Each station has its own theme, from the deep-blue ceramics of Kosmonavtlar to the dome mosaics of Alisher Navoi. It is a showcase of Soviet metro art, and a ride costs just 3,000 som.
The Tashkent Metro opened in 1977. It was the first metro in Central Asia and the seventh in the Soviet Union. It was built shallow for earthquake resilience. Each station was designed around a different theme by different architects and artists. Photography was banned until 2018, and since then the metro has become one of Tashkent's most popular attractions. Must-see stations are on the Chilonzor (red) and Uzbekistan (blue) lines. A single trip costs 3,000 som, and you can transfer as many times as you like within the system. Highlights include Kosmonavtlar (blue line, 1984), with deep-blue gradient ceramic walls set with portrait medallions of Gagarin, Tereshkova and Uzbek cosmonauts, and columns shaped like rockets. Alisher Navoi (blue line) has a domed and arcaded hall with blue and white mosaics depicting scenes from the long poems of the poet Navoi, and it feels like an underground mosque. Paxtakor, the 'Cotton Farmers' station (red line), has mosaics on the theme of cotton across the whole wall. Mustaqillik Maydoni, Independence Square (red line), has marble and crystal chandeliers and was originally called Lenin Square station. Bodomzor (green line) has an almond-blossom theme. The ring-line station opened in 2020 as an extension of the Yunusobod line. Chorsu station features traditional Uzbek ornament. A suggested route: board at Kosmonavtlar, take the blue line to Alisher Navoi, transfer to the red line, pass through Paxtakor to Mustaqillik Maydoni, then exit at Amir Temur Xiyoboni to see the square. It takes about 1.5 hours. Tips: photographing police, military personnel and facilities inside stations is prohibited, and tripods are not allowed. Bags must be opened for security checks. Rush hours (08:00 to 09:30 and 17:30 to 19:00) are crowded. The 'M' sign at station entrances is a Soviet-era design and is worth photographing in its own right.
Opening hours
05:00–24:00
Nearby sights
- Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre
- State Museum of History of Uzbekistan
- Independence Square (Mustaqillik Maydoni)
- State Museum of Applied Arts
- Palace of Prince Romanov
- Broadway (Sayilgoh Street)
- State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan
- Amir Timur Square