Chorsu Bazar

Tashkent's Chorsu bazaar is Central Asia`s most famous market, topped by a giant turquoise dome, located between the modern and the old city and situated Medieval Kulkedash madrassah and Tashkent’s principal Juma (Friday) mosque. It is a wonderful place to discover local life, its amazing to stroll about the bazaars, either bargaining with the shopkeepers, or sitting on the thresholds and looking at the labours of the artisans, or watching the trade that is going on.  Its also a great place to sit in a choy-khanna or ‘tea house’ where you can stop to have a hot tea and shashlik kebabs. 

Under the huge turquoise cupola you will see continuous stalls where stallholders sell their goods. The atmosphere of the whole bazaar is covered by aromas and flavours herbs and spices which are arranged in brightly coloured mounds as are nuts, seeds and sweets, also stack of varieties of bread and other sweetmeats.

Visitors will also be amazed by the abundance and variety of its fresh fruits and vegetables. During the summer season there are mountains of tasty watermelons and melons, scores of potatoes, onions, pumpkins, tomatoes, chilies, pomegranates, persimmons and many other vegetables and whatever fruits are in season. Another specialty of the market is salted sun-dried cheese is made from boiled milk known as Kurt. 

Beside the bazar there is also a row of workshops under small domes. Inside, craftsmen make and sell their works: jewellery and gold embroidery; sanduk - dowry chests with metal decorations; beshik - painted cradles; embroidered suzanes - thin tapestries and jiyak - lace for trimming the lower edges of women's wide trousers; chapan - men's and yashmak - women's quilted cloaks; and pichok - knives in leather or brass sheaths; wicker baskets and trays and a variety of traditional musical instruments. There are also workshops of tinsmiths and blacksmiths, carpenters and wood-carvers.

There are also row after row of stalls selling all kinds of clothing and shoes modern lots of good quality men and women's fashions and traditional items such as tyuboteyka, the traditional Uzbek men’s cap and chyrpy's  cloaks. As well you will also find in the grounds of the bazar lots of handmade kurpacha-colourful mattresses and a huge assortment of carpets / rugs and other items from all over and you can't help remembering that you are in the very heart of the Silk Road.  Sources: Various (Ed)