The Metro is one of the main attractions in Tashkent! In the Soviet Union, when a city reached a population of 1 million it needed a metro system. Construction of the Tashkent Metro – the oldest in Central Asia – started in 1972 and its first line opened in 1977.
Now Tashkent Metro has 4 lines: the Chilonzor, O’zbekiston and Yunusobod lines and a new circle line under construction since 2020 (it will have 37 stations, many of them on ground, but none really interesting to visit).
Just like in other former Soviet Union cities, some stations in the Tashkent Metro have lavish architecture – they look like underground museums, usually celebrating a historical character or a theme. In this post, we talk about 12 stations worth visiting. All of them are on the Chilonzor, O’zbekiston and Yunusobod lines.
We didn’t go to the circle line, but its stations are all simply functional and artistically uninteresting – they are so functional that instead of having names, they are just numbered.
Tashkent Metro tunnels and stations are not very deep, for earthquake protection, but until recently taking photos was not allowed because the stations could be used as nuclear shelters.
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Travelling in Tashkent Metro
Tashkent Metro is not only an attraction, but the best way to move around the city. The stations are quite far from each other (20 minutes on foot is quite standard) and trains get quite some speed, so moving around Tashkent by metro is very fast.
All stations have a central platform design. You can take both directions from the platform. What can be confusing is that in line changes, the station on each line bears a different name, for example, in Paxtakor station of Chilonzor line you can change to Alisher Navoi station in O’zbekiston line.
A single ticket costs 1.400 som (€0,13), very cheap even for locals. The price is the same in urban buses, but if you change from bus to metro you should pay a new ticket.
You can pay your trip old style, on the ticket office – but they don’t give you a jeton any more, but a piece of paper, and it’s one of the few places where they will give you coin change. It is faster and more comfortable, though, to pay with a contactless bank card directly directly at the turnstile.
Make sure you have a Revolut card to get the best exchange rate and avoid commissions.
Tashkent Metro runs from 5 am to midnight and trains usually pass every 5 minutes or so.
The most beautiful stations in Tashkent Metro
The order we show these stations is geographical, to make it easier to follow. But actually some of the best are at the end.
The Chilonzor line (red) is the oldest line of Tashkent Metro. Its construction started in 1972 and it was opened on 6th November 1977 with 9 stations. Chilonzor line bears its name from the district where the line finishes since its opening.
The Chilonzor line crosses Tashkent’s New City built after Russia’s invasion in the 19th century and rebuilt after the devastating 1966 earthquake, as well as the new central quarters built during Soviet times.
Thus, we start with the oldest stations in Tashkent Metro.
Xalqlar Do'stligi
Xalqlar Do’stligi means “People’s Friendship“, as it is near the People’s Friendship Palace built in 1979-81, one of the nicest Soviet orientalist buildings in Tashkent and its the largest concert hall.
The name of this palace refers to all the persons of different Soviet nations that helped rebuild Tashkent after the 1966 earthquake.
Between 2008 and 2018 this station was called Bunyodkor,the name of a football team created by local businessmen in 2005 (with a crest copied from FC Barcelona and playing in white). Their fanbase is small but they became famous after signing Rivaldo for two seasons.
The station is far from being the most spectacular in Tashkent Metro, but it’s not bad as a starter. Its ceiling and the medallions on the walls are its most interesting features.
Use Xalqlar Do’stiligi station to visit the Palace of People’s Friendship and Alisher Navoi National Park.
Paxtakor
Paxtakor literally means “cotton growers“, but is also the main football club in Tashkent, which gives its name to this station, as it is located next to their stadium.
FC Paxtakor Tashkent was established in 1956 and it became the most successful and followed club in Uzbekistan. It was the only Central Asian club ever to compete in the Soviet Top League and it reached the Soviet Cup final in 1968.
The platform walls are decorated with a mosaic of cotton flowers, with blue and turquoise colours reminiscent to the historical buildings in Uzbekistan. Don’t miss the station hall, with a decoration based on olympic sports – this is actually a nice circular overground building, more original than the usual staircase.
In Paxtakor you change to the Alisher Navoi station in O’zbekiston (blue) line. Alisher Navoi is also one of the most iconic stations in Tashkent Metro and you definitely cannot miss it.
Paxtakor station lies between Tashkent’s Old City and New City, next to Paxtakor stadium, but there’s nothing else interesting around.
Mustaqillik Maydoni
Mustaqillik Maydoni (Independence Square) is one of the iconic stations of Tashkent Metro, a classic Soviet-style station. Its columns, its ceiling and its lamps give it a very stately look.
Originally, and until 1991, this station was V.I. Lenin Maydoni (Lenin Square), as the Independence Square it takes you to was then known as Lenin Square. The National Museum of Uzbekistan, opened as Lenin Museum, is also very close to this station.
Note the large metal slab above the station entrance. It depicts traditional dances and festivals and displays are large Uzbek flag in the middle.
Mustaqillik Maydoni is on the Western part of the New City. There are several points of interest nearby: the National Museum of Uzbekistan, the Palace of Grand Duke Nikolai Romanov, the National Gallery of Art, and the huge Independence Square (Mustaqillik maydoni), including the Presidential Palace of Uzbekistan built by the current president, Mirziyoyev.
O'zbekiston yo'li (blue)
We continue now in O’zbekiston yo’li (Uzbekistan line, blue), opened in 1984. This line is probably that with the most beautiful stations – certainly, it’s that this a larger number of interesting stations.
O’zbekiston line travels from Tashkent’s North-West, through the Old City (Chorsu), continuing to the Southern side of the New City and the South-Eastern outskirts.
Kosmonavtlar
We start in Kosmonavtlar, the Cosmonauts station, one of the most original in Tashkent Metro. This station is dedicated to Uzbek and Soviet cosmonauts.
Both platform walls are decorated with long dark blue stripes fading down to white that symbolises the space. On this canvas there are medallions dedicated to different cosmonauts and characters related to space exploration. The ceiling represents the Milky Way.
As you may imagine, among these characters you will find Yuri Gagarin, the first man on space, as well as Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman on space (on Vostok 6, in 1963). Another one is dedicated to Interkosmos, a USSR-sponsored international space exploration programme.
There are also medallions depicting historical characters related to astronomy like Galileo or, of course, Ulug Beg, the 15th-century astronomer king.
Kosmonavtlar is just by the Memorial for Cosmonauts, as you could’ve guessed. It is also very close to the White House, presidential palace of Islom Karimov, first president of independent Uzbekistan, which is now an interesting, albeit weird, museum dedicated to the president (don’t miss it).
Alisher Navoi
Alisher Navoi was the terminus of the Uzbekistan line when it opened in 1984.
This station is dedicated to Alisher Navoi, nowadays considered Uzbekistan’s national poet, although he was born in Herat, modern Afghanistan, in 1441. The reason for this honour is that Alisher Navoi was the first to write poetry in Turkic language, and not in Persian, which then was the prestige language in the region.
The oriental design of the beautiful domes of the platform ceiling remind of Alisher Navoi’s times. Not only the platforms are decorated – the corridors and staircases display scenes of Navoi’s poems.
G'afur G'ulom
The O’zbekiston line was first enlarged South-East in 1987, but those stations are not as beautiful as the second enlargement, opened in 1989, with two new stations that brought the Metro to Tashkent’s Old City: G’afur G’ulom y Chorsu.
G’afur G’ulom was one of the most important Uzbek poets in the 20th c. He wrote in the Uzbek language, and he also was a prominent translator of Russian, English and French.
This station may not be as flashy as other beautiful Tashkent stations in the detail, but the ensemble is one of our favourites, with those green columns and the ceiling with circular holes. There is a mosaic on each wall, which combine perfectly with the beautiful sign with the name of the station fading from green to violet.
When exiting G’afur G’ulom station you will see a very wide avenue, like a motorway, with huge 1970s and 80s buildings. But just a 10-minute walk will take you to Tashkent Old City – or the small part that survived the 1966 earthquake.
This earthquake destroyed approximately 70% of Tashkent, but it was especially devastating in the Old City, with older and more fragile buildings.
Tashkent was rebuilt as the capital of a Soviet republic. The contrast between the Old City and the rest of Tashkent is huge, it really looks like a different city, and may remind you of the old central neighbourhoods of Samarkand. Further North is the more monumental area of the Old City, the Hazrati Imom Ensemble.
Chorsu
Chorsu station is not the most spectacular in Tashkent Metro, but we like its 1980s futuristic look, with a colourful geometric design made with Gazgan marble (a region in the centre of Uzbekistan).
Chorsu is the other Metro station that lies in Tashkent Old City – namely in Chorsu, Tashkent’s main bazaar. The original market, in a building with a huge dome, has been overgrown, so there are even more shops and stalls outside than inside.
Chorsu is a place no one visiting Tashkent should miss, perfect to see the city’s bustling activity and people watching… and, certainly to buy spices, dried fruits and local sweets.
Tinchlik
In 1991 came the third and last – for now – enlargement of the O’zbekiston line, with two new stations: Tinchlik and Beruni. These are two of the most original stations of the line and Tashkent Metro overall – especially Beruni.
Tinchlik station certainly has elegand lamps, but it is the geometrical mosaics running across all the length of the platform that most takes your sight. It was designed by two Uzbek artists, in quite an eclectic style, with many details that are not east to grasp and understand.
Tinchlik station is in a new area of Tashkent, with wide avenues and uninteresting post-Soviet buildings. It’s just one station from Chorsu, but that’s a 20-minute walk!
Beruni
We finally arrive in Beruni, the terminus of the Uzbekistan line and one of the most elegant stations of Tashkent Metro. In Beruni, you will be able to change to the new circle line, currently under construction.
Beruni station is dedicated to Abu Raihon Beruni, as it is written in the entrance hall, better known in the West as al-Biruni, a Persian polymath born in Khwarezm (close to Khiva). He was especially prolific in philosophy and astronomy.
Al-Biruni was contemporary to Avicenna, and they had an intense correspondence. He could speak many languages, that is, read authors from many different times, places and traditions.
Beruni station is one of the most beautiful of Tashkent Metro, so it is really worth travelling until the end of the line (it doesn’t take long anyway) to enjoy its lamps and especially the cool 3D triangular-based design, undeniably elegant and harmonious.
Beruni station is by the second last of Tashkent’s rights (the next ring is a motorway that officially defines the city’s limits). It is a suburban area, where the Ulugh Beg National University is.
Yunusobod yo'li (green)
Terminamos con la línea Yunusobod (verde), inaugurada en 2001. La línea toma su nombre del distrito en el que termina la línea, creado en 1981. Curiosamente, la última estación de la línea (Turkiston), ya casi en el límite de Tashkent, se encuentra a tan solo 12 km de la frontera con Kazajstán.
Amir Temur / Yunus Rajabiy
Amir Temur is the most disappointing station of Tashkent Metro. You could except that the station dedicated to Amir Temur (Tamerlane), now the national hero of Uzbekistan, located in the main square of the New City of Tashkent should be something special… well, not really.
The corridor connecting Amir Temur (Yunosobod line, green) and Yunus Rajabiy (Chilonzor line, red) is worth cheking out, though, with its tiles and (too) dim light. It is certainly more interesting than other connections.
Yunus Rajabiy station is not the most charming in Tashkent Metro, but it is certainly nicer than Amir Temur. Its brass lamps are very original, and not as kitsch as in other stations.
As you can see, this is not a station you would travel to just to visit the Metro, but you will go there anyway, as it is just on Amir Temur square, the heart of Tashkent’s New City – one of the most iconic places in the city, with Hotel Uzbekistan, the monument to Amir Temur and the Museum of the Timurid Dynasty.
Bodomzor
The next stations in Yunusobod line (Abdulla Qodiriy y Minor) are nothing special neither – the former at least does have some nice lamps.
But then you will arrive to one of the most unique stations in Tashkent Metro, which will be the favourite for many: Bodomzor.
The platform vault would already deserve a visit, with a geometrical design loosely based on classical Muslim architecture. But what makes Bodomzor really special are its futuristic lamps and matching stools, probably already vintage in 2001, when the station was opened.
Bodomzor is certainly different to any other station in Tashkent Metro. This station will connect with the new circle line.
You may come to Bodomzor to eat plov, at the Central Asian Plov Centre (Besh Qozon), the largest plov restauarant in Uzbekistan, which is nearly like a museum (you can see its large open kitchen), a favourite of Uzbek tourists.
Close to Bodomzor station, you can also visit Tashkent’s TV tower, a decadent amusement park and the Monument to the victims of repression, which houses a museum about Russian repression in Tashkent (both under that Czars and the USSR). This park, with monuments following that neo-timurid style so popular in Uzbekistan, is very popular for locals.
The next station, which was the terminus when the Yunusobod line opened, Shahriston, is not worth a stop. The Yunusobod line was enlarged in 2020 with two new stations: Yunusobod and Turkiston.
We didn’t have time to visit them, but we should’ve, because these two final stations are very interesting – Yunusobod has a modern look, like a kitsch airport, while Turkiston follows a neo-timurid style.
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