Uzbekistan is claimed to have been inhabited by the Indo-Iranians around 1000 BC. Some of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities arose out of their settlements, including Bukhara, Samarqand, and Tashkent, the present capital of Uzbekistan.China and Europe began trading along the Silk Road as early as the 5th century BCE. Uzbekistan was located at the crossroads of the old Silk Road trade route, which linked China with the Middle East and the Roman Empire.’ This has become Bukhara and Samarkand both World Heritage Sites because of its history, culture, and architecture. Uzbekistan became part of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian Empire, which stretched from the Ionian Sea to the western reaches of the Himalayas in 327 BC, when Alexander the Great conquered the region. Arabs arrived in the 8th century, bringing with them Islam at a time when the Islamic Golden Age was in full bloom.Mongolian king Genghis Khan conquered Central Asia in the 13th century, usurping the Indo-Iranians as the region’s dominant force. During Timur’s reign, the arts and sciences flourished once more in the Middle Ages as the region began to fragment into many tribes. It was after Timur’s death in the fifteenth century that the Uzbek tribe took control of contemporary Uzbekistan.
For decades, Uzbekistan was a part of the Soviet Union and, like other Central Asian governments, was under its control until its declaration of independence in 1991. To commemorate Uzbekistan’s independence, a national holiday is held on the first Monday in September. The political system in Uzbekistan has been dominated by Islam Karimov, who was in power from 1989 to his death in 2016. A presidential election is scheduled to be held for temporary President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in December 2016, as there is no legitimate political opposition and the media is heavily regulated by the government.
Uzbekistan is home to a diverse range of cultural traditions. The Uzbek people make up the bulk of the population, accounting for 71% of the total, followed by Russians, Tajiks, Kazakhs, and other minority groups. Despite the fact that this religion was repressed by the state throughout the Soviet era, the majority of Uzbekistan’s people adhere to the Islamic faith. Since 1991, there has been a steady rise in the number of people who observe Islamic law.
Uzbek culture places a significant emphasis on musical performance. A kind of classical music that is quite similar to classical Persian music is called shashmaqam. Folk music continues to be played at religious and family celebrations like weddings, in addition to other special occasions.
Uzbek applied art features a diverse range of styles, materials, and decoration because of the country’s rich cultural heritage. Some of the art forms that have been carried down from ancient times include weaving with silk, ceramics, and cotton, carving stone and wood, engraving metal, and stamping leather, as well as calligraphy and miniature painting. In addition, needlework such as embroidery, carpet weaving, and miniature painting have been brought back into fashion, both in their classic forms and in some updated varieties. Craftsmen in Uzbekistan still use time-honored methods for manufacturing jewellery, such as cutting gemstones, grain filigree, granular work, engraving, and enameling.
REFERENCE:
“History & Culture of Uzbekistan.” Uzbekistan.Gr, https://www.uzbekistan.gr/history-culture.html. Accessed 8 June 2022.
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