The State Museum of History of Uzbekistan stands as one of the most venerable institutions in Central Asia, with its inception dating back 136 years. Housing an impressive collection of over 250,000 artifacts, the museum offers a panoramic view of Uzbek history, from its earliest days to the contemporary era. The collection includes more than 60,000 archaeological finds, over 80,000 numismatic pieces, and 16,000 ethnographic items that together weave the narrative of Uzbekistan’s rich past.
Spread across four floors, the museum’s structure is a testament to its comprehensive nature. The ground floor serves as a dynamic space, hosting a gallery for temporary exhibitions that cover a wide range of themes. Ascend to the second floor, and you are transported back in time to the dawn of Uzbek civilization, continuing through to the Timurid dynasty. This floor showcases the earliest tools, ornate mirrors, exquisite jewelry, and everyday items that date back over a millennium, alongside medieval Central Asian artifacts that bear witness to a time when science, poetry, and trade thrived.
Among the museum’s prized possessions are the remains of an early human from the Sel-Ungur cave, estimated to be 1.5 million years old; a stone sculpture of serpents from the Fergana Valley dating back to the second millennium B.C.; ornamental pieces from the governors’ palace in Bukhara from the 6th to 8th centuries; fragments of mural paintings from the 7th and 8th centuries discovered in the Afrosiab settlement; and a carved wooden column from the 10th century found in the village of Oburdon.
The museum also dedicates a special section to artifacts from the Buddhist period of Uzbek history. Noteworthy is the «Triad,» an ancient statue depicting Buddha flanked by two monks from the 1st to 4th centuries B.C., along with other relics unearthed in 1969 at the Fayaz-Tepa Buddhist temple complex.
The numismatic collection at the museum is particularly esteemed, spanning from the 5th century B.C. to the 19th century. It features coins from the Achaemenids, Alexander the Great, the Seleucids, Greek-Bactrian kings, the Kushan Empire, Khwarezm, Sogdia, Chach, and includes currencies from medieval dynasties such as the Tahirids, Samanids, Karakhanids, Chingizids, the Genghis Khan clan, and the Timurids.
The third floor is devoted to the era of the three khanates, a period when Uzbekistan was divided among the three major feudal states: Khiva, Kokand, and the Bukhara Emirate.
The topmost floor brings visitors into the modern age, showcasing the 19th and 20th centuries with a collection that includes periodicals and newspapers from the Jadid movement, early theater playbills, films, photographs, and a display of medals won by Uzbek athletes in sports such as kurash, wrestling, and tennis.
Beneath the museum lies a gift shop, a treasure trove where visitors can acquire pieces of Uzbek applied arts, including embroidered textiles, carpets, miniatures, and ceramics, each a work of art in its own right.
Address: 3, Rashidov Avenue, Tashkent
Phone: (+99871) 239-17-79, 239-17-78, 239-10-83
Working hours: from 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m. (w/o lunch)
Closed: on Monday
Web site: www.historymuseum.uz
Tours in Uzbekistan
