Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent is one of the largest markets in the country and throughout Central Asia, known since the Middle Ages and of great importance for the Great Silk Road along with another major market in Tashkent – Alai Bazaar.
The name of the market is translated from the Persian language as “four roads” or “four streams” since in ancient times it was in this place that all the trade routes of the East were connected. In modern times, Chorsu Bazaar stands in the center of the intersection of four main shopping streets of Tashkent.
The history of Chorsu Bazaar is rooted in the distant past. A millennium ago, a settlement was formed in the basin of the Chirik River. According to tradition, the bazaar became the center of the settlement. The market began to grow with various buildings, people led an active lifestyle around the formed fair: exchanged goods accepted nomadic tribes. Over time, the fair attracted the attention of foreign merchants. Traders from all over the world began to arrive for local clothes, spices, and fabrics.
To date, Chorsu Bazaar has not lost its relevance. It is equipped according to all modern requirements. Almost all types of transport lead to it, communications work perfectly here, the room has been repaired and restored, many shopping arcades and shops have been built.
The architecture of Chorsu Bazaar
The architecture of the building is carefully maintained and, despite the restoration, the huge dome glazed with blue tiles and covered with traditional ornaments bears the imprint of antiquity and national culture. It is approximately 300-350 meters in diameter. This building is a winter market consisting of three tiers equipped with elevators.
On the lowest floor are basements, corridors, and various utility rooms. On the middle and upper tier are the shelves with goods. Shopping malls on the market are divided by the type of goods sold: fruits, vegetables, nuts, oriental sweets, spices, cereals, clothes, and household items are sold in separate pavilions.
What to buy
The main attraction of the market is, of course, its shopping arcade. On them you can find products for every taste: carpets, souvenirs, household items, crafts, spices, sweets and all this with a touch of oriental flavor.
The traditional assortment of any bazaar, including Chorsu, also consists of local seasonal fruits and vegetables, herbs, meat and dairy products (katyk – sour milk, kefir, cottage cheese and kurt – curd balls), spices (red and black pepper, cumin, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron, cardamom, cloves, Zira, coriander, turmeric and dried ground tomatoes). According to local residents, the freshest and most delicious products are always sold at Chorsu Market.
On the second tier of the Chorsu bazaar, you can buy dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins, prunes), various types of nuts and, of course, traditional oriental sweets (Navat, Parvard, peanuts in sugar, colorful raisins, nuts in dried apricots, salted apricot kernels).
In the open part of the market there are stalls where you can try various dishes of Uzbek cuisine: Naryn, lamb skewers on a skewer, real Uzbek pilaf, Samsa.
There are also various workshops on the market, where, in front of visitors, craftsmen make trays, various musical instruments, and beautiful boxes. Here you can also buy the Uzbek chapan, skullcaps, bags and cosmetic bags embroidered with gold threads manually, as well as jewelry made independently and jewelry made of gold and silver.
In the Chorsu bazaar, as in any other market, you need to bargain. In addition, each seller will offer his product for testing, which is desirable not to neglect. You can try everything and make a purchase after going through all the rows.
A pleasant bonus is that there is always something to eat here: hotcakes, pilaf and many other oriental dishes and drinks can be found near the malls.
How to get to Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent
Chorsu Market is located in the old part of the city under the name Eski Shahar, on Alisher Navoi Street, in the immediate vicinity of the craft and workshop districts.
You can get to Chorsu Bazaar by the Tashkent metro, the closest station to it is called Chorsu. Also, from almost any district of Tashkent, various city buses and minibusses come here, and the Chorsu Arka bus station is located near the market.
You can also use taxi services in Tashkent: MyTaxi, Benefit Trade Group, Taxi 052, Taxi Perevozchik, Taxi park # 6, Alfa Taxi, and many other carriers, which you can order in advance or catch on the street yourself.
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