I didn’t find out why Fergana is called “Sleeping Beauty”, but the trip turned out to be more than informative. My friends convinced me that the city itself is not really interesting, and the Fergana tour implies discovering Fergana Valley’s sights. It’s partly true, but I was attracted by historical facts about Fergana. Tourists tell so much about them in their travel reviews.
Anyway, the journey along the Fergana Valley starts from Fergana, as it is the administrative center and the gem of the region. It opens the gates to the tourist spots of the valley, moreover, there is a special transportation infrastructure. Tour operators don’t offer single trips to Fergana, but instead organize comprehensive tours to Fergana Valley, including stops in tourist cities.
Traveling as part of a tour group is always more enjoyable, because there is a specific route, and you don’t have to use a navigation device. Being on your own, you can wander the unknown streets all day long, but never see the genuine sights of the city. Still, everyone has different tastes, and independent travel is also quite popular, even with shades of extreme. Tashkent Fergana flights, train or bus routes are in the public domain, so you can get there at any time.
As for me, I like listening to the guide’s stories and chatting with people. A tour package means comfort and time saving, so I had to take the Tashkent Fergana tour with further stops in Margilan, Chimion, and Rishtan. We traveled on a rather comfortable train for about five hours or even longer. I arrived in Fergana in the evening and stayed at the Sakura Hostel. Only one day was left to explore the city, but the well-planned route gave me enough time to visit all the significant places.
It’s right to say a few words about Sakura Hostel where I stayed. Well, it’s a perfect place to stop for a couple of nights because of its convenient location and the high-speed internet. Hotels in Fergana are different, they range in service and price. Sakura Hostel impressed me a lot. The interior was new, the bed linen was clean, and the hosts were very hospitable and good-natured people. The breakfasts were delicious too.
The city excursion was scheduled for the whole next day. Fergana is a relatively young city; in 3 years it will be 150 years old. Therefore, there is no particularly ancient architecture, but there remained buildings of the 19th century erected by the Russian Empire. The most prominent is the military fortress. Numerous straight streets spring from the fortress and shape the structure of the city.
In my vision, Fergana resembles a bicycle wheel, with the streets acting as spokes and the fortress associated with the axle of the wheel. Nearby is the Central Park of Al-Ferghani with a huge monument honoring the great scientist of Central Asia. There is a Museum of Local History in the park with many archaeological finds and decorative art exhibits of different epochs.
Right across the street from the park you get to the central bazaar to enjoy the oriental flavor. Delicacies for every taste: Fergana cuisine, enticing with aromas of spices and roasted meat, dried fruits, nuts, vegetables, fresh fruits, melons, fabrics and souvenirs. You can buy anything at the bazaar, and local layered flatbreads have a special flavor quality. You have to taste them to appreciate, words can’t describe it.
As part of the Fergana tour package, we visited the building of the Military Assembly, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the mosques “Yangi Chek” and “Nur-Zhomii”, “Gallery of Arts” park. Also, we observed the Juma Mosque, the snow-white colors of which simply admire. The guide told us that believers rush to the Juma Mosque for Friday prayers to pray inside. Despite the impressive size of the complex, it cannot accommodate all the parishioners. The popularity of this mosque is enormous.
We still had time to visit the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezhsky, and then, our group scattered to their hotels. The next morning we went to explore other towns, but Fergana remained in our memory as a green town with a complex history and very hospitable people. I felt really homely in Fergana, it’s even hard to compare it with other towns. The magnificent “Sleeping Beauty” is unique in its authenticity.