Hi! Today I invite you once again to delve into the depths of history to explore the ancient settlement that once stood on the territory of the modern Uzbek capital. In some sources, this attraction is referred to as the place where Tashkent was born.
How to Get There by Metro
The address of the archaeological complex is 31 Moshtabib Street. It is easy to reach from the "Toshkent" metro station, and the journey takes less than ten minutes.
The entrance fee for visitors is 10,000 Uzbek soums (summer 2023), and the admission fee can only be paid in cash. According to reviews on online maps, the museum is occasionally closed even during working hours, and the exhibition does not operate in winter. Therefore, it is better to call in advance and clarify these nuances.
A Bit of History
During the preparation of the material, I encountered several different spellings of the name of this place: Minguryuk, Ming-uryuk, Ming Urik. Anyway, this term translates as "a thousand small dried apricots." The toponym comes from the garden that once existed here.
The ruins of ancient settlements that visitors can see on the museum's territory belong to three periods: there are remains of the fortress wall from the 1st to the 4th centuries, premises from the 5th to the 6th centuries, and structures from the 7th to the 8th centuries. The settlement was destroyed during enemy raids, and in the 10th century, part of the site was restored, after which it survived for another 300 years.
In the past, the settlement was the capital of Chach - the ancient state located on the right bank of the Syr Darya River. The Ming Urik settlement's building area reached 30 hectares, including a citadel, a castle, and religious and residential buildings.
Interest in studying Ming Urik began to emerge in the late 19th century. Large-scale archaeological excavations of the complex started in 1957. Only a small part of the monument, on which the ruler's palace was once located, has survived to this day. The rest of the area was built up with modern structures, so today Ming Urik is a small enclosed complex with a hill surrounded by ordinary Tashkent houses.
A walk around Ming Urik won't take much time: there is a walking trail through its territory, and the route takes 5–10 minutes. Along the way, visitors will encounter figures of the locals and fragments of clay products. In the western part of the complex, there is a small exhibition of local household items.
Happy travels!
