The Navoi region, located in the centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan, is the youngest and, at the same time, the largest region in the Republic. The Navoi region was established in 1982. Before that, these areas were part of Samarkand and Bukhara regions. For this reason, the Navoi region has its own ancient historical monuments.
Speaking about the Navoi region, its nature is mainly divided into 3 types. The main parts of the region are occupied by the Kyzylkum desert, and the regions bordering Samarkand region are mountainous in nature. Also, the third type of area is the areas adapted to cotton cultivation, where cotton is mainly produced. Navoi region is a region rich in various mineral resources. Muruntov, one of the largest gold mines in the world, is also located in the Navoi region. For reference, the Republic of Uzbekistan ranks high among the countries of the world in terms of gold production, Uzbek gold is world-famous for its 99.99% pure gold. Due to the investments of foreign countries, many companies and factories are being built in the Navoi region and processing and production of products are being carried out.
The name of the region Navoi comes from the name of a famous historical figure, hero of the Uzbek people, Alisher Navoi. In fact, Alisher Navoi is known for his contributions to the turkic language, especially the Chagatai (Old Uzbek). Navoi proved turkic languages are not less than Persian in terms of literature, especially poem writing. Furthermore, he is known as a great scholar and statesman.
If we talk about the tourism potential of the Navoi region, as mentioned above, many regions of Navoi belong to Samarkand and Bukhara regions. It turns out that Navoi was one of the most important regions on the Great Silk Road. Another proof of this is the historical monuments located in the Navoi region. Rabati Malik Caravanserai is one of the oldest historical buildings in the Navoi region. Rabati Malik Caravanserai was built by order of Karakhanid ruler Shams-al-Mulk Nasr, the son of Tamgachkhan Ibragim, who ruled Samarkand from 1068 to 1080. Today, only the entrance of the old, large caravanserai remains on the surface of the ground in Central Asia. The entrance, called the portal, is one of the oldest structures in the area. It has a special design with a rectangular doorway, a central arched niche, and a decorative frame with eight-pointed stars connected by intertwining tapes. The frame is made of carved terracotta and has an Arabic inscription on it. The walls around the portal still show traces of ancient plaster with plant-like patterns underneath the layers of repair work. The portal, like the rest of the caravanserai, was made from sun-dried mud bricks and then covered with baked bricks measuring 25x25x4 cm, using a special plaster called ganched. In fact, caravanserai was a roadside inn where travellers could rest and recover from the day's journey. In fact, caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes.
Navoi has a lot to offer. Those interested in ancient settlements and civilizations can visit Sarmishsay gorge. The territory of "Sarmishsay '' is one of the largest and most investigated monuments of rock arts in Uzbekistan. Now, about 4000 separate images are registered here, many of which are collected in the composition and scenes. The majority of the petroglyphs can be demoted to Bronze Age (3000-900 years B.C.). Nevertheless, also among them there are motives dated eneolith (4000-3000 B.C.), neolith (6000-4000 B.C.) and even late mesolite (15000-6000 B.C.), and significant amounts of Sako-Scythian period (9000-100 B.C.) and Middle Ages (400-1500 B.C.). Tourists can also enjoy Kyzylkum safari in the Navoi region. During their time in Kyzylkum, visitors can ride camels and explore the desert, and stay in yurts.
Overall, Navoi is one of the most diverse and beautiful regions in Uzbekistan. It has very ancient history and unique nature that can fascinate you.