When the Tashkent Metro in Uzbekistan was opened in 1977 it became the first subway in Central Asia. It was also the seventh of the 13 metro systems in the former Soviet Union. Construction of the Tashkent Metro began in 1968, two years after the deadly earthquake that damaged the capital. There are four operating lines with 48 stations, each designed after a particular theme. Until 2018, photography inside the metro was forbidden because the whole metro was originally planned to be a nuclear shelter and was classified as a military facility by the government. For that reason, it remained obscure until recently.
New lines and stations are being added to the Metro and the existing ones are being extended. While the new stations are not as striking as the old ones, they might be improved in the following years.
There are beautifully designed arches, marble columns, mosaics, chandeliers, and mosque-like vaults inside the metro ranging from classical to retro-futuristic styles, a trait of Soviet architecture. Many stations have been decorated with murals depicting rural scenes, poetry, Uzbek life, and culture. Because of its breathtaking interior, the Tashkent Metro System is considered an underground museum.
The stations were designed with different themes. For example, Kosmonavtlar (”Cosmonauts”) is one of the most notable stations themed after space travel. Blue ceramic murals depict space-related figures like Ulugh Bey and Yuri Gagarin throughout the station. The Alisher Navoi Station, on the other hand, reflects Islamic architecture with its details and the vaults.
