Independence Square

The square sits on the site of the citadel of the Russian period, on the bank of the Ankhor canal. In Soviet times it held a large statue of Lenin; after independence it was replaced by a globe showing Uzbekistan, and later by a monument to a mother holding her child.

Along the edges stand the Senate, government offices and a long colonnade, and the approach from the north passes under an arch with carved storks on top, a symbol of peace and good fortune. Rows of fountains and plane trees make the square cooler than the streets around it.

On public holidays the square is used for official events, and parts of it can be closed. On ordinary days it is open for walking, though guards may ask you to keep to the paths.