Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent: the market under the blue dome

If Hazrati Imam is the soul of old Tashkent, Chorsu is its stomach and heart at once. It's the liveliest, most "Eastern" corner of the capital: a place to come not for a particular monument but for the atmosphere of a real Central Asian bazaar. And it perfectly illustrates Tashkent's central story — a city that kept its ancient function but rebuilt itself a new shell.

In short: Chorsu is the largest and oldest bazaar in Tashkent, in the very heart of the old town. Trade has gone on at this crossroads since the Middle Ages, in the days of the Silk Road. The market's modern look comes from a huge turquoise dome about 80 metres across, built in the late 1980s–early 1990s; beneath it lies a two-level trading hall. The name "Chorsu" means "four roads," "crossroads."

In this guide What Chorsu is Why "four roads" The dome as a monument of its era What's sold and what to buy How to get there and when to go Questions

What is Chorsu Bazaar?

Chorsu is the main market of old Tashkent and one of the oldest bazaars in Central Asia. It has been known since the Middle Ages and was an important trading hub on the Great Silk Road. Today it's a huge working market under a turquoise dome, selling everything: fruit, vegetables, dried fruit, nuts, spices, sweets, ceramics, souvenirs and traditional clothing.

Chorsu is the point where Tashkent stays itself, with no eye on tourists: ordinary locals come here for groceries, they haggle, taste and argue. That's why the bazaar tops the list of places to feel the living rhythm of the capital rather than its museum version.

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What does the name "Chorsu" mean?

"Chorsu" comes from the Tajik-Persian "chor" (four) and "su" (side) and means "four roads," "crossroads." In Central Asia this was the name for a type of covered market with four exits, placed at the intersection of a city's main streets. The name captures the essence exactly: the bazaar grew where trade routes met.

This detail is the key to the place. Chorsu wasn't "built" as a market on a single spot: it arose naturally at the crossroads that caravans travelled between Asia and Europe for centuries. In Soviet times the bazaar was for a while called the "Oktyabrsky" (October) market, but the historic name returned — and it describes this crossroads of civilisations far more honestly.

Great bazaars aren't built — they grow where roads meet. Chorsu has traded at the same crossroads for a thousand years.

What's interesting about the Chorsu dome?

The main Chorsu dome is a turquoise structure about 80 metres across, raised on the site of the old trading rows in the late 1980s–early 1990s to a design by architects Vladimir Azimov and Sabir Adylov. Beneath it lies a two-level trading hall with carefully planned lighting and ventilation. The dome became a calling card not just of the district but of the whole capital.

This is Tashkent in miniature: an ancient trading function in a bold modern shell. The Chorsu dome belongs to the phenomenon of "seismic modernism" — the wave of futuristic architecture that filled the capital after the 1966 earthquake (more on this in our guide to Tashkent). In 2022 the market's seven domes were added to Uzbekistan's list of cultural heritage.

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What's sold at Chorsu and what's worth buying?

The market is organised by levels and rows: vegetables and greens in the covered rows beside the dome, fruit, meat and dairy under the main vault, and nuts, dried fruit, spices, tea and sweets on the upper levels. There's a separate "food row" with ready dishes — plov, samsa, kebabs. Travellers should take home spices, dried fruit, nuts, halva, ceramics and traditional fabrics.

Taste: plov and samsa right at the bazaar — one of the most authentic ways to eat in Tashkent.
Take home: spices (cumin, barberry), dried fruit and nuts, hand-painted ceramics, Uzbek sweets.
Haggling: expected and appropriate — bargain calmly, especially for souvenirs and fabrics.

How to reach Chorsu and when to go?

The easiest way is by metro: the Chorsu station on the blue line is right by the market, with the exit leading to the trading rows. On foot from the old town centre, the route passes the Kukeldash Madrasah. The best time is the morning, when the produce is fresh and the crowds thinner. The bazaar runs daily but is traditionally quieter or closed on Mondays — check before you go.

Chorsu is easy to combine into one walk with other old-town sights: the Kukeldash Madrasah is literally on the way, and from there it's not far to the Hazrati Imam ensemble. Allow half a day for all of it together.

Frequently asked questions about Chorsu Bazaar

How old is Chorsu Bazaar?

Trade has gone on at this crossroads since the Middle Ages, in the days of the Silk Road, so the market is many centuries old. The famous dome, however, is a modern structure of the late 1980s–early 1990s, raised on the site of the old trading rows.

What does the word "Chorsu" mean?

"Chorsu" translates as "four roads" or "crossroads" (from the Persian "chor" — four, and "su" — side). It was the name for covered markets with four exits, placed at the intersection of a city's main streets.

What should you buy at Chorsu?

Travellers should take home spices, dried fruit and nuts, sweets (halva), hand-painted ceramics and traditional fabrics. On site, be sure to try plov and samsa in the ready-food rows.

How do you get to the bazaar?

The easiest way is by metro: the Chorsu station on the blue line sits right beneath the market, with the exit leading to the trading rows. On foot from the old town, the route passes the Kukeldash Madrasah.

When is the best time to go?

The morning is best: the produce is fresh and the crowds thinner. The bazaar runs daily, but on Mondays it's traditionally quieter or closed — check before you go.

Want to see the bazaar not as a "market for tourists" but as a living crossroads of civilisations?

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