Is there an opera house in Uzbekistan? Yes — the Alisher Navoi Grand Theatre in central Tashkent, designed by architect Alexey Shchusev and opened in 1947, stages opera and ballet in a 1,500-seat hall decorated with gilded ornament and hand-carved ganch plaster in the styles of Uzbekistan's regions. It is one of the most elegant ways to spend an evening in the capital before or after your Silk Road journey.
Picture a warm autumn evening in Tashkent. The fountain on Theatre Square plays in coloured light, the arcades of the building glow, and families stroll under the trees of the park that frames it. Inside, the curtain rises in a hall where the decoration tells the story of Bukhara, Khiva, Samarkand and Fergana at once. For anyone who loves the Palais Garnier or a night at the ballet, this is the moment Uzbekistan stops being a destination and becomes a memory.
According to the Tashkent City Administration, Shchusev won an open design competition in 1934, and construction began in September 1940 on the site of the former Voskresensky Market. Work stopped in 1942 because of the war and resumed in 1943; Japanese prisoners of war were involved in the final stage of construction. The theatre opened in 1947.
In 1948 the national troupe merged with the Sverdlov Russian Opera Theatre and the house took the name of Alisher Navoi, the great 15th-century poet of the Timurid era. It received academic status in 1959 and the title of Grand (Bolshoi) Theatre in 1966. Between 2012 and 2015 the building was reconstructed, and today it shines as one of Tashkent's most recognisable landmarks.
The building greets you with a three-arched main portal and arcades along the side façades. The auditorium has a parterre, boxes and two tiers, with walls and balconies covered in gilded ornament, and specialists praise its acoustics. The real treasure, though, is in the foyers: the central foyer and side halls are decorated with painting and carved ganch — the fine Uzbek plaster carving — each in the style of a different region of the country. It is like a short tour of Uzbekistan's craft traditions before the first act.
The theatre is surrounded by a park of flower beds and trees, and the square in front — with its fountain shaped like a cotton boll — is a favourite evening walk for Tashkent residents, especially now that the fountain plays with light and music. Open-air concerts on the square have also become a good tradition.
Programmes change through the season, so the best approach is to build your Tashkent days around the repertoire. When you book with us, we check the theatre's schedule for your dates, reserve tickets, and arrange a transfer so you can go straight from dinner to your seat. Stay in the centre at hotels we work with such as Courtyard Tashkent or Old Tashkent.
An evening at the Navoi is the perfect overture to a journey along the Silk Road: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva are all reachable from Tashkent by rail. Our From Tashkent to Khiva with the best service programme can open or close with a night at the theatre, and every itinerary can be tailored with French-speaking guides on request.
Citizens of around 90 countries can now enter Uzbekistan visa-free, so an autumn escape is easier to organise than ever.
GoUzbekistan is a licensed tour operator with offices in Tashkent and Bukhara, operating since 2007. Create your own custom tour or explore our tours — and let your Uzbekistan story begin with the rise of a curtain. Questions? WhatsApp +998 93 963-00-00 or info@gouzbekistan.com.
السياحة في أوزبكستان ليست آثارًا فقط: مسرح علي شير نوائي الكبير في طشقند يقدّم الأوبرا والباليه في قاعة مزخرفة بالذهب والجص المنحوت. ابدأ رحلتك على طريق الحرير بأمسية ثقافية قبل سمرقند. صمّم رحلتك الخاصة
Usbekistan Reise mit Kultur: Das Alisher-Navoi-Theater in Taschkent zeigt Oper und Ballett in einem Saal mit 1.500 Plätzen, vergoldeten Logen und geschnitztem Ganch-Stuck. Der perfekte Auftakt Ihrer Seidenstraße Rundreise nach Samarkand. Jetzt Reise planen
Viajes a Uzbekistán con una noche de ópera: el Gran Teatro Alisher Navoi de Taskent, inaugurado en 1947, ofrece ópera y ballet en una sala dorada. Un comienzo elegante para tu Ruta de la Seda hacia Samarcanda. Diseña tu viaje
Un voyage Ouzbékistan qui commence à l'opéra : le Grand Théâtre Alisher Navoï de Tachkent, ouvert en 1947, accueille opéra et ballet sous des balcons dorés et des stucs ciselés. L'ouverture idéale avant la Route de la Soie et Samarcande. Créez votre voyage
乌兹别克斯坦旅游的文化之夜：塔什干的阿利舍尔·纳沃伊大剧院建于1947年，在金色装饰的大厅上演歌剧和芭蕾。先在首都欣赏演出，再沿丝绸之路前往撒马尔罕。定制您的行程
Туры в Узбекистан с театральным вечером: Большой театр имени Алишера Навои в Ташкенте — опера и балет в зале на 1500 мест. Идеальное начало путешествия по Шёлковому пути в Самарканд. Создайте свой тур
Tashkent's Alisher Navoi Grand Theatre, opened in 1947, stages opera and ballet beneath gilded balconies and carved ganch. How to start or end your Silk Road journey with a night at the theatre....
Read moreBukhara's Bozori Kord hammam, beside an old trading dome, is still steaming after centuries. How to add a traditional bath and massage to your Silk Road tour this autumn....
Read moreTurquoise dome, jade tombstone and a legend that still gives travellers chills: the story of Gur-e-Amir, where Timur and Ulugh Beg rest in Samarkand — and how to visit it....
Read moreFresh powder, Doppelmayr gondolas and 15 km of slopes in the Western Tian Shan, 90 minutes from Tashkent — then Samarkand and Bukhara. Here is how to plan a ski week in Uzbekistan this winter....
Read more
Having trouble deciding on the right option?
We have experienced managers who will help you choose the perfect tour.
