Before the Mosques, There Were Buddhas: Uzbekistan Forgotten Southern Silk Road

Stand on the low bluff at Fayaz Tepa in the late afternoon and the Amu Darya moves below you like poured bronze, Afghanistan a brown shimmer on the far bank. Behind you, in a cell of sun-baked brick, monks once ground pigment and painted the face of the Buddha — nearly two thousand years ago, centuries before the first blue dome rose over Samarkand.

This is the chapter of the Silk Road that almost nobody reads. Most itineraries land in Tashkent, run the beautiful triangle of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, and fly home. Termez, Uzbekistan's southernmost city, sits quietly off that line — and it holds the country's oldest layer.

Uzbekistan Buddhist heritage: the Kushan Silk Road at Termez

In the Kushan era — roughly the first century BC to the third century AD — the city then called Tarmita sprawled across some 350 hectares, a genuine metropolis of the ancient world. It was a crossroads where Indian, Greek, Persian and steppe cultures met and traded, and it became a major centre of Buddhist learning. The preachers Dharmaraksha and Dharmamitra are associated with this place.

Fayaz Tepa, uncovered in 1963 by the archaeologist L. I. Albaum, is the emotional heart of the site: a monastery complex with a stupa, monks' cells and refectory, and wall paintings that count among the oldest surviving images of the Buddha anywhere. Kara Tepa, spread over three hills on the northwestern edge of old Termez, is a first-to-fourth-century monastic complex partly carved into the rock. The brick mass of the Zurmala stupa still stands in a cotton field, unfenced and unbothered, like something the centuries simply forgot to remove.

And the layers keep coming. Kampyr Tepa — a Hellenistic river fortress sometimes linked to Alexander's crossing. Dalverzin Tepa, where a hoard of Kushan gold was found. Ayrtam, with its carved stone frieze of musicians. Then Islam arrives and the story continues: the serene mausoleum of Hakim at-Termizi, the ninth-century Sufi scholar, and the Sultan Saodat memorial complex, a long avenue of quiet domes.

Why DACH travellers are ready for southern Uzbekistan

German, Austrian and Swiss travellers have been arriving in Uzbekistan in growing numbers — and they tend to want more than a photo stop. The classic Rundreise is well served here, but the DACH market's appetite for archaeology, for Kulturreise with real substance, for a guide who can explain a Kushan coin rather than just point at a dome, is exactly what Surkhandarya rewards.

The practicalities are unusually kind. Citizens of Germany, Austria and Switzerland travel to Uzbekistan visa-free for stays of up to 30 days — no forms, no consulate queue. Uzbekistan received 11.7 million foreign visitors in 2025, and the Tourism Committee expects around 12 million in 2026; infrastructure has moved fast to keep up. Termez is reached by a short domestic flight from Tashkent, or by an overnight train that delivers you at dawn.

Autumn is the season — and the window is now

Southern Uzbekistan is genuinely hot in high summer. From mid-September the air changes: daytime temperatures settle into the low-to-mid twenties Celsius, mornings turn crisp, and the bazaars fill with melons, grapes and pomegranates. Walking a desert archaeological site becomes a pleasure rather than an endurance test. Pair three days in the south with Samarkand and Bukhara and you have an itinerary almost no one else on your flight will be doing.

This is not a route you improvise. Sites are scattered 15–20 km apart across cotton country, signage is thin, and the border zone rewards a licensed operator who knows the paperwork. That is what we are for.

Travel with a licensed Uzbek DMC

GoUzbekistan is the brand of Lochin Express Plyus LLC, operating in Uzbekistan since 2007 and based on Islam Karimov Street in Bukhara. We hold tour-operator and domestic tourism licence No. 662280, issued 13 March 2025 by the Committee for Tourism Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and our Travelife certification is in progress. We also work as a white-label ground operator for tour operators and agencies abroad. Founder and CEO: Nusratullo Naimov.

Tell us how deep you want to go and we will build the route around you — archaeology-led, comfortable, and paced for autumn. Create your own custom tour or explore our tours. Questions? +998 93 963-00-00 or info@gouzbekistan.com.

Plan your Uzbekistan trip — in your language

Deutsch — Usbekistan Reise entlang der Seidenstraße

Termez im Süden Usbekistans ist das älteste Kapitel der Seidenstraße: buddhistische Klöster aus der Kuschan-Zeit, Fayaz Tepa und Kara Tepa. Kombinieren Sie eine Usbekistan Rundreise mit Samarkand und Buchara — der Herbst ist die beste Reisezeit. Stellen Sie Ihre individuelle Reise zusammen.

العربية — السياحة في أوزبكستان على طريق الحرير

ترمذ في جنوب أوزبكستان تحفظ أقدم طبقات طريق الحرير، إلى جانب ضريح الحكيم الترمذي ومجمع سلطان سعادات. اجمع بين ترمذ وسمرقند وبخارى في رحلة خريفية هادئة ومريحة. صمّم رحلتك الخاصة إلى أوزبكستان.

Español — Viajes a Uzbekistán y la Ruta de la Seda

Termez, en el sur de Uzbekistán, guarda monasterios budistas de la época kushán y algunas de las imágenes más antiguas de Buda. Únalo a Samarcanda y Bujará en un viaje de otoño con temperaturas perfectas. Diseñe su viaje a medida.

Français — Voyage en Ouzbékistan sur la Route de la Soie

Termez, tout au sud de l'Ouzbékistan, abrite les monastères bouddhiques de l'époque kouchane, Fayaz Tepa et Kara Tepa. Associez-la à Samarcande et Boukhara pour un voyage d'automne au climat idéal. Composez votre voyage sur mesure.

中文 — 乌兹别克斯坦旅游与丝绸之路

乌兹别克斯坦南部的铁尔梅兹保存着贵霜时期的佛教寺院遗址，法亚兹特佩与卡拉特佩的壁画是世界上最早的佛陀形象之一。秋季气候宜人，可与撒马尔罕、布哈拉一同游览。定制您的专属行程。

Русский — Туры в Узбекистан по Шёлковому пути

Термез на юге Узбекистана хранит древнейший слой Шёлкового пути: буддийские монастыри кушанской эпохи Фаязтепа и Каратепа, мавзолей Хакима ат-Термези. Осенью здесь идеальная погода — соедините юг с Самаркандом и Бухарой. Составьте свой индивидуальный тур.