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TASHKENT

SHAHRISABZ

SAMARQAND

BUKHARA

KHIVA

Uzbekistan

explore

TOURS

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June 10 - 20, 2022

Bayan has been offering faculty-led tours to world heritage destinations since 2017, with previous tours to Southern Spain, Malaysia & Singapore, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Now in 2022, we are excited to be able to renew our line-up of tours we had hoped to offer in 2020, but were interrupted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Our hope is that with appropriate precautions, we can once again venture forth and explore various regions of the globe and be enriched by new religious and cultural experiences.

Tours offered by Bayan cater to the diverse interests and needs of families, while offering an exceptional educational and cultural program. Each tour is led by one or more faculty members who provide daily background lectures and insights about the historical and contemporary contexts. Local guides are utilized as well at various points in time. The itinerary is crafted by experienced personnel to maximize your enjoyment and satisfaction. While the scheduled program is robust, ample time is provided to explore on your own, shop for local handicrafts and souvenirs, and enjoy some leisure activities. Bayan’s tour group size is generally kept to 20-30 participants.

Discover the ancient Silk Road and experience over two millennia of fascinating history and culture by following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo, and other famous travelers. Journey to the center of great Islamic scholarship during the classical period, and retrace the steps of sages of the Islamic tradition. Learn also about the rich multi-ethnic and multi-religious heritage of Central Asia, and the various dynasties that made a lasting impression through the arts, architecture and customs of the region.

Itinerary in Uzbekistan

Tour Pricing

All pricing is double-occupancy.

 

Adult                              $2,195

Additional Adult          $1,995

Minors (8-17)               $1,495

Land Package Inclusions

  • 7 nights hotel (4* in most cases)

  • Ground transportation  by private coach

  • Airport transfers

  • Breakfast + lunch or dinner (2 meals/day)

  • High speed train journey from Tashkent to Shahrisabz

  • Internal flight from Khiva back to Tashkent

  • English speaking guide throughout the trip

  • Local professional guides

  • Entrance fees for sites

  • Gratuities for group transport, meals, activities

 

exclusions

  • International airfare to Uzbekistan via Istanbul (budget about $1,500 round-trip per person from US gateways)

  • Tourist visa (may or may not be required based on nationality)

  • Travel insurance

  • PCR test costs (if required for entry or return to country of origin)

  • Additional meals, personal items

 

international travel arrangements

We recommend reaching Uzbekistan via Turkish Airlines. Travelers from the US are encouraged to depart on Friday, June 10 from their origin city and transit in Istanbul. Our group is expected to gather for a group flight from Istanbul to Tashkent at 6:40pm on the evening of Saturday, June 11 (flight TK 370), which reaches Tashkent at 1:00am on June 12. Travelers from other origin points may join the group flight from Istanbul or arrange their own travel and plan to arrive in Tashkent during the early morning of June 12. You can also plan your travel to add extra days in Istanbul before or after the Uzbekistan tour.

 

Our return flight to Istanbul will be on early Monday morning, June 20 at 2:35am (flight TK 371). On the evening of Sunday, June 19 we will return to Tashkent from the Khiva area, and transfer directly from the domestic terminal to the international terminal.

 

The internal flight is included in the tour package, but you must purchase your own international tickets from your city of origin to Tashkent and back, whether transiting through Istanbul or another location (ex. Dubai). Our travel agency, Sayang Holidays, can work with you to arrange your party’s tickets, taking into consideration any layovers or multi-city routes you may wish to arrange. Once you pay your deposit and provide your participants’ names etc., we will connect you with our agent, who will be able to work with Turkish Airlines and any others to secure your tickets.

SCHEDULED HOTELS

Our tour group will stay at the following hotels, or ones of comparable quality:

  • Tashkent Ramada by Wyndham Tashkent (1 night)

  • Samarqand Emirkhan Hotel (2 nights)

  • Bukhara Asia Bukhara Hotel (3 nights)

  • Khiva Hotel Bek Khiva (1 night) 

tour highlights

Tashkent

  • Khast Imam Complex / oldest Qur’an manuscripts

  • Kukeldash Madrasah and Imam Bukhari Islamic Institute

  • Chorsu Bazaar traditional market

  • Amir Timur Square

 

Shahrisabz

  • Kök Gumbaz Masjid

  • Hazrat-i-Imam Complex

  • Dor-ut-Tilavat Ensemble

  • Aq Saray Palace

 

Samarqand

  • Registan Square

  • Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum (resting place of Timur and Ulugh Beg)

  • Mausoleums of Al-Maturidi and Al-Bukhari

  • Shah-i-Zinda Complex

  • Ulugh Beg Observatory

  • Bibi Khanum Masjid

  • traditional paper production mill

Bukhara

  • village of Qasr-i ‘Arifan

  • traditional pottery market

  • Vabkent minaret

  • Bukhara tea house

  • Po-i-Kalyan Complex

  • Friday prayer

  • Bukhara old quarter

 

Khiva

  • Kyzyl Kum desert

  • Khorezm Mamun Academy

  • Ichan Kala preserved medieval city

Along with visiting these sites, we will encounter the people and make friendships, sample various Uzbek cuisines, appreciate cultural programs, and enjoy the natural landscapes that we pass through.

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  • How can I apply for the scholarship?
    Interested individuals should start an application for admission to Bayan. In the application form, any applicant who meets the eligibility criteria (including membership in Embrace) can indicate they are interested in the scholarship. After completing the admissions application, Bayan staff will send a follow-up email with a link to complete the Embrace scholarship application, which is a separate application.
  • Where can I find additional information on the Bayan admissions process?
    Please click here for our Admissions site.
  • What is the Embrace Membership Program?
    The Embrace Membership program is a leadership building initiative for interested parties who are committed to the Embrace mission and vision to get more involved with the organization. Embrace members take various leadership roles and responsibilities within the organization to assist with its further growth and development. For more information, email Embrace at embrace@icnadallas.org.
  • When can an Embrace member be eligible to apply for the scholarship?
    A member must have completed at least 1 year of active membership. Active means that the member must be actively engaged in Embrace’s programs and activities and maintain their responsibilities as an Embrace member. Members in name only will not receive an endorsement letter from Embrace for scholarship consideration.
  • Can the scholarship be used to cover tuition at any institution?
    The Embrace Scholarship at Bayan is awarded only to students admitted to study in a Bayan master's degree program at the Chicago Theological Seminary. The award cannot be disbursed for study at any other institution.
  • Why is Embrace and Bayan offering this scholarship opportunity?
    Both Embrace and Bayan are committed to creating leadership from the American Muslim community to help properly shape the role of Islam in America. American Muslim converts play a key role in shaping the American Islamic identity, and being fully integrated in American culture. Embrace’s focus is building that leadership from the American Muslim convert communtiy while Bayan can provide the skills and education necessary to bring growing American Muslim leaders to the next level of spriritual and community leadership.
  • Who is funding this scholarship?
    Members of the Muslim community nationwide who believe in the mission of Embrace and would like to support leadership development among converts so that their voice, experience and knowledge can benefit the further development of the American Muslim landscape.
  • What is the benefit of going through Bayan’s degree program?
    Earning an accredited Master’s degree can help demonstrate that a person has made a significant commitment to acquiring knowledge and skills relevant to leadership, scholarship, spiritual care and other services that can assist communities in positive faith formation and contribution to society at large. It also indicates that the student has engaged peers and faculty in a structured manner that reflects high standards of accomplishment. The graduate credential builds an individual's capacity to seek gainful employment in a variety of professions and contexts.
  • How do you determine if someone is a convert?
    We honor each individual's self-identification. If someone indicates they have at some point in their llfe embraced the faith of Islam and now consider themselves to be Muslim, they may consider applying for the scholarship, if other criteria are met. In particular, applicants should have a prior connection with ICNA's Embrace program in order to become eligible for the scholarship.
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