Last Updated on: 8th August 2026, 11:26 pm
Andijan, the bustling provincial capital in Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley, remains well off the typical trail for now. It lacks the historic Timurid-era architecture you’ll find in Bukhara or Samarkand, and it remains out of the way for those not doing longer land journeys through the region.
But the city holds considerable historical significance for both Central and South Asia for being the birthplace of Babur – a descendant of Timur who’d go on to found India’s Mughal Empire. In the following guide to Andijan, we’ll be covering Babur’s legacy, along with other notable historic landmarks to see around town.
Andijan’s main landmarks can be seen in a single day. If you’re traveling overland between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Andijan makes for an easy stopover to break up the journey between Tashkent and Osh.
Learn more about reaching Andijan and where to stay at the end of the article.
The Babur Literary Museum (Bog'ishamol)
Considering how Andijan’s biggest claim to fame is its association with Babur, it’s only natural that the Babur Literary Museum is the city’s top attraction.
Located on the outskirts of the city, the Babur Literary Museum – part of the wider Bog’ishamol complex – can be reached from the city center in around 25 minutes by car. Fortunately, the Yandex Go app works just fine in Andijan.
Think of this more as a modern complex of monuments which pays tribute to Babur rather than a proper historical site. But the location wasn’t chosen arbitrarily. This is the spot of the former Ark-Ichy citadel where Babur grew up and studied.
Around the multitiered complex, you’ll encounter elaborate gardens and a statue of Babur. And at the very end is a modern museum, established in 2017, with information on Babur’s life.
But you may still be wondering – who was Babur and why was he important?
Babur (1483-1530) was a direct descendant of Timur (Tamerlane) on his father’s side, and of Genghis Khan on his mother’s. But despite his distinguished lineage, his path to greatness was far from straightforward.
Babur’s father was the governor of the Fergana Valley, and Babur took over that role when his father passed. He was only twelve at the time, and chaos would ensue shortly after.
Though he attempted to control both Ferghana and Samarkand, he’d ultimately lose both to the Uzbek Shaybanids. So Babur left the region we now call Uzbekistan, heading south. And he managed to capture Kabul, which had been under the rule of his cousins.
With Kabul as his new base, Babur attempted yet again to retake Samarkand, but was ultimately repelled. And so he began to set his sights eastward instead.
In 1526, Babur invaded India and defeated the Sultanate of Delhi, which was already in a state of decline. This marked the official formation of the Mughal Empire, with its capital at Agra.
As emperor, Babur’s first major challenge was fending off the Kingdom of Mewar, which was still based in Chittorgarh Fort.
After expanding his empire further, Babur died at the age of 47. Though Babur was originally buried in Agra, his descendants later moved his body to Kabul as per his wishes.
In addition to being a conqueror, Babur was also a renowned poet and author. His most well-known work is the Baburnama, a collection of memoirs originally written in Chagatai Turkic and then translated into Persian.
The text details not only personal life experiences, but topics such as geography, botany, astronomy, and military matters.
His grandson, Akbar, would later commission various illustrations in the Persian miniature style (which by that point had evolved into ‘Mughal miniature painting’).
Around the one-room museum, you’ll find portraits of Babur (seemingly all painted after his death), artifacts discovered throughout the region, copies of the Baburnama, and a diagram of Babur’s family tree.
In the center of the room, meanwhile, is a scale model of mausoleums in Herat that belong to three individuals who had an influence on Babur: Alisher Navoi, Gavhar Shod Begim, and Sultan Husayn Bayqara.
Also adorning the wall is a photo of Chil Zena in Kandahar, Afghanistan – a place that Babur conquered, and that was later covered in carvings glorifying his conquests by his son, Humayun.
Notably, Babur’s descendants would go on to rule India for another 332 years.
Leaving the museum, I also encountered an additional building – seemingly modern, but constructed in the traditional style. Unfortunately, it was locked. And so I decided to explore the hilly area behind the museum.
As mentioned above, Babur was originally buried in Agra before his body was transferred to Kabul. But according to a grave at the base of the hill, some of his remains were taken from both Agra and Kabul to be placed here. (It’s unclear exactly what remains, however.)
In any case, having traveled through both Agra and Kabul on my long land journey across South and Central Asia, I found it fascinating to consider how these otherwise unrelated cities will now always be linked together in my mind due to the legacy of Babur.
The Babur Literary Museum isn’t quite the solemn place you’d expect from looking at pictures. Beside the gardens, a lively cafe was blasting pop music. And many local visitors were taking cable cars to the top of the big hill.
The hill can seemingly be hiked up as well. And though I walked along the path a bit to get a better idea of what lay at the top, I ultimately gave up and decided to move on.
Devanoboy Jome Mosque
Next, I took a Yandex car to the Devanoboy Jome Mosque, located in Andijan’s ‘Eski Shahar,’ or Old Town.
The mosque was built in 1899 and was named after the wealthy merchant who funded it, Devanoboy. Even if you’ve seen countless other historical mosques throughout the country, this one is still highly impressive.
The mosque features two minarets that reach up to 35 m high. As such, getting the entire structure to fit in a single shot is nearly impossible without an especially wide-angle lense.
In the center stands a Timurid-style dome. This mosque, of course, was built centuries after the Timurid era, so the style could be more accurately categorized as ‘Timurid revival architecture.’
Notably, the Soviet Union closed the mosque for prayer in the 1920s, but then reopened it again in 1944. And today, it continues to serve as Andijan’s prominent mosque. No visitors to Andijan should miss it.
Jame Mosque Complex
Just nearby Devanoboy Jome Mosque is the Jame Mosque Complex, Andijan’s other prominent historic religious landmark. It was constructed a bit earlier, between 1883 and 1890.
In the center of the complex sits a large grassy square dubbed ‘Registan Square.’ But it shouldn’t be confused with the iconic square of the same name in Samarkand.
Next to the grass, meanwhile, is a long vaulted porch known as an ayvan. And looking up, you’ll observe stunning woodcarvings all along the ceiling.
The carvings are said to have been created by Andijan’s most prominent masters at the time. Not only were they impeccably carved, but they’ve been entirely adorned in colorful geometric and floral patterns.
While I’ve seen plenty of other similar artwork in Central Asia, this was arguably the finest example I’ve come across.
At the other end of the grassy courtyard is the Jame Mosque itself (also spelled Juma). Though it suffered major damage in a 1902 earthquake – just years after it was built – it underwent extensive renovations throughout the 20th century. And parts of it even seemed to be under restoration during my visit.
Just nearby it is a towering 32 m-high minaret.
During my visit, I also encountered what seemed to be one of the main portals to the complex’s madrasa, which was entirely adorned in beautiful stucco artwork. Apparently, this is a traditional Uzbek style of decorative art known as ganch.
The Jame Mosque Complex is also home to the Andijan Regional Literary and Art Museum. Originally established in 1934, it now serves as the city’s prominent museum and is well worth a visit. Tickets cost just 15,000 som at the time of writing.
Before stepping inside, be sure to check out the three-dimensional artwork on the outer wall. It appears to date from the Soviet era, though it strongly promotes local dress and culture.
The museum features a small archaeological exhibit on the ground floor containing ancient ceramics discovered in the region. The upper floors, meanwhile, contain more general art exhibits.
A lot of the art here appears to be modern, though the paintings largely deal with local themes. And unsurprisingly, you’ll find numerous portraits of Babur.
Another section of the museum focuses on the history of the region, while you’ll also encounter displays of local textiles, clothing, and other traditional crafts.
All in all, it’s a well-done museum that a lot of visitors seem to miss, probably due to the entrance not being entirely obvious from the main road.
When finished with the Jame Mosque Complex, you can cross the road to find a small bazaar area and plenty of restaurants where you can stop to have lunch.
Andijon Qal'asi
At the end of the day, I took a Yandex over to Andijon Qal’asi, a Russian fortress built in 1880-1881. Unfortunately, however, I found it closed, despite the hours online saying that it should be open.
But if you do find it open, the former fortress now functions as a museum, offering both archaeological exhibits and architectural displays.
Additional Info
As mentioned, Andijan isn’t that popular with tourists. So you’ll lack the accommodation options of Uzbekistan’s other major cities.
I ended up staying in Sheykh Hostel which was … fine. The location was central, but even without my own bathroom, it cost a little bit more than what I paid elsewhere in Uzbekistan for a private room. Still, it’s one of the cheapest places in town.
I could hear a lot of noise in the room from the lobby, while the staff were hard to get a hold of sometimes. But for just two nights, it was okay.
Other popular budget options in town include Magnato Hostel and Hotel Elegant. And if you’re able to splurge, Premier Hotel has excellent reviews.
Note that when visiting Uzbekistan, you’re supposed to collect little slips of paper from each accommodation proving where you stayed and for how many nights. You may then be asked to show them when leaving the country.
A lot of hotel owners will tell you that the system is digitized now and therefore it shouldn’t matter anymore. There are also many cases where the officers won’t ask anything at all.
But the reality on the ground is that immigration officers are indeed still sometimes asking for the paper slips. And I’ve met some travelers who got themselves into trouble when they couldn’t provide them.
I entered and exited the country twice, and though I wasn’t asked anything during my first exit, I was asked during my second. Fortunately, I had them on me.
Generally speaking, Uzbekistan is one of the easier countries to travel through in Central Asia thanks to its rail network. You can easily book tickets online or via the official Uzbek Railways app.
From Tashkent, multiple trains depart throughout the day, with the journey lasting 6-7 hours.
I took a direct train from Tashkent and had no major issues. However, prior to this, all my train experiences had been on sleeper trains. So this was my first time on an Uzbek train with regular seats.
Maybe I was just unlucky, but my train was full of out-of-control kids. One kid peed on the floor up ahead, while another kid walked past me and threw crumbs at me unprompted! All the while, the adults were so absorbed in watching TikTok videos that they didn’t even notice.
If you’re doing more extensive travels through the Fergana Valley, it should also be possible to take a bus or shared taxi from the city of Fergana.
Moving on from Andijan, my next destination was Osh, Kyrgyzstan. If you also plan to do so, look for the place called ‘Andijon avtovakzal’ marked on Google Maps.
You’ll want to look for a bus for Dostlik, though it may only be written in Cyrillin (дўстлик). A taxi driver told me that no buses to the border existed, but of course, that was a lie.
I just paid around 10,000 som for the ride which lasted a little over an hour. The border crossing was pretty smooth, but I was asked for my registration cards by the immigration officer. Fortunately, I had them.
Conveniently, the city of Osh is located so close to the border that you can simply hail a Yandex Go car once you’re there. If you don’t have an eSIM-compatible phone, there are plenty of SIM card vendors once you cross.
If you’ll be traveling from Osh to Andijan, I’d imagine you can follow the above steps in reverse without much trouble (Yandex Go to the border followed by a public bus to Andijan).
