THE CHORSU BAZAAR

Chorsu, whose name means the «four roads», is the biggest bazaar in the centre of Tashkent. A bazaar inside the bazaar, the grand hall, built after the earthquake of 1966, welcomes products from all over the country: dry fruit on the floor, spices and condiments on the ground floor. In recent years, Chorsu has undergone some changes. The open-air meat market, where one trébuchait on freshly decapitated heads of sheep, and where even the night was odeur of blood and fat, was moved to a new closed and glass building. The previously reserved space is now host all year round and seed sellers, except during the melon season, where the production of cucurbits from all over the country is managed, leaving just the place for sellers from afar to sleep alongside their merchandise. In the middle of the bazaar, grids were set up to ban access to small sellers and allegedly fight the informal economy and the black market. Many families have lost their activity, and spaces surrounded by grids are currently only used to park a few cars. At the foot of the grand hall there are still clowns, wrestlers and acrobats of all kinds, attracting a dense and enthusiastic crowd. On the other side of the grand hall, the clothing shops have also been renovated and rebuilt in a hard way. The large bus station has been reorganized, and the nearby intersection, from where to reach the old town of Chorsu, has been completely redone. You will find a model supermarket as well as an amazing building with a children's crib and at the top of which you can climb through a spiral staircase to admire the view over the bazaar or the mountains.