Attitude to culture and nature in uzbekistan

Religious Beliefs. Uzbeks are Sunni Muslims. The territory of Uzbekistan has been a center of Islam in the region for a thousand years, but under the Soviet Union the religion was heavily controlled: mosques were closed and Muslim education was banned. Beginning in 1988, Uzbeks have revived Islam, particularly in the Ferghana Valley, where mosques have been renovated. The call to prayer was everywhere heard five times a day before the government ordered the removal of the mosques' loudspeakers in 1998.
The state encourages a moderate form of Islam, but Kharimov fears the creation of an Islamic state. Since the beginning of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan's terror campaign in February 1999, he has cracked down even further on what he perceives as extremists, raising claims of human rights abuses. The government is particularly concerned about what it labels Wahhabism, a fundamentalist Sunni sect that took hold in the Ferghana Valley following independence.
Nine percent of the population is Russian Orthodox. Jews, Baptists, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Seventh-Day Adventists, evangelical and Pentecostal Christians, Buddhists, Baha'is, and Hare Krishnas also are present.
Religious Practitioners. Most Sunni Uzbeks are led by a state-appointed mufti. Independent imams are sometimes repressed, and in May 1998, a law requiring all religious groups to register with the government was enacted. In addition to leading worship, the Muslim clergy has led mosque restoration efforts and is playing an increasing role in religious education.
Being hospitable to visitors is very important in Uzbek culture and nothing says ‘welcome’ better than food and drink. Even an invitation to come in for tea may end up turning into a full on meal.

When you arrive at an Uzbek home, you’ll need to leave your footwear outside – there will usually be a stack of shoes, slippers and flip-flops adorning entrances. Shaking hands and kissing a greeting on the doorstep are considered bad luck; follow your host's lead when it comes to saying hello.

In more traditional Uzbek households, men and women sit in different rooms, as members of the same sex feel more comfortable in each other's company in traditional communities. An exception can often be made for foreign women, however, so that they have the chance to mingle with all members of a household. The practice of sitting in separate rooms is becoming less frequent in urban areas, although women may still be seated at a separate dastarkhān, alongside children. When households are more segregated, male travellers should follow the Uzbek men.
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