Modern · Urgench
Urgench
Regional capital and gateway to Khiva
city · Xorazm Region
Urgench
The administrative, academic and cultural centre of Xorazm Region — a modern city linked to Khiva by airport, railway and trolleybus.
Photo: Ташова Ширин · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Setting and history
Urgench lies on the left bank of the lower Amu Darya. The Shovot canal splits it in two, with housing, universities and cultural institutions to the north and industry to the south; 157,900 people lived here at the start of 2026.
Do not confuse it with ancient Gurganj, now Konye-Urgench in Turkmenistan. When the Amu Darya changed course and the old capital lost its water, some of its people moved here, and New Urgench grew into a trading and craft settlement of the Khiva Khanate. It has been called Urgench since 1929 and has been the regional capital since 1938.
Known for
The city has Urgench State University named after al-Biruni, the Ogahiy music and drama theatre and the Contemporary Art Museum of Uzbekistan, with memorials to al-Khwarizmi and al-Biruni near the airport. In 1979 it hosted an international symposium marking 1,100 years of the word “algorithm”, and the Polish singer Anna German was born here in 1936.
Urgench
Getting there
Airport, railway station and bus stations — addresses, timetables and the live board.
All transportUrgench
From Urgench to other cities
Road distance, the fastest train and whether there is a direct flight.
All distances| City | Road, km | By car | By train | Flight | Bus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khiva Khorezm Region |
42 | 30 min | 20 min Jaloliddin Manguberdi 752Ж |
— | — |
| Nukus Republic of Karakalpakstan |
164 | 2 h 4 min | — | — | — |
| Bukhara Bukhara Region |
420 | 5 h 10 min | 2 h 58 min Jaloliddin Manguberdi 751М |
1 flight | — |
| Navoi Navoiy Region |
501 | 6 h 42 min | 6 h 32 min 076Ж |
— | — |
| Karshi Kashkadarya Region |
594 | 7 h 21 min | — | — | — |
| Samarkand Samarkand Region |
652 | 8 h 59 min | 5 h 1 min Jaloliddin Manguberdi 751М |
— | — |
| Shahrisabz Kashkadarya Region |
719 | 8 h 49 min | — | — | — |
| Tashkent Tashkent (city) |
976 | 13 h 49 min | 7 h 42 min Jaloliddin Manguberdi 751М |
10 flights | 6 routes |
Urgench regional capital
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Urgench
Where to stay and eat
Checked hotels and places to eat — with addresses, phone numbers, opening hours and price levels.
Places to stay6
See all (6)
Hotel★★★
$$$$
Bravo Lyuks Hotel
A three-star hotel with a pool and spa
9 Gafur Gulyam St
+7
Hotel
Khorezm Palace Hotel
A large hotel in central Urgench
2 Al-Beruni St
+5
Hotel
Grand Castle Hotel
A new hotel in central Urgench
48/1 Pahlavon Mahmud St (Feruz mahalla)
+3
Hotel
Uzbekistan Hotel
A business hotel with a pool in central Urgench
90/4 Al-Khorezmi St
+8
Hotel
$$$$
Sharq Hotel
A budget hotel in Urgench
33 Yoshlik St
+4
Hotel
Karavan Hotel
A spa hotel with Eastern-style interiors
152 Khanka St
+7
Places to eat7
See all (7)
Fast food
$$$$
Evos (Urgench)
The Urgench branch of a national fast-food chain
Kuhna Qala mahalla
Restaurant
Olimp Garden
A restaurant set in a leafy garden
Mashal mahalla
+1
Plov centre
Akbar Osh
A plov centre serving Khorezm and Samarkand styles
60 Komiljon Otaniyozov St (Avesto mahalla)
Restaurant
Saltanat
A modern-looking restaurant of national dishes
10 Termiz St (Mashal mahalla)
Restaurant
Gavhar
A large Uzbek-food restaurant in Urgench
9 Khanka St
Restaurant
Favvora
A café-restaurant in Amir Temur Park
Amir Temur Park
Restaurant
Ali Bobo
A garden restaurant for fish dishes
Mashal mahalla
Urgench
Government offices
Khokimiyat, public service centre and other offices: addresses, phones, hours.
All offices (13)Khokimiyat
Urgench City Khokimiyat
186 Abulghazi Bahadur Khan St, Urgench
Read morePublic Service Centre
Urgench City Public Services Centre
9/1 Khonqa St, Urgench
Read more- Khokimiyat · Khorezm Region Khorezm Region Khokimiyat 29 Al-Khwarizmi St, Urgench
- Police · Khorezm Region Khorezm Region Department of Internal Affairs 14 Y. Bobojonov St, Urgench
- Court · Khorezm Region Khorezm Regional Administrative Court 95 Al-Khwarizmi St, Urgench
- Court · Khorezm Region Khorezm Regional Court 22 Tinchlik St, Urgench
- Justice · Khorezm Region Khorezm Region Department of Justice 90 Samarkand St, Urgench
- Tax office · Khorezm Region Khorezm Region Tax Department 124 Islam Karimov St, Urgench
Khiva
city · Khorezm’s last capital
Bogot District
district · A land of gardens and lakes
Gurlan District
district · A northern district on the Amu Darya
Hazorasp District
district · The “thousand horses” fortress and Khorezm’s eastern gate
Qo‘shko‘pir District
district · The western district of the “twin bridges”
Shovot District
district · On Anusha Khan’s canal
Tuproqqala District
district · Khorezm’s youngest and wildest district
Urganch District
district · The villages around the regional capital
Khiva District
district · The villages around ancient Khiva
Xonqa District
district · In the ancient Amu Darya delta
Yangiariq District
district · Home of the Sheikh Mukhtar Vali shrine
Yangibozor District
district · A small district on the Amu Darya