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Museum of Applied Arts, Tashkent

Courtyard of the Museum of Applied Arts in Tashkent with a tiled pool and the colourful painted aivan porch of the former Polovtsov mansion
Photo: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Opening hours
Daily 9:00–18:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h
With kids
Fine with kids
Closed
Never — open every day of the week
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Last tickets
Unofficially 17:00
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Entry for foreigners
≈ UZS 30,000–40,000 (unofficial; no published official fare)
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Payment
Bring som in cash — foreign cards may not work
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Photography
May carry a separate fee — ask at the desk
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Address
15 Rakatboshi Street, Yakkasaroy district
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Coordinates
41.30110, 69.25950YesGo MapGoogleApple
Nearest metro
Kosmonavtlar, about a 10-minute walk
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time needed
≈ 1 hour

Key facts

Polovtsov Housethe museum occupies the former mansion of Russian diplomat Alexander Polovtsov, remodelled in Oriental style
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaTurkestan Travel
Open dailyno weekly closing day
2 sourcesofficial museum websiteOrexca
Bukhara, Khorezm, Tashkentwhere the ganch carvers, woodcarvers and painters came from
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaKun.uz, 2017
1896the house became Polovtsov’s residence and the interior decoration began
2 sourcesofficial museum websiteKun.uz, 2017
Usto Shirin Muradovthe Bukhara ganch master who worked on the halls
2 sourcesKun.uz, 2017English Wikipedia
1927a folk crafts exhibition that became the core of the collection
3 sourcesofficial museum websiteAdvantourOrexca
7 July 1937the Museum of Handicrafts opened in the mansion
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaKun.uz, 2017
1997the museum became a state museum
3 sourcesofficial museum websiteOrexcaEnglish Wikipedia
12 hallsof exhibits, plus storerooms and offices
Sourceofficial museum website
1970new galleries were added to the historic house
2 sourcesTurkestan TravelEnglish Wikipedia
Ganch and temperathe central hall’s walls are carved plaster painted in tempera, under a ceiling on carved columns
2 sourcesKun.uz, 2017Turkestan Travel

Museum of Applied Arts tickets and entrance fee

The museum does not publish its fares online. Unofficially, guidebooks put entry for foreign visitors at UZS 30,000–40,000, with a lower rate for Uzbek citizens. You buy the ticket at the desk by the gate; there is no need to book ahead.

Bring Uzbek som in cash. Visa and Mastercard are accepted more and more in Tashkent, but small museum desks and the craft stalls in the courtyard often take cash only. Withdraw som at an ATM in the centre before you come.

Museums in Uzbekistan often charge a separate fee for photos or video. Ask when you pay, so you are not sent back to the desk from the first hall. A guide can be booked on site; according to Orexca, tours run in Uzbek, Russian, English, German and French.

Opening hours

According to the museum’s official website, it is open every day from 9:00 to 18:00, with no lunch break and no weekly closing day. That makes it an easy fallback on a Monday, when some other sights shut.

Unofficially, the ticket desk closes an hour earlier, at 17:00, so aim to arrive by 16:30 at the latest. Mornings are best: the light through the windows is softer on the painted walls, and tour groups tend to come later.

How to get to the Museum of Applied Arts

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We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

More tips

  1. From Amir Timur Square, take the metro at Amir Temur Xiyoboni station, right by the square.
  2. Ride two stops on the Chilonzor line to Paxtakor and change to Alisher Navoiy on the Oʻzbekiston line.
  3. Ride two stops towards Doʻstlik and get off at Kosmonavtlar — about 15–20 minutes underground in all. Pay with a QR ticket from the ticket office, an ATTO card or a contactless bank card; foreign cards don’t always go through.
  4. From Kosmonavtlar, walk south-west to Rakatboshi Street — about 800 m, 10 minutes, to the museum gate.
  5. On foot from Amir Timur Square it is about 2.5 km, 30–35 minutes. A Yandex Go taxi takes about 10 minutes outside rush hour and is the simplest option.

Is the Museum of Applied Arts worth visiting?

Yes — it is one of the most rewarding hours you can spend in Tashkent. The building itself is the main exhibit: a 19th-century house whose halls were reworked from 1896 by the best folk craftsmen of the day, with carved plaster, painted ceilings and carved wooden columns.

It is also the most practical place in the capital to see Uzbek crafts side by side before you travel on to Samarkand, Bukhara or Khiva. With the State Museum of Arts closed for reconstruction, this is the best museum in town for Uzbek art inside a historic interior.

Skip it only if you are heading to Bukhara and Khiva anyway and have very little time in Tashkent, or if museums of objects in glass cases leave you cold — though the central hall usually wins over even those visitors.

A diplomat’s house turned museum

The house was built by a Tashkent merchant named Ivanov. In 1896 it was acquired for Alexander Polovtsov, a Russian diplomat and orientalist, and his secretary M. S. Andreev brought in leading folk craftsmen to rebuild the interiors in Oriental style — among them the Bukhara ganch master Usto Shirin Muradov.

After the revolution it housed an orphanage, then a training workshop for carving and embroidery. The Museum of Handicrafts opened here on 7 July 1937, growing out of a crafts exhibition held in 1927. It became a state museum in 1997, and since 2017 its official name has been the State Museum of Applied Arts and Crafts History of Uzbekistan.

New galleries were added in 1970, so the museum now has 12 exhibition halls. The difference is easy to spot: the old rooms are the decorated ones, the newer ones hold most of the display cases.

What to see

  • The central hall — walls of carved ganch painted in tempera, a tiered painted wooden ceiling and carved columns. This is what you came for.
  • Carved doors and fireplaces — look closely; the openwork is finer than it seems from across the room.
  • Suzani and gold embroidery — large embroidered hangings from different regions of Uzbekistan.
  • Ceramics — blue Rishtan ware and other schools, from old dishes to work by living potters.
  • Jewellery, skullcaps, carpets and carved wood — a quick primer on how the crafts of Bukhara, Khorezm, the Fergana Valley and Tashkent differ.
  • The courtyard aivan and craft stalls selling ceramics, embroidery and souvenirs — cash only, according to Orexca.

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Applied Arts vs other Tashkent sights

Museum of Applied Artsyou are hereDecorated mansion with a crafts collectionYes, daily≈ UZS 30,000–40,000, unofficial≈ 1 h
State Museum of ArtsThe national art museumNo — closed for reconstructionNo tickets on sale10–15 min outside
Romanov PalacePalace of Grand Duke Nikolai KonstantinovichUsually seen from outsideFree from the street10–15 min

The Romanov Palace is worth a look for its architecture, but visitors are usually not let inside — we are still checking this.

Mansions and metro in half a day

The carved halls in the morning, then Kosmonavtlar and a couple of metro stops, the Romanov Palace and the Navoi Theatre in the centre. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Museum of Applied Artsyou are here1 h · ≈ UZS 30,000–40,000, unofficial
  2. 35 min walk from the previous stopTashkent Metro1 h · 2,500 som by card, 3,000 cash
  3. 15 min walk from the previous stopRomanov Palace15 min · Free, outside only
  4. 10 min walk from the previous stopNavoi Theatre20 min · Shows from 77,000 som

4 places · about 3 h 35 min with walks · 60 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Navoi Theatre

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

20 min · Shows from 77,000 som · 24 min walk

Romanov Palace

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

15 min · Free, outside only · 30 min walk

Tashkent Metro

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

1 h · 2,500 som by card, 3,000 cash · 35 min walk

How to do it right

  • Start with the central hall while it is empty and leave the ceramics cases for later.
  • Want a suzani or a plate? Compare the courtyard stalls with Chorsu Bazaar: less choice here, but the pieces come straight from the makers.
  • For the ceiling, stand in the middle of the hall and look straight up.
  • Good with kids: small, colourful and done in an hour.
  • Only one day in Tashkent? Pick this museum — it is shorter and more vivid than most of the city’s collections.

Questions

How much is the entrance fee at the Museum of Applied Arts in Tashkent?

There is no published official fare. Unofficially, foreign visitors pay UZS 30,000–40,000, and Uzbek citizens pay less. Bring cash.

What are the Museum of Applied Arts opening hours?

According to the official website, daily from 9:00 to 18:00 with no closing day. The ticket desk unofficially closes at 17:00.

Is the Museum of Applied Arts open on Monday?

Yes. It is open every day of the week, which makes it a good Monday option in Tashkent.

How do I get to the Museum of Applied Arts?

Take the metro to Kosmonavtlar on the Oʻzbekiston line and walk about 10 minutes. From Amir Timur Square, change at Paxtakor / Alisher Navoiy — about 20 minutes — or take a 10-minute Yandex Go taxi.

Is the Museum of Applied Arts worth visiting?

Yes. The carved and painted halls are among the finest interiors in Tashkent, and the collection is a good primer on Uzbek crafts before Samarkand and Bukhara.

How long do you need at the museum?

About an hour; up to 90 minutes with a guide or if you love textiles and ceramics.

Can you take photos inside?

Usually yes, but there may be a separate photo fee. Ask at the ticket desk.

Can I pay by card?

Don’t count on it. Bring Uzbek som in cash for the ticket and the craft stalls; foreign Visa and Mastercard are not accepted everywhere.

Who built the house?

A Tashkent merchant built it; from 1896 it was the residence of Russian diplomat Alexander Polovtsov, whose secretary had craftsmen from Bukhara, Khorezm and Tashkent redecorate the halls.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • State Museum of Applied Arts and Crafts History of Uzbekistan — official website: address, hours, halls, history, 30.10.2026
  • English and Russian Wikipedia: State Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan; Wikidata Q3330166
  • Kun.uz, 30.11.2017 — feature on the museum: craftsmen, decoration dates, halls
  • Turkestan Travel — the building and its interiors
  • Orexca — museum history, tour languages, craft stalls
  • Advantour — museum history, ticket desk hours
  • Tonkosti and Sputnik8 — unofficial entry prices
  • Welcome.kz, Tashkent Metro guide — fares and payment; Russian Wikipedia: Oʻzbekiston line — interchanges
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedAddress, hours and the number of halls come from the museum’s official website. The museum does not publish fares: Tonkosti gives UZS 30,000, Sputnik8 gives 25,000 and 40,000 for foreigners, so we show a range, call it unofficial and mark it as checking. The 17:00 ticket-desk closing is from Advantour and Sputnik8. Sources disagree on the size of the collection (from 4,000 to nearly 10,000 items), so we give no number. Decoration dates differ too — Kun.uz says 1896–1904, Wikipedia the late 19th century — so we only state 1896, where the museum and Kun.uz agree. Metro route and walking times are taken from OpenStreetMap.

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