Uzbekistan

 Uzbekistan 

I first read about Samarakand when I was a child, National Geographic was my favourite magazine at the library.

Images of arches and blue stayed in my mind, but for so long it was out of bounds in the Soviet Block.... and then there other priorities in life, travel only a dream.

Well, it has been worth the wait. 

Fill your eyes with the colours- 

Friendly people, welcoming and patient.... good when google translate works, I have had some brilliant conversations.... menus in Uzbek cyrillic, Russian Cyrillic, thank goodness for pictures!!

There are so many languages in Uzbekistan... Uzbek is the official language and latin script but for some years cyrillic script was used and the transition is still a work in progress. Russian occupation from the 19th century, then the USSR means there was a huge Russian influence until 1991. English is now taught in schools but its use is not widespred. 

In Karakalpakstan- Karakalpaki is used, Samarakand and Bukhara has a lot of Tajik spoken, intetesting to find the right guide/ interpreters who could use english for me and whatever language the artisans I wanted to meet used.

Food - delicious, hearty, fresh, fresh produce. Osh [ rice dish with meat] in the local mind is necessary most days, haha but there are a range of other dishes you could have to intersperse. 

Hearty soups, bright salads, noodle and meat stew dishes, shaslik bbq. All tasty and generous.

Breads are an artform, every town seems to have their own design and it is obsessed over more than osh.

I was on a long distance train journey,  the lady sharing my carriage settled herself then unpacked a loaf of bread, ripped it up and insisted I take a piece. 

Along the road a bread stalls, in the train station, in the market.  I saw people catching international flights with the rounds of bread under their arm.

Bread is the staff of life, for sure and delicious.

I think my biggest surprise was how green and verdent much of the country is.

I had in mind the Silk Road winding through desert, Aral Sea becoming the Aral Desert. What I had not thought about is why the Silk Road travelled through this area. It was the water and oases [ I think that is the plural of oasis] 

The soil is fertile along the rivers, there is rich farming lands in places.... then the desert just nearby.

Cities, towns, villages and roadsides are thickly planed with trees. Farms are full of apple, cherry, peach, plum, pomegranate, quince, walnut, almond trees.

Ever inch of farmable land grows something. It is coming up to autumn the tomatoes, melons and pumpkins are delicious. Big yum all around.

And in between is the desert. There is something about deserts that makes my heart feel so free. They seem so rugged and empty but stop and walk around you can see life exists, it is vulnerable but happily getting on with it all. Always feels like a big reminder to me. We are vulnerable and exposed when you strip all the clutter away, it is important to just get on with things.

At the yurt camp, I went out for a sunrise walk, the sand had so many tracks going here and there, what looked empty was actually full, and I met some beautiful camels coming home from their night time wanders to graze. 

One hump or two camels seem to have the same goofy, loveable expressions.

The ancient built environment was spectacular. The size and richness of decorations awe inspiring.

The story of the cultures and kingdoms that built these monuments, though, is the star. There was conquests for sure but back home in Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand there was an emphasis on learning and study. The Silk Road was not just about trade goods it was about information. Scholars abounded in the major cities, scholars who contributed largely to the world we live in today.

I wonder why some of them were not in the textbooks I read at school?

Uglegbeg made important contribtions to astonomy years before telescopes were invented. His 1437 publication Zij-i-Sultani -a was reprinted up until the 19th century. 

The courts of the ancient silk road cities encouraged education and research, collected libraries in a similar way to the House of Wisdom in Bagdad [ started in 8th century]. This was during what was know as the Dark Ages in Europe.

These libraries honoured humanities' knowledge and built upon it. This paved the way for the Renaissance much later in Europe.

As you can see I was very impressed to learn about some of the great scholars from the courts of ancient Uzbekistan and the value still placed on education and learning. 

Politics is always an interesting subject to bring up. The Republic of Uzbekistan came into being in 1991 after the crumbling of the USSR.  

It has elections but the same guy gets re-elected? A dictatorship really.

Asking around, politely, it was easy enough to get people talking. Most said they were happy with stability of the country [ it is secular and government is tolerant of people's religious beliefs on the understanding it is personal and separate to the national agenda]

Happy with how the ecconomy is progressing, they felt safe and free. 

The exception was in the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan... 2022 the government made the big blunder of propsing to absorb Karakalpakstan back into Uzbekistan,  they were so upset there was riots and fatalities.

The government backed down and their autonomus statis is safe. The person I talked to was still spitting chips that the President had tried that stunt and feeling victorious to see the two flags flying in Nukus.

I haven't even mentioned the crafts... alive and well.

Tourists help this, there are stalls everywhere and sales keep crafts in artisans' hands.

There is also a lot of tat, much imported from India, so one must train their eye to see local verses fluff.

The Uzbek workshops are producing excellent work. When independence came the government enshrined the cultural heritage of the built environment and the crafting techniques to be the responsibility of the country to uphold.

Monuments have been lovingly restored and entered onto World Heritage Lists. The government set up bodies to revitalise the craft sector after it being squashed in Soviets times. 

A potter I met had the catch phrase "viva la capiatism " he was truely an artist, in soviet times potter's had to work in govt factories, now they can let their creativity blossom.

One family I talked to, who have the 8th generation picking up the battern, said, to keep their knowledge active during occupation, they had to run their pottery in secret. Their unique recipes and practices have been dated back 2000 years in the local area through archaeological evidence, they refused to loose it.

Uzbekistan is the third largest producer of silk in the world and the Fergama Valley is the centre of it.

Handwoven silk velvet and how it is done still has my heart fluttering, as well as so much else.

In other places, the best embroidery is done in silk threads from the Fergana Valley, dyed in home dye studios before being stitched into the most exquisite works. 

Hard to describe it all just yet, my eyes are so full of colours and designs, I still need time to absorb it. 

I have homework to do before my next visit, a sample piece to stitch. Sitting at home and working on it, will let it all sink in a little. Then I can take it back to show how I went. 

Colour, rich glowing colours is my biggest impression.

The blue sky against the desert, is a theme in nature and architecture. 

The tiles are a feast for your eyes.

The textiles rich and diverse.

The Savitsky collection of Russian avant-garde art at Nukus, what a surprise to see this luscious collection out in the dry and dusty place.

What a wonderful kaleidoscope. 

Can't wait to go back next year and learn more. 

This was an R&D trip, a new tour will be added to our calendar very soon- join our newsletter to find out more.