23 May 2013

Tale of three cities

By Shuib Taib | shuib@mediaprima.com.my

Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan have a rich history. 

Shuib Taib is enthralled

SAFETY first. This is the unspoken message you get when you set foot in Uzbekistan. We learn this immediately on arrival at Tashkent airport.

Just minutes after we clear Immigration and Customs, we are surprised to learn our coach is waiting 200m from the airport. Apparently, only authorised vehicles are allowed in the airport vicinity.

We dread the idea of having to carry our heavy luggage that far, especially after a seven-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur.

Sensing our dissatisfaction, Mansor Yuldashev, the ground handling agent from Asia Tour Uzbekistan, offers an explanation.

“These are safety measures following the bombing at Domodedovo airport in Moscow two years ago. Our government is not taking any chances. That’s why we have to walk such a long distance to our coach,” he says.

To be honest, since there are more than 20 of us in the group (including two media personnel and representatives from Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents), dragging our luggage isn’t really that bad.

But I hear murmurs from certain Matta members who have their clients’ comfort in mind. They’re sure some of their clients will not be very pleased with the idea of carrying their own suitcases. But hey, a little exercise won’t hurt, right?

MARRIAGE MATTERS

I look out the window at the city and notice that the same gender generally do not mix, unless they are family. I ask Mansor about local customs, including marriage but it is Asia Tour Uzbekistan general manager Kosimov Akmal who offers to enlighten us.

According to him, Uzbek men generally end their bachelorhood between the ages of 22 and 27, while for women, it is between 20 and 24.

“If a woman turns 25 and is still not married, she can be considered a candidate for a second wife,” he jokes, adding that his was an arranged marriage.

“My parents tried to match-make me with three or four women before I finally found the one I love,” he says.

Akmal says that it is imperative that men prepare themselves well before marriage.

“First, he should get a house. If he has no money, his parents will usually lend him some,” he says. “Uzbeks are also particular about purity. No test drive, if you know what I mean.”

FRIENDLY LOCALS

While the system at the airport seems a tad unfriendly, the people of Uzbek are the total opposite. Smiling, friendly faces greet you wherever you go.

Some of them, after sizing you up, will ask, “Malaysia?”

Yes, I am excited to be in Tashkent, the capital administration of Uzbekistan. It’s the first time I’m visiting the country.

Tashkent, which means stone city (tash means stone and kent means city), has a population of about 2.2 million people. Today, it looks rather empty since it is a weekday.

Interestingly, not all Uzbeks look the same. They generally look like Caucasian with Chinese, Persian or Russian features. In order to understand why, we only need to look at its rich history.

Once part of the Persian and later Timurid (Amer Timur) empires, the region was conquered in the early 16th Century by nomad Turks who spoke an Eastern Turkic language.

Most of Uzbekistan’s population today belong to the Uzbek ethnic group and speak the Uzbek language, one of the family of Turkic languages.

Uzbekistan is a country rich in Islamic history, so names such as Amer Timur, his grandson Ulugh Beg and Imam Albukhary — all prominent figures in Islam — are mentioned numerous times. Places of interest also revolve around them.

The trip, fully hosted by Uzbekistan Government and handled by Asia Tour Uzbekistan, takes us through three cities — Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara.

TASHKENT

We only have about 1½ hours before Chorsu Bazaar closes for the day. Bazaar, or souq, is an important feature in Uzbekistan and there are 17 such huge bazaars throughout the country, each as packed as the rest.

Going by the number of people at Chorsu, it has to be true. There is hardly walking or breathing space. The bazaar is chock-a-block with all kinds of things on sale.

Bread, an important feature in a typical Uzbek meal, is sold everywhere. There are also salad, pickles and the different cheeses or qurt as Uzbeks call them.

I am told that Uzbeks love to eat these little cheesy balls (or cubes) with beer.

Do I spot a woman cooking dodol?

Well, this sweet paste made entirely from young wheatgrass is called sumalak here. It is often prepared in a large pot for Nowruz (Persian New Year celebrations). This practice dates as far back as the Great Persian Empire. The wheat is soaked for days and the entire process takes up to a week.

Traditionally, says Mansor, the final cooking will be done from late evening till dusk and is a party involving only women. There’s much laughter and chatter and music and singing, too.

We walk further inside Chorsu and find pistachios, cashew nuts, almonds and assorted nuts which are grown in the mountains. And they are much cheaper than back home so you can imagine how much we stash away in our luggage.

SAMARKAND

The heart of the ancient city of Samarkand of the Timurid Dynasty is today a public square called Registan (Persian for sandy place).

It used to be where people gathered to hear royal proclamations and witness public executions. Registan comprises a square and three madrasah (schools) — Ulugh Beg Madrasah, which was built in the early 15th Century (1417-1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1619-1636) and Sher-Dor Madrasah (1640-1660).

Not only is the square beautifully framed by the three madrasah but its architecture is also something to behold.

Tall minarets flank the Ulugh Beg and Sher-Dor Madrasahs. Abundantly gilded is the main hall at Tilya-Kori Madrasah which has been turned into a grand mosque.

Outside, mosaic panel and decor, arches, geometrical stylised ornaments and turquoise domes make the Registan look grand and majestic.

Locals clad in traditional attire as well as those in army uniforms seem to be everywhere. We learn later that since it is Sunday, those in the army are allowed to spend the day with their family. They are all over the square in their uniforms, looking happy and posing for pictures with their family as well as eager tourists.

According to Mansor, Ulugh Beg Madrasah was one of the best universities in the 15th Century. Many Islamic scholars studied here where Ulugh Beg himself gave lectures. During Ulugh Beg’s tenure, the madrasah became a centre for secular science.

The Imam Al-Bukhary Mausoleum is famous for its modern mosque built after the independence of Uzbekistan as a tribute to Imam Al-Bukhary. He was a prominent Muslim figure and a renowned theologian in the 9th Century. He was also the author of Al-Djami as-salih (trustworthy) which is the second Muslim book after the Quran. He collected and recorded about 600,000 hadith (sayings) of Prophet Muhammad.

Born in Bukhara in 810, he died in Samarkand and was buried in a small village named Hartang, 30km from Samarkand.

Like most old architecture in Uzbekistan, the mausoleum of Imam Al-Bukhary is magnificent with beautiful Quranic writings particularly in the burial chamber.

It also has an imposing arch at the entrance. However, its surrounding is more modern. The complex occupies a vast area where there are mosques, souvenir shops, a hotel and a hall filled with religious literature.

BUKHARA

The Ark, a massive fortress located in the city of Bukhara, was initially built and occupied around 5th Century AD. It used to be the centre of political events and residence of Bukharian rulers until 1920, when it fell to Russia.

The summit of the Ark offers a panoramic view of Bukhara. Although the Ark was destroyed a few times, it was quickly rebuilt because of its historical significance.

The Ark, which looks like a rectangle from one angle and elongated from another, is flanked by ancient tall towers. Inside is a well-organised maze of galleries, rooms and terraces. You walk on ramps and through covered long corridors which have access to prison cells.

Today, the impenetrable-looking Ark has become a museum housing all kinds of interesting artefacts of ancient and medieval history. There are documents and books of the 10th to 20th Centuries, embroidery from Bukhara and other regions, a collection of gold and silver jewellery, and ceramic and copper ware.

Clothes, scarves, turbans, dresses, gowns, cumberbunds and footwear of the bygone eras are also here as well as an exhibition of coins from as early as the 2nd Century B.C!

But once you step outside the Ark, you’re back in the present. A host of activities happen outside the Ark. Apart from watching street artists and going on fun rides on camels, you will be tempted to go to a souq selling all kinds of things such as gold jewellery, carpets and textiles.

The women in our group quicken their steps so they won’t waste even a minute of shopping time!

QUICK FACTS

PART of the former Soviet Union, Uzbekistan gained independence on Sept 1, 1991. It has a population of just over 28 million. Uzbek, Russian, Tajik and Kazakhs are the main ethnic groups.

Uzbekistan has both a president (Islam Karimov) and prime minister (Shavkat Mirziyoyev).

Islam is the principal religion while Uzbek and Russian are the official languages.

The country, which experiences hot summers and cold winters, shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south.

 

New Straits Times 

23 May,2013.