Thinking Allowed: Farewell Uzbekistan

Our last two stops in Uzbekistan were Bukhara and Khiva. Bukhara was a main silk road stop and main player in Islamic learning. In the 13th century Genghis Khan played a large role in the destruction of old Bukhara. Not all buildings were destroyed - legend has it that when he spotted the Kalyan Minaret he was awed by its beauty and left it standing. He also spared the Samanid mausoleum inadvertently as it was so buried in sand he did not realise it was there. After Khans destruction the city was built up bigger and grander. We can testify to what a great centre of learning Bukhara was as we walked through numerous madrassahs. Sometimes it seemed to us that Bukhara had such an excess of old school buildings they are at a loss of what to do with them. A town can only support so many museums and artisan workshops so Bukhara is rife with empty classrooms. I would dearly love to see someone create come schools out of the old madrassah as they really are beautiful set ups for places of learning. Bukhara is a popular tourist spot but we had the privilege of living in a very local apartment complex half an hour from the core. We really enjoyed the rusting and constantly used playground in our courtyard and the small but bustling market that got packed in the evenings when the deliveries of trays of cakes came in.

Khiva is an old old oasis town that has the claim to fame of having been inhabited for over 2,500 years. Local legend has it that the town was first settled by Shem, the son of Noah, after the flood. Kind of a far walk from Mount Ararat but a nice legend nonetheless. The desert area past Khiva is rife with half buried ancient fortresses further attesting the long history in the region. There are many colourful stories associated with Khiva- it was a hub of slave trades, German mennonites were granted amnesty in the region, Khiva regularly raided the Russian frontier and took Russian slaves (part of the reason Russia eventually took over). and much more. Similarly, there is a richness to the architecture of the old city which is why it was eventually made the first UNESCO heritage site in the region. I like that the residents of Khiva kept living in the ancient city, and still do, even as it wore down with time.

Uzbekistan was a great place to visit. It was a true melding of cultures that was seen in diet, buildings, clothing and appearances of the residents. It is a country that is fairly modern while still holding onto its rich past. In Uzbekistan bread is sacred - it is made in visually pleasing designs, is never wasted, and is always given to any visitors. Uzbekistan is an interestingly desert heavy country while still having lush areas full of melons, pomegranates, and cotton fields. It used to be home to the large saltwater Aral sea before the Soviet irrigation projects caused it to dwindle into desert. In Uzbekistan they show their thanks and respect in a gestures of placing they right hand to their chest. They are not the only country where this is done but they do it with such grace and depth that somehow I now feel I am missing that gesture in my life.