More on Bukhara

carved plaster screen, Summer Palace

The old Jewish Quarter of Bukhara is mostly what is left of the winding alleyways of the oldest part of the city.  Most of the Jews left in the 1970's when the Soviet Union allowed them to leave the country, heading to Israel and the United States.  They left literally everything behind as they were not allowed to take their possessions with them.

Local families bought the Jewish families' homes.  One of our days in Bukhara, we went for lunch at one such home, now owned by an Uzbek family who, fortunately, love antiques.  They have restored the home and kept on display the many beautiful pieces of porcelain, old carpets and embroidery the former owners had collected.  These homes have dozens of small niches carved into plaster or wood walls for displaying their family treasures.  This home had its niches full of the Jewish families favorite things.


lunch in family courtyard

This family also, as one would expect, sells carpets and suzani, the lovely embroidery that is a principle craft here.  Since their prices were very good and the craftsmanship of high quality, we bought several pieces of suzani.  Our hostess was quite pleased, so took us to her family's antique gallery where much is not for sale because this is truly a museum, though a very private one.  Her husband is a big collector of antique clothing, embroidery, metalwork, jewelry, carpets and weapons (swords, knives and so on).  She said, "My husband has his eye on antiques more than on his wife."  He does, indeed, have a large and very impressive collection.

our luncheon hostess

"family" beds by Bukhara pond

Summer days in Bukhara are very hot, but early mornings and evenings are quite pleasant.  Families have large "family" beds outside either in their courtyards or even beside one of the many ponds that dot the city.  The family will put a carpet on the bed and sit there in the evening drinking tea and talking among themselves or to their neighbors.  Some will sleep outside to enjoy the cool nights.

Summer Palace reception room

Just outside the city is the last kahn's summer palace.  While much of it was destroyed in the Soviet period, part of the building and the unkempt, but beautiful, rose gardens and shaded walks remain.  Inside the reception hall, the fine plasterwork and niche paintings are well-preserved.  The complex is under fitful renovation.  Some of the rooms are intact, with period furniture, though not the original, but the curators have put large, unsightly display cases full of porcelain right in the middle of the rooms, so you can't really see how it used to be. 

painted niche, Summer Palace

tiled panel, Summer Palace

Finally, this minaret, with its unique and varied brickwork, is not attached to the mosque, which is unusual in Bukhara.  Most minarets are part of the support system for the mosque itself.  For this minaret, the architect built a bridge from the mosque to the minaret so the muezzin could more easily get to the many steps he had to climb 5 times a day to chant the call to prayer.

Dinner with a Samarkand family

weaving a silk carpet

We drove from Bukhara to Samarkand today, which I’ll write about in another blog.  But, late this afternoon, we visited a silk carpet factory and stayed for dinner with the founder and his daughter, so I wanted to talk about this remarkable evening.

We had dinner with Zainab, a charming woman about 35 years old and mother of 3 children, and her father, 93 years old and a highly educated artisan whose skills are known around the world.  Zainab wears a traditional headscarf and colorful long robes over pants and a blouse.  She taught herself fluent English by talking to customers in the carpet showroom.  In addition, she is a skilled weaver and, most importantly, a woman who can repair the damage in old carpets, a highly valued capability.

There were only 5 of us having dinner together, so Zainab and I talked at length about her family and their business.  Then, her father, whom I hadn’t realized spoke English, started talking about his life, business and experiences. 

The family is Turkmen.  During the Soviet period, they lived in Turkmenistan and were a successful, educated and wealthy family.  The communist government started killing rich and educated people all across the former Soviet Union and did not spare Turkmenistan.  The father said many of his friends thought they would not be touched, but were murdered by the Soviets.  Their families lost everything they owned.  He took his family to Afghanistan to get away from the Soviet government.

In Afghanistan, the father started a silk carpet factory.  He was already a renowned artist, specializing in the use of natural dyes to dye the yarns used in the carpets.  He trained Afghan women to dye silk yarns and to weave silk and wool carpets.  In the process, he built a very successful business, exporting his carpets all over the world. 

When the Soviet Union fell in 1991, Afghanistan was convulsed in a civil war.  The father decided to move his family back to Turkmenistan now that it was independent.  He took one of his sons and found his old house, workshop, gardens and lands.  But others were living there, of course.  He began another silk carpet factory, teaching a new group of young women the art of dying and weaving. 

But, he was not satisfied with Turkmenistan, so moved his family and business again, this time to Uzbekistan, where he started the process all over again.  Today, the company employs 450 women, half of whom work out of their homes.  They do not hire any children, who are commonly weavers in this part of the world, only women 18 years old or older.  They try to keep them as weavers after they marry and have children by continuing to pay them during a period of maternity leave and providing them with a loom for working at home if they wish, but only about 10% of the women continue to work after having children.

There are 4 of his children living in Canada and the U.S., 2 in Vancouver, 1 in Tucson and 1 in Bellingham, Washington.  So, he goes to visit them every year or so.  He is also in high demand by UNESCO and other UN organizations to teach his craft to women in other countries so that they can earn money for their families.  As a result, he travels often, despite being 93.

Zainab was in her last year of school when the family decided to leave Afghanistan.  She wanted to finish school, but it was too dangerous to stay, so she was never able to complete her education.  Nonetheless, she has taught herself English and gives tours to the hundreds of tourists who visit the factory each year.  She also teaches young weavers their new craft and supervises them in the factory shop.

She spent 6 weeks in the US about 10 years ago at the invitation of a woman who collects old carpets.  The woman wanted Zainab to teach her how to repair these carpets.  Zainab said she was able to teach the woman some basics, but not enough skill to really do this difficult job.  When she visited her brother in Tucson, a jewelry maker who also collected old carpets asked her to teach him the craft of repairing carpets.  She said he was able to learn in just a few days because he already knew how to work in fine detail with his jewelry.

Spending an evening with these thoughtful, kind people was really memorable.  Next year, when we bring a group to Central Asia, having dinner with them again will be a highlight for all of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bukhara--a legend of a city

gorgeously tiled doorway to mosque

I've been really excited about seeing Bukhara since it is such a legendary city of great historical significance.  It was a key city along one branch of the Silk Road, but also a real center of learning for centuries and a crossroads for the many migrations to and fro across Central Asia.  Even though its old city walls have been mostly destroyed thanks to the Soviets who wanted to build roads in their place, it has so much history and so much to see.

what remains of the city walls

Today, Bukhara has a population of 300,000 people, mostly Uzbeks, but also Tajiks, Russians, Kazachs and others.  While Muslim, it is also secular.  I'll write about its economy and political status later, but for now, I'd like to focus on its past and its monuments.

Unlike Khiva, which is concentrated within the old city walls and very walkable, the great monuments of Bukhara are more scattered.  We drove to some of them and walked through the rest of the beautiful mosques, tombs, bazaars and madrassas which are not far from our hotel.

16th century madrassa

Mulberry trees are a very interesting feature of Bukhara.  They are, of course, critical to the silk industry since silk worms feed on mulberry trees.  The manufacture of silk was a mainstay of Bukhara's economy for many hundreds of years.   Here, there are gigantic, twisted trunks of trees dating back 700 years, most with only wisps of greenery still growing from the ancient trunks.  They are everywhere, lining the many reservoirs and most of the streets. 

700 year old mulberry tree

There are a few remaining remnants of Bukhara's city wall and a couple of the 12 original gates being restored.  But, it's all pretty fragmented, unfortunately.  Many of the city's most wonderful monuments have been cleaned and rebuilt where needed.  Salt creeps into foundations here just as it does in Khiva, a feature of alkaline and shallow groundwater and the surrounding desert.

Bukhara was one of the great centers of Islamic scholarship with many madrassas attracting students from all over the Muslim world.  It was also a center of Sufi Islam, the mystical and ascetic manifestation of Islam that both created animosity among traditional Sunni Muslims and guided the growth and development of the religion in Central Asia.

Bukhara's arg or fortress, mostly destroyed by Russian bombs

The Sufis believe in inner spirituality and reject material wealth.  They also accommodated the underlying religions of the region in their version of Islam, notably the Zoroastrian and even animist beliefs of the Central Asian tribes.  You can see elements of Zoroastrian (a very important religion in Central Asia), Buddhist and animist beliefs incorporated into the practice of Islam today, from the lighting of candles (Zoroastrians worshipped fire and light) to prayer flags to animist symbols.

The Sufis are probably a big reason for the rapid expansion of Islam in Central Asia because of their willingness to make the indigenous tribes comfortable with this new religion by incorporating parts of their traditional beliefs into the practice of Islam.  At least, this is what our guides told us.  Sufi scholars are revered, with many pilgrims visiting their tombs (no doubt more opulent than the ascetic Sufis would have wanted).

tile panel from madrassa

Bukhara was probably occupied as long ago as the third millennium BC and later was an important trading and religious center, with periods of destruction and decline, until the era of the Great Game between Britain and Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries.  It was a prominent Silk Road trading center in the early centuries AD, but fell into decline until the Samanid Empire (Persian) in 850 AD.  It had previously adopted Islam, but became a real center for Islamic scholarship in the 16th and 17th centuries, the period when many of its most beautiful monuments were built.

10th century Sasanid tomb

The city and the name continue to be a lure for those romantics among us who picture the great caravans of thousands of camels, loaded with silks, spices, carpets, foods, metal goods of all kinds, gems and more.  But, its history also included plenty of mayhem, brutality, slaughter and slavery.  The stories of this region cross back and forth between beauty and learning and pure savagery.

Some notes about dress in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

all in the family--mix of dress
woman on right in traditional Turkmen dress

 

Uzbek family in traditional dress
 

While these are Muslim countries, we haven't seen any women in black chador and veil.  A few women have been wearing headscarves, but most wear the traditional headdress of their tribe.  Men wear mostly pants and shirts, though a (very) few old men wear more traditional trousers, somewhat baggy, and long tops.  It's so hot during the summer that short sleeves are the norm for men.  I've seen quite a few Uzbek men in shorts, something I've never seen in other Muslim countries.  Our guides keep emphasizing that these are secular countries with both deeply religious Muslims and non-practicing Muslims.

In Turkmenistan, almost every woman was wearing a long, colorful dress, embroidered around the neck and down the front to the waist.  They wrap bright scarves into turbans on their heads.  In the bazaar, you can buy padded turban "forms" to plop atop your hair.  This is what the women use to give height and breadth to their turbans.  They look beautiful in all their colorful fabrics and embroidery.

Before they marry, young women wear an embroidered cap, a bit larger than a skull cap.  Some men wear them also.  The embroidery is different for women and men.  After marriage, women switch to the turban.  Our guide said "this is their ring".  They all wear lots of jewelry, metal and beads, but mostly not wedding rings.

So far in Uzbekistan, we have seen quite a variety of dress.  Some younger women wear short skirts and colorful blouses, even short-sleeved blouses. Young girls wear everything from tight jeans to long dresses.  Here, most women are wearing scarves wrapped around their hair and tied in back, though not the majority of younger women we've seen.  We watched a choir in Khiva as they practiced for the Independence Day celebration.  All were wearing short black skirts and short-sleeved white blouses.  Many of the dresses flow over either tight and colorful capri length pants or baggier, ankle-length pants.





Uzbek woman striding across square

Uzbek woman by mosque
 

Bukhara is much more diverse than Khiva in terms of what seems to be acceptable dress for women.  It is also a much larger city of about 300,000, with more tourists, businesses, hotels and restaurants, so gets a larger dose of Western influence. 

Last night we went to a concert with Uzbek music and dancers.  A big feature of the evening was a fashion show of really beautiful clothes designed by an Uzbek woman--gorgeous silk fabrics, stunning robes, tight jackets, long and short skirts and pants--all worn by tall, slender, stunning young women who looked wonderful in these clothes as you can see below.


Khiva--wow!

Khiva's inner wall

 

Khiva is what you hope to see when you travel the old Silk Road--a charming mud brick city with beautiful monuments and a thriving daily life. 

We reached the city after a long drive across the desert, sand and rock covered with tufts of camel bush that hold the sand somewhat in place.  There are a couple of police checkpoints (common along these roads) and not much else for nearly 4 hours until you reach the Khorezm Oasis, a large agricultural area with cotton fields, wheat, melons and orchards. 

We stayed in a small, rather basic, hotel inside the old city walls, which were once surrounded by a canal designed to suck the salt out of the ground water.  This system, used throughout the region because of the shallow level of the salty ground water, works well, but the government decided it was a mosquito breeding ground (which it was) and filled it in.  Now, salt seeps into the foundations of the walls and all the buildings in Khiva's old city and are in a constant state of repair.  Salt residue coats the mudpacked alleyways as well and is a big worry to the local government.

The khan, his family, scholars and students lived inside the inner walls while everyone else lived in between the inner and outer walls where they cultivated fields and practiced their crafts.  There were 26 madrassas, or religious schools, in Khiva in its heyday.  Students lived in tiny, dark rooms, 2 to a room, stifling in summer and freezing in winter.  They could study by themselves or attend the lectures of the scholars.  Each madrassa featured religious scholarship and one or more other specialties, such as mathematics or science.

Tile wall of palace

The tilework is what captivates you here.  It is magnificent.  Each madrassa, tomb, palace, mosque and minaret is decorated with exquisite tile--blue, turquoise and white--with Koranic scripture in Arabic script and geometric or flower patterns.  The most beautiful tomb is completely covered with these tiles.  You can almost absorb the beauty and peace of the tomb as you sit inside surrounded by the quiet color.

the most beautiful (I think) tomb

The khans had lusty, but usually brief, lives.  They had the permitted 4 wives Islam allows and many concubines.  While the wives had babies, the concubines were not allowed to reproduce for fear that a child would be born to a lowly woman unworthy of the honor.  That was probably a good thing for the khans (and maybe for the concubines who probably would have been murdered by their rivals if they'd given birth) since many of them were killed by their sons in search of power.  Only one of 47 khans in Khiva died a natural death.  The last khan was killed by the Bolsheviks in 1923 and his son was packed off to Siberia.

tiled doorway inside the tomb

A traditional craft of Khiva is woodcarving.  You see beautifully carved columns of elm (which has since mostly succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease) in the madrassas and mosques and furniture of all kinds, now often carved out of walnut.  Carpet weaving, pottery and embroidery are very important as well. 

One of Khiva's landmarks is a beautifully-tiled, unfinished minaret that would have towered over the city.  And perhaps crashed into the surrounding buildings during one of the earthquakes.  The city is spotlessly clean, swept clean constantly against the wind-blown sand, intrusive salt and daily activities.  Amidst this background, Khiva and all of Uzbekistan is preparing to celebrate its Independence Day on September 7, so we were able to see traditional dancers and Uzbek singers practicing for the festivities.

Khiva dancers waiting to perform

Kalta Minor (unfinished) minaret

Khiva was well known for the cruelty of its khans.  They did not permit outsiders into the area.  Reportedly, they had a snake pit where they threw unlucky travelers who ventured into their realm.  But, they had other horrific ways to torture and murder people as well, including skinning them alive.  One wonders how this encouraged trade.

detail of tile wall

Today, we continued on to Bukhara, which I'll write about tomorrow. 

Uzbek woman sweeping

Konye Urgench, Turkmenistan--not to mention the border!

Najd-ed-Din Kubra mausoleum across from governor's mausoleum

Konye Urgench, once the greatest city in the Khorezm Oasis, dates to the 6th century BC, but reached it's peak in the 11th century AD when it became the capital of the Seljuk dynasty.

While little remains of this once busy city, it is slowly undergoing excavation and reconstruction of some of its finer monuments, including the twin tombs of the governor of Konye Urgench and the city's most prominent and beloved scholar and founder of the Kubra Sufi order of Islam, Najm-ed-din Kubra.

Nearby is the tallest minaret in Central Asia, tilting slightly at the top where the last 90 feet are being rebuilt.  Tamurlane finally put an end to the city in the 14th century. 

If you visit Turkmenistan, this site is worth a visit, but requires a 50 minute flight to Dosoguz from Ashgabat and a 1 1/2 hour drive from there.  We went on to the Uzbekistan border from Konye Urgench, a story in itself.

Choosing to cross the Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border by road requires a bit of patience and energy.  It's a big of a slog since you have to walk about a kilometer between the first Turkmenistan check point and the final Uzbekistan check point.  That would be just fine, but we did this in 105 degree F heat in the early afternoon under a blazing sun, lugging our suitcases (thankfully, just carry-on size and weight) and backpacks.  If you want to go part way by car, you must get permission in advance, which our guide hadn't thought to do.

But, that's just the walking part.  There are 3 passport checks (considerable scrutiny of your passport and visas each time).  Once inside the stifling customs house, our bags were searched for contraband (i.e., any item over 50 years old, particularly carpets).  Since our bags were stuffed with dirty clothes with no room for a carpet, it all seemed kind of silly.  The final passport check came beyond this point and then another walk about 1/4 mile to the first Uzbekistan checkpoint (note that if your visas don't specify the exact date of your arrival in Uzbekistan and the exact date of your departure from Turkmenistan you can be left in this desolate, steaming no-man's-land until someone works out a new visa for you.  This has, indeed, happened to some luckless tourists.).

In the Uzbekistan customs house, everything was searched.  I had to removed all my medications from my bag and explain in detail what every pill was for.  They are looking for a long list of prohibited drugs.  The final push comes when you get to walk another 100 yards or so, past the final passport check, and slump into your (hopefully) air conditioned car.  Finally in Uzbekistan.

From there to Khiva, our first destination in Uzbekistan, it's nearly 4 hours on a broken asphalt road.  There is another checkpoint closer to Khiva if you decide to bypass Konye Urgench--but then, why fly to Dosoguz; just fly to Tashkent and on to Khiva.


lovely tomb of unknown occupant

Kutlug Timor minaret

Turabeg Khanym mausoleum

 

A Day in Ashgabat

Colorful embroidery thread at bazaar

Weaver selling her carpets

 

We started our morning early (4:15 a.m. for me) with a walk to beat the heat of the day (105 F today), down to the Presidential and Parliamentary offices.  Being naïve about Turkmen politics, we thought we'd walk along the huge square that is used for big parades and public events.   But, no, it is not public.  We were kicked out of the area and forbidden to take pictures of any buildings.  Imagine if you couldn't photograph the White House or national Capitol.

I will put my photos of the day at the bottom of this blog since blogger doesn't seem to like working with Internet Explorer, but hope they'll be of interest nonetheless.

Ashgabat has a huge bazaar that is about 15 miles out of town, so not very convenient, but very popular anyway.  The traffic was backed up for miles with old Russian and new Japanese cars fighting for position in the chaotic streets.  The bazaar must have thousands of shops, many inside the multitude of buildings and some in separate spaces in newer buildings outside.  Next door is the animal market, featuring goats, sheep, camels, cattle and unfortunate chickens, mostly kept in check by being tied together and lopped upside down.  Poor little creatures.

The crafts of Turkmenistan are beautiful--carpets (Bukhara), embroidery, felt rugs, pretty dresses and long pants framed with hand embroidered borders.  We wandered through the carpets, hats, dresses and animal shops, as you can see below.  As in most of the world, it is not great to be an animal in Turkmenistan. 

Since the first president, Niyazov, was focused on personal grandeur and god-status, he built some magnificent mosques and his own mausoleum.  This may not have been a good idea since the local lore has it that if you build your tomb, you will soon occupy it.  He did only 2 years after it was completed.  Joining him in the tomb are his parents and 2 brothers.  His mother and brothers were killed in the terrible earthquake of 1948.   Niyazov grew up in a Russian orphanage in poverty, but later rose in the ranks of the Communist Party, eventually becoming the Party leader and then, upon the collapse of the Soviet Union, the first president of an independent Turkmenistan.  More about him in another blog.

We drove up one of the deep gorges that rise into the mountains to the south of Ashgabat.  Just 15 miles to the south, over the mountains, is the border with Iran.  We had lunch along a small river, shared with a loudly singing bridal party and an unfortunate bride robed in heavy traditional dress amidst the heavy heat.

Our final visit was to Nisa, a Greek settlement dating from 200 BC.  We spent over an hour with one of the archaeologists working the site who told us that, while both Russian and Italian teams have been excavating the site for decades, no one really knows what happened here.  There are 43 towers, now in ruins, so perhaps this was a fortress, but no armaments have been found.  The walls stood 40 feet high until the 1948 earthquake, when all crumbled within minutes.  Greek artifacts, including pieces of Greek statues, have been found here.  The National Museum has some beautiful artifacts from Nisa as well.


We ended the day at a local shopping mall, teeming with anything you could want from music to groceries to iPads.  But, this is a somewhat hidden commercial enterprise.  Among all the marble splendor, there is no real commercial activity that is visible.  No signs, no underground economy in evidence (though it has to be there), very few shops along the streets, no vendors on the sidewalks, nothing.  There seems to be no heart and soul of Ashgabat in the center of the city.  Much more activity at the bazaar, but so far outside the area where people live their lives.

embroidered hats for men and unmarried women

gnarled camel awaiting sale

unhappy chickens headed to new home

hapless sheep at market

mosque

Greek columns at Nisa

"Spiritual" mosque housing Niyasov's book extolling Turkmen history and culture

felt rug with embroidered bags












 

Ashgabat--a monument to a president

Ashgabat at sunset

Ashgabat is a blazing white city of 700,000 people in a country of nearly 7 million.  Flush with oil and gas dollars, the post-Soviet president, who created a cult of personal omnipotence and spiritual power (until he died just like any other human), built the newer part of the city out of white marble, imported from around the world.  In the intense sunshine and heat, you can't get by without sunglasses as the marble reflects heat and brilliance. 

The city is all white except for the many parks and the trees lining the main streets and the gold domes marking the President's office.  The older part of the city, which was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1948, was rebuilt during Soviet times, with concrete buildings of ocher and soft pink.  This color is welcome in the mass of this otherwise monochromatic city.

We went to the monument marking Turkmenistan's independence after the fall of the Soviet Union.  This is a "must" stop for brides and grooms before their weddings, which often take place in the huge and gaudy Palace of Happiness, on a rise above the city.



Embroidered traditional bridal gown

The brides wear gorgeously embroidered traditional dresses during their procession from their parents' home to the home of the groom's parents.  Later, they change to Western-style white wedding gowns for a second ceremony and celebratory dinner.

Bride and groom in traditional bridal costume



The bride's family does not go with her once she leaves their home.  They will rejoin the festivities at the Western ceremony later in the day.  But, she has moved to her husband's family, so the traditional ceremony will only include them.

 

Musicians played as the couple emerged from their wedding car, men and women danced, and children ran about cheering.

 

 

 



 

 



 

Turkmenistan is a Muslim country, but quite secular.  During the Soviet period, there were no mosques because atheism was the law of the land for Communists.  When the USSR collapsed, Turkey built a small version of Istanbul's spectacular Blue Mosque in the center of Ashgabat, minus the magnificent blue tiles of the original, but beautiful nonetheless.


Turkey built a replica of its Blue Mosque in Ashgabat



The independence monument, a central point in the city 

 



The economy and politics of Turkmenistan are fascinating.  Presidents serve a maximum of 2 terms, but are then "elected for life".  People we talked to praised what the Soviets did for them--primarily giving women freedom from seclusion in their homes, the opportunity to go to school and get jobs, and a focus on education for everyone for at least 10 years (though the education was based on communist history, economics and ideology).

 

They told us that the current president has expanded educational opportunity and begun to build a solid health care system.  Because of their oil and gas production, much of their daily needs are free.  Until Aug. 1, 2014, gasoline was free.  Now the people pay a small amount to fill their tanks.  All power and water are free, as is education, but not health care.  Before the end of the Soviet era, people were given their apartments free of charge.  Today, the apartments in the shiny new marble buildings cost upward of $200,000 for a 2 bedroom unit.  Our guide lives in a Soviet-era building in an apartment that was given to her by the government.  She pays $10 per month to live there.  Her children and heirs will be able to live there for $10 per month as well.  One wonders how all this largesse will be supported when the oil and gas revenues run out eventually.

 

Water is another big issue.  The Soviets built a canal from the Amu Darya River through the central desert, turning it into a vast farming area that produces cotton, grain, fruits and vegetables.  That was all OK when the Central Asian republics were part of the Soviet Union and shared resources, but today it is a source of friction, particularly between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan since the latter claims part of the water that flows through the canal into Turkmenistan.   No one seems to be worried about water right now.  Another potential crisis for the future.