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Published: August 26th 2004
Medrassa, Bukhara
The only working medrassa left...Events conspired against our planned route through Central Asia…
Turkmenistan was in the midst of a lover’s feud with Azerbaijan and closed their embassy in Baku.
An Iranian visa was out of the question since my British imperialist kin were turning the Shiite holy city of Najaf into the next Stalingrad. Sealing another border tightly shut.
We decided to take the boat across the Caspian to Kazakhstan, and then a train through the desert to Uzbekistan. Easy enough until some chaps blew themselves up outside the American and Israeli embassies in the Uzbek capital Tashkent - closing the land borders to foreigners (in an attempt to prevent the infiltration or escape of ‘foreign terrorists’). The same thing had happened after the bombings in April, and now there were stories of foreigners stranded inside Uzbekistan begging their embassies to fly them out.
So flying was now our only way in. The prospect of which filled me with a sense helpless failure; taking away the romance and experience of travelling along the silk road overland - how else could I truly grasp the distance? I was convinced I would miss something; all
the subtle changes that occur as you ease yourself across man-made lines into new lands. Travelling in the time machine always makes the world seem so small and encourages abstractions.
Fortunately the plane journey gave me a bird’s-eye view; enabling me to see more profoundly the vastness of the hostile desert that separates the thin strips of green habitation that cling to the great life-giving rivers of the region. To be honest, I was actually quite excited; it felt like I was going on holiday!
Stepping out into the barmy 43 degree afternoon sun at Tashkent airport, we were mobbed by a particularly ravenous and excitable bunch of taxi drivers. Their facial features told us we were in Asia… their behaviour told us there were tourists in this land.
A century ago all Central Asia was called Turkestan, and the people were either Turkic or Persian. When the communists came, those that could fled south to Iran or Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands were massacred including the entire intelligentsia. Cities were razed and millions of people were taken from the mountains to work the deserts in psychotic Stalin’s forced
collectivization plans to end private property and the peoples wandering nomadic lifestyles. Millions died in this pathetic folly through years of famine and disease - not to mention the damage done to the environment. Further Stalinist paranoia led the elimination of potential dissenters through the systematic murder of basically anyone with an education. Nationalism was constructed in classic ‘divide and rule’ tactics and the Central Asians countries of today were created. Islam was considered an oppressive cult and for the next 70 years the original culture of central Asia was dismantled.
Today Uzbekistan has one of the worlds worst human rights records. Firmly under the control of dictator Islam Karimov (the ex-KGB communist fascist-opportunist). It’s the same story everywhere in Central Asia. The communists created an efficient totalitarian control structure - when the Soviet Union fell, those in control of each country at the time simply declared independence, and themselves El Presidente (Conveniently retaining the state controlled media and brutal Police state apparatus they inherited). Anyone who speaks out against him is either in prison or underground. His main fear is an Islamic revolution. Religious freedom simply doesn’t exist. All remaining mosques have to be
govt. run, with mullahs vetted and tightly controlled. People attending mosques, growing beards, or wearing headscarves (all clear signs of subversive fundamentalism) are usually found to have hashish in their pockets or a bullet down the back of the sofa.
In one of his more eloquent moments Karimov once said in Parliament “Such people must have their heads ripped off…If I found out my own son was one of them I would rip his head off too...”
After barely 24 hours in Uzbekistan we arrived in the fabled Silk road City of Samarqand. The sun setting in the dessert sky, we tossed our bags in the room and dashed out to see the majestic Registan (see pic.) the centrepiece of Samarqand and the picture postcard image of the entire Silk Road. The Registan is three Meddrassas built in 1420, 1636 and 1660. They complement each other so perfectly you’d think the whole place was designed this way from its inception. You could spend days admiring its beautiful intricacies.
But beauty’s not only skin deep. The next day the Registan gave off a completely different vibe. The medressas are no longer functioning
- the students replaced with souvenir shops. A few hundred metres away is Bibi-Khanym Mosque. An enormous mosque that pushed the architectural constraints of the times to such limits it collapsed soon after its completion. Fortunately for me and the French tour groups - it was re-built some 6 months ago by UNESCO and the Uzbek govt. It looks…well like it was built 6 months ago and since it doesn’t function as a mosque anymore it had all the atmosphere of a newly tiled bathroom.
Why is a President who fears Islam so much rebuilding all these Mosques and Medrassas? The guy who built most of this stuff in Samarqand (Timur lane) has become the new National figure and therefore rallying point to give the nation of Uzbekistan some credence. A fitting hero for Karimov - during his reign the new Hero of the Uzbek nation had more than a million people massacred, and many more maimed, raped and enslaved.
Backtracking along the ancient Silk Road, through territory so effortlessly covered on the plane, we reached Central Asia’s holiest city. Bukhara was previously the religious and cultural heart of Central Asia. Thousand of
students used to come from all over the Islamic world to study here - the Oxford or Harvard of the Islamic world. When the communists arrived they destroyed most of the medrassas and turned the mosques into warehouses. After independence the govt. mummified all these historical buildings as ‘architectural monuments’. There used to be 100 medrassas and 10,000 students. Today there are TWO working medressas and 70 students. The others are moonlighting as money changers and carpet shops - Bukhara has become one big Art and Handicrafts sale. The town’s long and distinguished history of learning turned wholly over to tourism. ‘Real life’ has been totally cleansed from the old town. Replaced with gangs of little girls aged between about 8 and 14 who speak fluent French and English (and passable Japanese) marauding about the place harassing tour groups. I attempted to ask various locals why the Mosques and Medrassas were all shut down. Most were too afraid to speak out or simply didn’t know - they then invariably tried to sell me a table cloth!
The next Silk Road city was Khiva:
“khiva’s name redolent of slaves…barbaric cruelty and terrible journey’s across
Registan
Samarqand deserts infested with wild tribesman, struck fear into all but the boldest 19th century explorers”
It sounds exciting doesn’t it? For me Khiva encapsulates the essence of the Silk Road 2004. An Islamic ‘model village’ - that feels like it should be in Lego land. An Islamic experience without the inconvenience of Islam. Unesco helped rebuild this town ‘so that its culture can be preserved for the benefit of mankind’. How can something that has had all religious and intellectual freedom sucked out of it be considered cultural? A sterile plastic-fantastic-façade; with none of the mystique, bustle and squalor that would give the place a soul.
It seemed to be the perfect environment for tour group tourism - great pictures; seamless travels no crime, spotlessly clean streets and no contact with smelly locals. I used to think the French appreciated culture before I came here. If this be the future of tourism and ‘culture’ I’d rather stay home and watch a Silk Road special on the Discovery Channel. They’ll explain the history, play some atmospheric music, show some footage from before the deluded commies wrecked the place and hopefully edit out all the
French tour groups!
Sometimes travelling can be such hard work😉
Jason.
P.S. The Americans have been telling Karimov to clean up his act for years now. This year they cut aid to a measly $18m! Although I must add they did give him $500m under the table for his help in the ‘War on Terror’ since a brand new American airbase recently appeared on Uzbek soil - much to the outrage of the Russians. So if you don’t hear anything bad about this wonderful leader in the western media you know it’s because he’s helping to make the world a safer place.
Wasn’t the purpose of the Cold War to defeat totalitarianism and promote freedom? Now the West is supporting the totalitarian remnants of this system - the reason this time we are told is to promote democracy and freedom.
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Johan
Interesting read, if a little bit depressing.
I can understand your points, still I enjoyed myself thoroughly in most places in Uzbekistan. Perhaps the money mining has increased a bit in recent years; the only places I remember being harassed by organized sellers or beggars were around the Kalon mosque in Bukhara and the Registan in Samarkand, and I have yet to get a shakedown form the militsiya. As for touristification I do remember my fellow travellers on the first tour sneering at the quality of the local restoration works and making remarks along the line of "What a shame they make the girls wear those skimpy skirts" (Don't ask...) etc. Of course it is somewhat disheartening to see souvenir trading taking the place of the original customs, yet I take it as a sign of the times and if people can find a better life in selling cute little Timur keychains than asking the gods for favour then so be it. Similarily, a walk down Stockholm old town in summer will greet you with armadas of ugly overpriced troll figures and cheap trinkets decorated with the famous elk from our road signs (Mastercard accepted). From a traveller's perspective, as immersive as a living, breathing Islamic world may be, it is not so sure we would even gain access to the holy places of Bukhara etc. had they been open for business. In Qom for example we were not welcome and had to make do with our telescopic lenses peeking in through the main gates of the Agha Bozorg complex from a nearby hill. I guess if you want the real experience of travelling the Silk Road, you could certainly do worse than a flick on Discovery. These days it seems the trick for finding the authentic experience is to take a new look at your present surroundings. Ever talk to the bored shopkeepers about where they get their trinkets made? The annoying taxi drivers of today may be the sorely missed culture of tomorrow.