UZBEKISTAN: TASHKENT BRIEFLY AGAIN, THEN NUKUS TO KHIVA

It's a shortened day for us in Tashkent, so its off to the Chorsu (ancient meaning refers to a place of confluence where people meet) Bazaar.  I am trying to think if we have ever been to such a large market, and yes, the market in Marrakesh with all of its labyrinth of interconnected souks is bigger.  

In Marrakesh, the bazaar is more touristy with snake charmers, storytellers, souvenirs, entertainers and a night market, whereas the Chorsu feels more like where ordinary people come to shop and eat.  

Due to location, Chorsu is influenced by Central Asia and Russia, while Marrakesh has North African and Arab influences.

Below is the famous blue dome of Chorsu.  At 80 x 30 meters, it is the largest dome in Tashkent.  The market extends well beyond the dome.

We feel like locals now, eating Plov, the national dish of Uzbekistan, in the Chorsu Bazaar! Plov is very much like a pilaf, without the seafood.  It can be made with any meat, but lamb or beef is more traditional.

 

The ceramics in the photos below originate in the town of Rishton in the Fergana Valley, which we didn't get to.  I would love to have lots of it, but even one piece is sure to meet a fatal end while backpacking.

The Chorsu metro station, which we haven't been in before, takes us back to the hotel.  It highlights some of the ceramic art that is done here.

After dinner that night, we spotted an interesting store run by an organization that showcases traditional Uzbekistan arts and crafts, including clothing.

The Uzbekistan government recognizes crafts and craftspeople for their cultural heritage and economic contributions.  Real support comes via organizational support, tax benefits and exhibition opportunities for registered craftspeople.  Those registered as masters of their craft receive tax incentives and subsidies.  Apprenticeship programs are supported.  The branding of particular cities as craft centers also promotes the work.  Promotion happens at local, national and international levels.

Crafts supported by the government include silk production and ikat weaving, ceramics and pottery, wood carving. metal work, carpet weaving, gold embroidery (suzani) and musical instrument making.

ON TO NUKUS

The flight from Tashkent to Nukus went smoothly, from summoning a very early taxi ride (on the app) to Nukus and the next guesthouse.  

We are now in the capital city of the semi-autonomous Karakalpakstan Region of Uzbekistan.  Its population is under half a million.  

The day we are here, the thermometer reaches 38 degrees Celsius (in early May).  In July & August, the temperatures are often in the 40s and can be as high as 50 degrees, while its short winters are very cold and snowy

With only one day here, we focus on the Savitsky Nukus Museum of Art (AKA the Louvre in the Sand) and are glad we did. 

 It is known for its collection of 1920s - 1930s avant-garde and post-avant-garde Moscovian art, but its 100,000-item collection makes it the largest in all of Central Asia

The 1960s - 1970s collection of artwork created by 'non-conformists' belonging to the Moscow underground was able to bring to us many, many works of art by those who, rather than being recognized for their talent, were accused of dissidence and either became outcasts, or were sent to a gulag.  The Savitsky Museum offered support and refuge for their work.  A documentary film, 'The Desert of Forbidden', tells about this collection and its intriguing history.

Photographs were encouraged, and we can show you a few examples here.

Many tourists come to Nukus as a jumping-off point to the Aral Sea, where they can witness one of the world's worst environmental disasters.  There is no more water to see (only a ship graveyard in Muynak, primarily because the Soviet Union's massive irrigation systems reduced freshwater inflow from two rivers to the sea, causing it to shrink and become overly saline.  Other inefficiencies, such as improper water storage, lack of dam maintenance and others, contributed to the situation.

There was no more fish in the sea, wetlands were negatively affected, and human health degraded due to the salinity of the water and dust storms. 

On the morning of our second day, we are picked up early by a driver who is also supposed to be a tour guide, driving us to Khiva, a 170 km trip, stopping along the way so that we can explore the remains of six desert fortresses.

We were terrified almost the whole time in the car.  The people have a well-deserved reputation of being dangerous drivers, mostly due to excessive speed (we were rarely below 120 km/hour through towns and roads filled with potholes, passing on blind curves, cellphone use while driving and going up the middle of a two-lane highway to pass). Anyway, we survived.  

These fortresses were built at different times by various rulers over the area.

Chilpik Kala has an interesting history (1st century BC to 1st century AD) in that it was a 'tower of silence' used for sky burial rituals where the deceased was exposed to scavenging birds until they were picked clean and bleached in the sun.  The remains were then put into ceramic jugs and buried in the earth, thus not polluting nature.

Many of the fortresses had served defensive purposes, protecting both agricultural settlements and ancient trade routes.  One of the ruins was of a palace complex that once had over 150 rooms, while another was a complex of several fortresses strung together atop hills.

Below are some of the remains of fortresses made from mud, straw and who knows what else.  At the last fortress was a yurt camp (tourist trap).

Note the long stairway coming down from this fortress.

We look forward to our stay in Khiva, then moving on to Bukhara and Samarkand.