Istraravshan – The 2500 Years of History

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Tajikistan has to dig up very deep into its glorious past to emphasize its identity. Tajikistan had to leave behind its historical luggages, as the Persian Tajik civilization centres, Samarkand and Bukhara, were handed to Uzbekistan by the Soviet government. Among what was left now, it was Istaravshan to testify to glory of this tiny country’s past.

Istaravshan is located about 280 km north of Dushanbe, after passing two high passes of Anzob and Ainy (Shakhristan), both are higher than 3700 m. The passes are covered by snow in winter, making it’s impossible during the period to travel overland from Dushanbe to Khojand – the second city of the country. The only possible transport by that time is by flying. Along the way there were many Chinese workers on road and tunnel construction projects. They navigated the tractors, measured the parameters, and broke the stones. I did really wonder why it was so necessary to have all Chinese workers to do the projects. “Tajikistan doesn’t have sufficient technology,” said fellow passenger in my taxi. But is that essential to have international workers just to break the stones with hammers? Maybe the Chinese contractors didn’t trust the Tajik workers, or the Chinese workes cost less, so they opted to bring all the workers from China.

And the Chinese workers were the only foreigners visible here. Because of them, all locals believed that I was Chinese. “Nihao! Nihao! Hao bu hao?” was the only greetings I received on the streets, together with those “chang chung …chang chung!”, or “Dzhakie Chan!!! (Jackie Chan, a Hong Kong kungfu superstar)”, or “Zhet Li!!! (Jet Li, another Hong Kong martial art movie star)” from boys until old men with white beard. Some locals also came to me and asked many questions that I didn’t know how to answer, like “How wide will be the highway?” or “when the tunnel will be finished?” The Chinese government projected to build a tunnel under Anzob Pass so the road will be all year open.

Tajikistan was not at all prosperous country. The road, mentioned as M-34 highway, was in very sorry condition in many parts, making the 280 km distance has to be covered in 10 hours. And it was the Chinese government which offered help in the highway restoration projects. Tajikistan also didn’t have oil. The rise on world oil price also gave much tension to the economy, as the oil price soared from about 1 Somoni/litre to 3 Somoni/litre. The price of a seat in a shared taxi from Dushanbe to Istaravshan was only 30 Somoni two years ago, but now was 70 Somoni (20 $). Compare to the average income of the country, which was only 68 Somoni per month, or average pension payment at 17 Somoni/month!

Istaravshan was called as Ura Teppa (in Russian Ura Tyube) during the Soviet era. When Tajikistan got independence, as other newly independent states which was then overwhelmed by nationalism sentiment and trend of tracing back national identities, Istaravshan gained back its ancient name. Alexander the Great, 2500 years ago came here, and in 2001, the town celebrated its 2500th birthday. A beautiful gate was built on the top of a hill called Mug Teppa, north of the town.

In its 2500 years of life, Istaravshan rose and fell, became a centre of civilization at once then disappeared at the other time. In the 15th century, it came again as a Persian town dotted by masjids (mosques) and medressas (Islamic schools). One of the medressas, Abdul Latif Sulton Medresseh, hidden in the alleys of the old town, was still operating today as an important religious school in the country. It had more than 200 students, not the biggest in the country, but for sure, the oldest.

Khursid, 20 years old student from nearby Isfara, told me that it cost 15 Somoni/month to study here, with full boarding. They studied mostly religious knowledge like Arabic and Islamic law, bur also English and in the future, computer class. The religious students of the medressa wore western style of clothing, plus a cap – not to be compared with those Afghan medressa talibs with cloak and turbans.

Nearby, there is the 19th century mosque, Hauz-i-Sangin. It had inviting ceiling paintings. But when I visited the mosque was locked. It was the first time I saw a mosque to be locked. I said this to an old man in the neighbourhood. “Yes, you are right. Mosques should not be locked,” he then rushed a boy to find the key of the gate.

For Tajikistan, a new country which was working hard to rebuild its national identity, Istaravshan meant a lot. Istaravshan was for sure uncomparable with Smarkand and Bukhara, what Tajikistan regarded as its ‘lost heritages’ as the two Persian cities were now in the Turkic cultured Uzbekistan territory. But Istaravshan was indeed among the few that Tajikistan now had to prevent and to be proud of.

The people in Istaravshan were mostly Tajiki with about 30% Uzbek minority. I felt that Uzbek accent was very strong when the people spoke, so I often failed to recognize whether someone was speaking Tajik or Uzbek. During Ramazan fasting month, some restaurants chose to stop their businesses temporarily. But food, during the day, was not scarce at all. There were still many kebab and sambusa stalls along the main road and in the bazaar. People also ate in publics without restriction. Beer (pivo) stalls were still selling alcohols. The owner was Tajik (Muslims) and most of the customers were Tajiks (Muslims) and Uzbeks (also Muslims).

Tajikistan is a world away from Afghanistan.

I was invited by a group of businessmen to have iftar (breaking the fast) at the evening. Islom, one of the men, had been to Thailand and he expressed his adore to the modernity of the capital. “Even the airport is as big as our town!” Islom and his colleagues did fasting during Ramazan, and he estimated that 60% Tajiks did fast while 40% remainders didn’t. Tajikistan was considered ‘the most Islamic’ among other ex-Soviet Central Asian republics and the turmoil right after independence almost put the country to be an Islamic republic.

Nevertheless, Ramazan fasting by most was still regarded as ‘tradition’. Iftar was started by prayers, “in the name of God”, then the host split big round bread and distributed to the guests. There were plates of salads on the table. I was thinking how simple the dinner was. I kept eating the salad with the bread and praising how simplicity for itfar was indeed a respectable attitude (actually I wondered why the Tajik big men only ate that little). I was almost full eating the salad by that time, when Islom informed me the main dish was about to come. I didn’t have much more space in my stomach and was just able to praise the extravagant dinner of huge meat balls on extra large plate.

At night, Istaravshan was completely dark. There was no road lamp at all.

“The Soviet didn’t build any for us,” said Islom.

His vision was as dark as the road.