Well, it happened again. I’m headed back to Central Asia. This time around, I’ll be parking myself in Kyrgyzstan, one country over from Tajikistan, and immersing myself further in the ways of the Silk Road.
Kyrgyzstan is slightly larger than Tajikistan, but also more sparsely populated. Its roots trace back to a nomadic culture, and it may be best known as the origin of the yurt, which is a type of moveable dwelling with plenty of insulation that many Kyrgyz nomads still live in to this day. Its many towns and villages are flung across high mountains and valleys, and many are spread around a massive saline lake called Issyk-kul, which means “warm lake,” so named because it does not freeze in the winter. Its landscape, particularly around Issyk-kul, is considered so beautiful that many Soviet leaders chose it for their summer dachas and retreats, and many former Soviet leaders still venture there regularly for vacations.
Kyrgyz history dates back thousands of years; in fact, Osh has some of the oldest sites on the Silk Road. Its isolation in the mountains combined with a setting at the crossroads of the world have allowed a very interesting combination of cultures to come together and be preserved. The Mongol empire left a strong imprint on Kyrgyzstan, but Turks and Persians have left many fingerprints. In its more recent history, the Soviet Union left its signature architecture and occasional Lenin statue, while the modern Kyrgyz Republic (the country prefers this name, in fact) has stood out as the most democratic of the post-Soviet Central Asian states.
Kyrgyzstan is frequently described as a Muslim nation, and while it is a majority-Muslim nation, the vast majority of its Muslims are non-denominational, and do not adhere to Sunni or Shia specific teachings. It hosts many Christians and Buddhists as well, has a small Jewish community, and has strong separation of government and religion. It’s certainly not a hotbed of extremism as many stereotypes of the region might suggest.
Kyrgyzstan also has several interesting traditions, including their timeless tradition of horse herding and of hunting with eagles (a tradition shared with Mongolians). They also, like Tajiks and Afghans, play Buzkashi, which is basically polo, but played with a dead goat carcass instead of a ball. I’m sure I’ll discover a FAR greater depth than this once I’m there, but I’ve got to go off of what Wikipedia is focusing on for now.
This description, of course, does little justice to this beautiful country which I will call home for two years, and I’m already grateful to the hospitality of the families in two towns that will be opening their homes and welcoming me into their lives. I can only hope that I will learn from them as much as they have to teach me.