A Casual Stop in Tashkent

22 to 26 Sep, 2022 - Tashkent - (Uzbekistan)



After our minbus to the border, we crossed in to Uzekistan on foot. Since the distance from the border to Tashkent down town is not great, the easiest way to go is by taxi. Our driver was named Aladdin. He made a comment about having a Jasmine at home, but surely that was a joke. He promised he was not a genie, and was unable to grant wishes.

Our time here in Tashkent was very low key and unstressed. A few days which were uncluttered. Staying with a friend, Caroline, we just got in to a laidback, Tashkent rhythm. Eating and markets, some mosques, and some errands. Jo had some sewing done, and I got a shave. My shave felt a little rushed, but I realised why - as I paid, and we were ushered out of the shop, the barber grabbed his prayer mat, locked the door, and hurried with the throngs for Friday prayers.

Walking back through the market, with many stalls temporarilly abandoned, we noticed some opportunistic thieves taking advantage of the absent marketeers. A couple of pigeons were helpting themselves to the piles of nuts and grains that were still arranged and on display for potential sale.

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Doesn't Everyone have a Friend Living in Tashkent
Caroline, a former colleague of Jo's, now living in Tashkent, who is putting us up in her apartment while we spend some time here.


Chorsu Bazaar
Looking down in the bustling market place of Tashkent's Chorsu Bazaar. This is just the inner building, the original heart of the market, which now spans multiple city blocks in every direction. It is the largest market in Central Asia.


Prayer Hall
Inside the Hazrati Imom Friday Mosque. A recent construction, yet soon to be superseded by a shadowing construction almost next door. Inside was nice to visit, not so typically decorated with unusual colours and straying from the typical patterns. Outside, beautiful green marble and wooden features gave it a more traditional look.


“Please Give me more Attention”
Nunu. Or as we started calling her, Noonesy. Caroline's adorable dog. Heaven forbid if you should stop patting her for a minute or two.


Building of the Museum of Applied Arts
The small museum is contained in a handful of small buildings on the grounds of this house. The building itself is a true item of the collection.


Pottery Man on a Donkey
An item in the collection - Museum of Applied Arts, Tashkent.

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Southern Kazakhstan, and Out

18 to 22 Sep, 2022 - Shymkent, Turkestan, Aysha-Bibi - (Kazakhstan)



Near Shymkent, there are two sights we wanted to get to. And as it is a stone's throw from the Uzbekistan border, and Tashkent, it made sense to finish our Kazakh visit here.

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War Memorial
Most war memorials are very moving. Few things have comparable impact to listing names of lives lost. 140000 from south Kazakhstan.


Taking In the Beautiful Tiles
We hopped in a minibus to Turkestan, a couple of hours and some away from Shymkent. Here, the main sight for us was the Yasaui Mausoleum. Built in the 14th century on the site of an existing tomb. It was already a significant pilgrimage site back then, and these days it still seems the pilgrims make up the bulk of the visitors. Coloured bricks and tiles bring delightful colour and patterns to most exterior facades of the imposing structure.


A Pair of Woolly Camels
I can't ever recall seeing camels with, what at least looks like, a soft woolly coat. These too looked fluffy and, almost, cuddly. From this angle, you can see that the Mausoleum was never completed. The main facades remain bare, and structural beams are still exposed. Work ceased when the sponsor passed away. Later, they cleaned it up, but retained the unfinished appearance.


Mausoleum of Aysha-Bibi
It may have been easy enough to get to Aysha-Bibi by minibus, as they will happily drop you off as they go by. We were not quite in the mood to wait by the roadside for a return trip to Shymkent, possibly watching multiple full vehicles whizzing by. So, we decided to take the easy option of getting there by taxi. While not a large building, the beautiful terracotta bricks with various patterns made the time and effort worthwhile. Although extensive restoration was performed in the last 20 years or so, it is reportedly true and accurate to the original 11th or 12th century structure.


At Aysha-Bibi
One side had a door, three sides had windows with little spots to sit. Inside, at the tomb, pilgrims received a blessing. Some of the visitors circled the building, touching and praying at various points. We just circled and admired the patterned bricks, and rather than a blessing, went inside for a happy little chat about being from Australia.


Details
Using light and shade to bring the details of the patterned bricks to 2 dimensions.

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To finish our time in Kazakhstan, we had some, still to be explained, odd information. The big, comfy bus we were to take to Tashkent was cancelled, and the reason, they said, was fuel. That was it, a one word Google translation, "fuel". We assume not too much, or bad, so perhaps difficulty acquiring? In a fuel producing and exporting nation? Would minibuses run? Maybe not, they said. The taxi driver we had, the day before, went to four petrol stations to get fuel, but assured us there were no fuel problems. We asked in Shymkent, and got told there were no fuel problems. Yet today, on our Tashkent bound minibus, we stopped at eight or ten stations before the driver got some fuel, but only a ration or so, because we subsequently stopped at another three or four to get some more.

So yesterday, after our visit to Aysha-Bibi, we returned to Shymkent via a bazaar with a good reputation for fabrics and textiles. The whole market place was in darkness, as power was off. So we went around a few areas, and stall holders showed us their wares using the torches on their phones. We eventually found something we liked and bargained a suitable price. I left Jo chatting with them while I went to the nearest ATM to get cash, but upon seeing the blank screen, I knew power was an important ingredient in any ATM interaction. I went further and wider, leaving the market district. In the end, I realised this might be a futile endeavour, and decided to rely on some of our emergency US dollars. I knew I was gone a good while, because by the time I got back, Jo was practically one of the family. They had been teaching her Kazakh (counting to five) and more little phrases, and stumbling through descriptions of Australia and family. As we left, I joked to her about being the girl abandoned in a market and raised by a kind local family who took her in. Years later, reaching deep in to her memory, she had some vague recollections about a distant country called Australia, but didn't know where they might have come from.

The City Which Ended with a Different Name

16 Sep to 18 Sep, 2022 - Nur-Sultan (Astana) - (Kazakhstan)



A quick photo based entry about our brief stop in Nur-Sultan. Initially, we were going to bypass this city, capital of Kazakhstan. However, we had such a great couple of days. The layout of the city, and the architecture, something that we really appreciate having experienced. We ate really well, in fact, so well, that we ate at the same place again, the next night.

First, the names of the city. Initially, in the 19th century, a fortress called Akmola was here. In 1961, it became Tselinograd. Post Soviet Union, back to being called Akmola. In 1997, it became Astana, which means capital. Finally, 2019 saw it renamed Nur-Sultan, in honour of the ex-president.

And now the breaking news. Really breaking news. That finally is not as finally as thought. In the last few days, the current president has announced that the name is to revert back to Astana! There you have it, not quite, but by the time you read this, Nur-Sultan may likely be another past name of the city.

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Looking Out, Nur-Sultan
Nur-Sultan, capital of Kazkhstan. Looking out from the top of the Baiterek Tower, towards the east. The golden tapered towers provide bookends of the view of Kazakhstan’s presidential palace. Beyond that, the river separates the (obscured in this photo) Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, Independence Square, and more important buildings, as well as an important mosque.


Baiterek Tower and its Egg
This city has had a number of names. In 1998, it became “Astana”, when the capital was moved here. Only in 2019 was it renamed to Nur-Sultan. With that renaming, and the following growth, planners took the opportunity to lay out the wide boulevards, creating a very open feel, and opportunities for key buildings and landmark structures to become features. The focus of the layout is Nurzhol Boulevard, and the iconic Baiterek Tower. It is inspired by legends of Samruk, who lays her egg at the top of the tree of life.


KazMunayGaz, Creating a Frame for Khan Shatyr
Khan Shatyr means “Royal Marquee”. It is a shopping centre full of brands and entertainment, including rides and a dinosaur theme park. These two buildings mark the western end of Nurzhol Boulevard.


Using the Props Provided


Prayer Hall, Hazrat Sultan Mosque
The Hazrat Sultan Mosque was the main mosque for Astana until this year, when a new mosque was inaugurated. We visited at a quiet time, when only a handful of others were inside.


Hazrat Sultan Mosque
A couple of men have chosen sunny spots to study.


World’s Largest Fully Spherical Building
The glass of the building is not pieced together to approximate a ball, but each piece was engineered with the precise curve in it, to make a true sphere. Inside is an eight storey museum about energy, space, and the future for Kazakhstan. This follows on from its original use as the centrepiece of Expo 2017 International Exhibition. It is known as the Nur Alem Pavillion.


Eight Storeys up on a Glass Floor
Inside Nur Alem Pavilion, Jo shows us how fearless she is on the glass floor.


Grand Mosque, Nur-Sultan
Replacing Hazrat Sultan Mosque as the principal place of worship, the Grand Mosque was opened this year. It is the largest mosque in Central Asia, and ranks amongst the largest in the world.


Prayer Hall, Grand Mosque
In contrast to our mosque visit, earlier in the day, the Grand Mosque was bustling and lively. Children cried out and ran across the lush thick carpet, rolling and playing in delight. People sat around and chatted in circles. It felt very uptempo and relaxed.

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A Remote Trip Across Mangistau

11 Sep to 16 Sep, 2022 - Aktau, Kampasay, Shopak Ata, Torish, Kokala, Sherkala, Airakty, Shetpe, Tuzbair, Beket Ata, Bozzhira, Mount Bokty, Kyzylkup, Shopan Ata - (Kazakhstan)



Our well selected flight from Almaty to Aktau, in the west, was delayed. We did not receive notification of this, but I discovered it when I went to check in. So, instead of a lovely evening flight, we had another shocking middle of the night trip. Checking in, my hand luggage caused a bit of consternation. Three or four times they passed the bag through the scanner. Each time, they asked if there was a pocket knife or similar. No, I replied, knowing that I had put my pocket knife in the main luggage. Eventually, triumphantly, they pulled out a corkscrew from my bag, which I had totally forgotten about. They let me keep it, and reminded me to put it in the checked bags next time, but I am curious how it got through (twice) when we checked in and began this trip in Rome.

We had read a number of times that travelling to the west Kazakh natural sights can be difficult, and almost dangerous, if you don't know where you are going. Unsigned tracks across the steppes, around the farms, and through the camels mean that having a competent and experienced driver is a must. After twenty minutes of our three day trip, we were comfortable we had done the right thing by booking a car and guide.

Day one was the most crowded with stops. The sights were relatively close together, but the total time bouncing around was still significant. We were keen to see both the natural wonders, and the important pilgrimage cave mosques.

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Kampasay, Mangistau region of Kazakhstan
A dusty pot-holed track across the steppe appeared to be taking us nowhere. After a while, a rift in the landscape appeared, and afforded us a view of Kampasay. Only just visible in the picture, behind the layered rock formation, there is an oasis.


Graves Near Shokpak Ata
Shokpak Ata is a holy site in western Kazakhstan. For about a millennium, faithful have buried loved ones nearby. Some graves date from the 10th and 11th centuries, and newer ones are from the latter 1900s. Since the site is now a protected zone, new burials are no longer allowed. Only in (comparatively) recent years have dates or names been included on graves. So it is clues like style which help age the grave sites. These, we were told, are likely to be 16th or 17th century.


Approach to Shokpak Ata
Shokpak Ata is a cave mosque, where a Sufi monk lived and taught over 1000 years ago. Shokpak was the name given to him because of his legendary ability to create fire by snapping his fingers. Shokpak is the local word for the sound of two rocks striking a spark.


Etched Wishes and Prayers
The age of these requests are unknown, scratched in to the walls of Shokpak Ata cave mosque.


Inside Shokpak Ata in west Kazakhstan
The glass at the entrance is a twentieth century addition to protect the cave, but other than that it is just a natural cave which has been enlarged and shaped. Inside, no man made items exist other than a few beautiful hand made carpets.


Rock Ball, Torish
We were, of course, curious about the science of these balls, which litter the landscape for a strip of a few hundred metres. The shell fossils everywhere attest that almost the entire region was once the floor of the ocean. At that time, molten lava from an underwater volcanic eruption was broken in to blobs which were rolled around on the seabed as they cooled and hardened. Apparently, here at Torish, west Kazakhstan, is one of only two places where this is known to have happened. Eggs, toirtoises, muffins - these were the descriptors we used when pointing the different rocks out to each other. Only a small number were this spherical, but these "giant's marbles" were the most engaging. Most were cracked, and many were split into parts. Millennia of freezing and heating taking its toll. Some showed layers, like rings on a tree. Others peeled a "shell" off, like a boiled egg.


Jo, for Scale
Here, she is a prop, so you can gauge the size of the Torish rock balls. This one is split quite cleanly, and shows off some of the layering.


Losing Myself in the Madness
Balls, part balls, peeled off layers, and distorted shapes. It all seems to be happening.


Cave Lizards
We were shown a cave, with a simple wooden door and a rug. A shelter if conditions should make it necessary to stay put. A score or more of these fat lizards were enjoying the cool conditions inside.


Kokala
According to Nur, the rate of erosion here is so high, this entire site may disappear in the next seventy years. No real rock, just layers of coloured soil. Iron rich red layers, and a brown coal seam near the top, and sulphurous gravels in between. This colourful layered mound seems so fragile.


Sherkala, the Lion's Fortress
In western Kazakhstan, Mangistau, Sherkala rises out of apparent nothingness.


Sherkala, from Another Angle
From here it resembles a giant yurt. A popular photo spot.


Dramatic Airakty
With erosion resembling columns, this area was made famous by an exiled Ukrainian artist and poet, Taras Shevchenko. He was sent here in the 1850s after writing some prose that was unflattering to the Russian government of the day.


Camel
All the camels around here are marked. A letter, a number, or a symbol. By this, all know who owns which camel. We did try some proper shubat, I.e not from a plastic bottle in a supermarket. Shubat is the fermented camel's milk. It was surprisingly good, and quite refreshing.

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The next two days became one little subadventure. With a magnificent night camping, one of the best camping experiences we have ever had, as the link of the two days. Fewer sights, and longer times in the car, were rewarded with wonderful vistas and stunning scenery.

Beket Ata cave mosque is a reasonable 20-30 minute walk from the car park at the top of the cliff. Winding our way down the path, we encountered hot and tired families and groups coming back up. Many smiled as we greeted them with one of our three Kazakh words. Invariably, they knew we were not local. Maybe it was our pronunciation, maybe our clothes, maybe our hair and features... Anyway, they just knew, and would frequently try and ask for information about us. Well, all we could really communicate is that we were from Australia. Oh, the smiles we would get, and even got a welcoming embrace from an older gentleman who beamed at us. Then, they would chatter amongst themselves, us not understanding a thing, except the word "Australia", and yes, almost every time, "kangaroo". At this, we would laugh, and they would laugh with us. Our confused looks ensured they knew we had only caught that small gist of the conversation.

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Shrine
Man Ata. Little seems to be known about the inhabitant of this grave, now a shrine, attributed with being a protector of travellers. He was a Zoroastrian teacher or priest, from before the 10th century, when Islam came to Mangistau. We have no idea what all the scripts are. But the last one had me most intrigued. The majority of vehicles seemed to stop on the way past, with the occupants spending a few minutes in prayer and meditation at Man Ata's grave.


Tuzbair, a West Kazakhstan Salt Flat
The land is dotted with depressions, many are quite a bit lower than sea level. Tuzbair is the biggest salt lake here.


It Was Windy


A Sheltered Picnic Spot
A place out of the wind was the number one criterion when choosing where to stop for lunch.


Holy Stick, Beket Ata
In the cave mosque of Beket Ata. Three small "rooms" where the Sufi, Beket Ata lived and taught. Pilgrims visit the cave where he is buried, and then come to this area to walk around the holy stick.


Looking Down, Bozzhira
Bozzhira in Mangistau, Kazakhstan. A multitude of gorgeous view points.


Breathtaking Views Abound
Bozzhira, Kazakhstan


I'm Running Out of Superlatives
A few kilometres from our first stop at Bozzhira. We crossed a narrow join from the surrounding plateau to an outcrop where we could absorb the splendour of this formation.


Looking Out from our Campsite
We spent the night on the floor of Bozzhira. A recess in the rockface was deemed an ideal spot for our tents, protected from the blustery gusts that seemed to build the whole afternoon.


Dinner is On
Chop vegetables; add some chicken; season and spice; screw the lid on tight; heat with the nearest flame throwing device. The driver, Ruston, got this fantastic pressure cooker from Afghanistan.


Sunrise Reaches our Camp
Morning in Bozzhira, and while Ruston cooked breakfast we just spent some time appreciating the soft light striking the formations that surrounded us.


Dima, a "Keen" Cyclist
When we first saw a figure weaving through the rocks and sand and vegetation, I thought it was an animal. Despite a strong confidence in the knowledge that none would be here, I even thought it might be an ostrich. Nur said with confidence that anyone cycling here must be a foreigner, or crazy, likely both. It turned out to be a Kazakh guy, who had been riding four days, with four or five more ahead. He didn't really have a plan, or much of a map for that matter. Just wending and winding through the landscape in search of views. He appreciated greatly our gifts of water and food, and he joined us for dinner and breakfast. He cycled Jordan end to end, and once bought a bike in Amsterdam and rode to Barcelona, frequently being the first Kazakh that many Europeans had met. A toast to our crazy Kazakh Russian friend, Dima.


Mt Bokty
As depicted on Kazakhstan's 1000 tenge note.


Tiramisù
Jo taking in Kyzylkup, in the Kazakh region of Mangistau. For fairly obvious reasons, it is also called Tiramisù.


Pilgrims at Shopan Ata
Shopan Ata is the Sufi attributed with bringing Islam to the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan. Probably around the 10th century, he was teaching from this series of caves. The land near the cave mosque has centuries of burials. The closest spots are the oldest graves, with some of his students being amongst those burials. Further away, more recent cemeteries have sprung up, and burials still do occur out here, miles from everything.

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