Interview by Nikita Vlasov, exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
Shukhrat Muhamedov, deputy director of the Uzbekistan History Institute, was born in Bukhara. He loves and knows his city well. Muhamedov specializes in the history of Central Asia (19th – early 21st century), religion, ethnology. He has described his research in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza.
- Shukhrat-aka means to be a Bukharian? What cultural peculiarities and traditions have been preserved since Ancient Bukhara?
- The city is about 3,000 years old, some sources say over 3,000. It has been populated by people of different ethnicities, religions throughout the period. The city was at the crossing of very many trade routes. The Great Silk Road went through Bukhara. Valuables were being transported: finances, trade, exchange of cultural values.
Members of different trade firms from India, China lived in Bukhar. Bukhara has Nogai, Tatar caravanserais, Iranian caravanserais. Bukhara has always been a poly-ethnic and poly-confessional city. Inhabitants of the city have always had a special mentality: tolerant, poly-confessional.
Bukhara has always had Christian churches, Islamic mosques, Zoroastrian temples, and on the genetic level, the inhabitants of the city absorbed the diversity. They have a very complicated civilization code inside them. That is why it is not customary to talk about nationality in Bukhara. They say in Uzbekistan: “Who are you? Where are you from?” We just say: “We are inhabitants of Bukhara.”
It does not imply any difference, does not imply any aloofness, the people are just heritors of the big, rich history our city absorbed.
- How covered and studied are the history sources of Bukhara?
- The problem is that we cannot make set a wide range of sources of Bukhara's history. First of all, it is because Central Asia was a very rich and cultural region before the Arab conquest, but the Arabs who brought Islamic culture in the 7th century destroyed all ancient sources. Zoroastrian temples, Sogdian writings were mostly destroyed.
In other words, there are no sources, with the exception of little data, which we could use to study the history of Bukhara before the Arab conquest. There are a few Chinese sources, recollections of Chinese travelers, Uyghur travelers, the famous retrospections of Marco Polo, but that is the 12th century, he saw something left of the Sogdian culture, he describes it in his memoires. In general, it is mainly the famous book “History of Bukhara” by Narshaki written in the 9-10th centuries.
What is being done today? There are specialists of Sogdian history at the Institute of History of the Uzbekistan Republic. Of course, we try to find the sources, some Sogdian works were found, let’s say, on the famous Muk Mountain, on the territory of modern Tajikistan. Now, in the period when archeological excavations are being carried out on the territory of Uzbekistan, there are sources that were hidden somewhere, they were buried. In other words, Arabs did not get them, they were not burned.
And the sources are being restored, and I suppose that greater discoveries await us in this sector. Very big restoration work is being done in the city itself. Old monuments are being restored. Today Bukhara has monuments, there is, let’s say, the Ark Citadel built in the late 1st century BC, formed in the 5th century AD. It is one of the oldest monuments in Bukhara city.
There are many monuments of the 12-14th century, before the Mongol invasion, the Mongol period, and monuments of the Shaybanid period, the 16-17th centuries. And the period of Ashtarkhanids of the 18th century. They are the main monuments left. Restoration work financed by the government is on the way. Handcraft art on the territory of Bukhara is being revived.
If you visit the city, you will see three trade domes, a trade passage where modern , let’s say, continuators of traditions of the commercial class are engaged in trade. There are artisans who can create masterpieces of handicraft art right in front of your eyes. Knives, gold-sewn goods, jewellery goods, so many tourists from the near abroad, CIS countries and all over the world visit the city. That is why special attention is paid to development and restoration of the historical past of Bukhara.
- Are there differences between the provinces of Uzbekistan preserved to today: in culture, traditions, cuisine?
- That is a very good question. The problem is that every province of Uzbekistan has its own traditions associated with the historical past, ethnicities inhabiting the province, geographic landscape, geographic conditions.
Let’s say that Bukhara is in a zone with a severe continental climate. Spicy dishes are not served here. They are not favoured, they are not typical for the province. For example, the Fergana Valley, the climate there is more humid, it is a highland area, more greasy food is eaten there, more spicy food is eaten.
There are special regional relations. They are, let’s say, some traditions for men and women. For example, the tradition of men and women gathering in the so-called Gap is typical for the Fergana Valley and the Tashkent Oasis.
Gap is translated as conversation. At the end of the week, on some day, men gather in tea rooms, or women in some restaurant or a special room where delicious food is cooked, they talk, discuss topics. It is not common in the Zeravshan Valley, Bukhara, Samarkand. Or, let’s say, there is a nuance when men of the Fergana Valley, or the Tashkent Oasis, do the cooking themselves. Cooked meals are mostly unfavoured in the Zeravshan Valley. If a man starts cooking there, he is given a bad glance, in the idea that it is a women’s job, something women should do.
In other words, there are regional peculiarities typical of provinces everywhere. So, we can certainly say that Uzbekistan is rich with traditions, rich with customs and rites. Ethnologists of the History Institute of the Academy of Sciences research and study the traditions and customs and, naturally, we expect capital, big work dedicated to the problem.
Says deputy director of Uzbekistan History InstituteInterview by Nikita Vlasov, exclusively for Vestnik KavkazaShukhrat Muhamedov, deputy director of the Uzbekistan History Institute, was born in Bukhara. He loves and knows his city well. Muhamedov specializes in the history of Central Asia (19th – early 21st century), religion, ethnology. He has described his research in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza.- Shukhrat-aka means to be a Bukharian? What cultural peculiarities and traditions have been preserved since Ancient Bukhara?- The city is about 3,000 years old, some sources say over 3,000. It has been populated by people of different ethnicities, religions throughout the period. The city was at the crossing of very many trade routes. The Great Silk Road went through Bukhara. Valuables were being transported: finances, trade, exchange of cultural values.Members of different trade firms from India, China lived in Bukhar. Bukhara has Nogai, Tatar caravanserais, Iranian caravanserais. Bukhara has always been a poly-ethnic and poly-confessional city. Inhabitants of the city have always had a special mentality: tolerant, poly-confessional.Bukhara has always had Christian churches, Islamic mosques, Zoroastrian temples, and on the genetic level, the inhabitants of the city absorbed the diversity. They have a very complicated civilization code inside them. That is why it is not customary to talk about nationality in Bukhara. They say in Uzbekistan: “Who are you? Where are you from?” We just say: “We are inhabitants of Bukhara.”It does not imply any difference, does not imply any aloofness, the people are just heritors of the big, rich history our city absorbed.- How covered and studied are the history sources of Bukhara?- The problem is that we cannot make set a wide range of sources of Bukhara's history. First of all, it is because Central Asia was a very rich and cultural region before the Arab conquest, but the Arabs who brought Islamic culture in the 7th century destroyed all ancient sources. Zoroastrian temples, Sogdian writings were mostly destroyed.In other words, there are no sources, with the exception of little data, which we could use to study the history of Bukhara before the Arab conquest. There are a few Chinese sources, recollections of Chinese travelers, Uyghur travelers, the famous retrospections of Marco Polo, but that is the 12th century, he saw something left of the Sogdian culture, he describes it in his memoires. In general, it is mainly the famous book “History of Bukhara” by Narshaki written in the 9-10th centuries.What is being done today? There are specialists of Sogdian history at the Institute of History of the Uzbekistan Republic. Of course, we try to find the sources, some Sogdian works were found, let’s say, on the famous Muk Mountain, on the territory of modern Tajikistan. Now, in the period when archeological excavations are being carried out on the territory of Uzbekistan, there are sources that were hidden somewhere, they were buried. In other words, Arabs did not get them, they were not burned.And the sources are being restored, and I suppose that greater discoveries await us in this sector. Very big restoration work is being done in the city itself. Old monuments are being restored. Today Bukhara has monuments, there is, let’s say, the Ark Citadel built in the late 1st century BC, formed in the 5th century AD. It is one of the oldest monuments in Bukhara city.There are many monuments of the 12-14th century, before the Mongol invasion, the Mongol period, and monuments of the Shaybanid period, the 16-17th centuries. And the period of Ashtarkhanids of the 18th century. They are the main monuments left. Restoration work financed by the government is on the way. Handcraft art on the territory of Bukhara is being revived.If you visit the city, you will see three trade domes, a trade passage where modern , let’s say, continuators of traditions of the commercial class are engaged in trade. There are artisans who can create masterpieces of handicraft art right in front of your eyes. Knives, gold-sewn goods, jewellery goods, so many tourists from the near abroad, CIS countries and all over the world visit the city. That is why special attention is paid to development and restoration of the historical past of Bukhara.- Are there differences between the provinces of Uzbekistan preserved to today: in culture, traditions, cuisine?- That is a very good question. The problem is that every province of Uzbekistan has its own traditions associated with the historical past, ethnicities inhabiting the province, geographic landscape, geographic conditions.Let’s say that Bukhara is in a zone with a severe continental climate. Spicy dishes are not served here. They are not favoured, they are not typical for the province. For example, the Fergana Valley, the climate there is more humid, it is a highland area, more greasy food is eaten there, more spicy food is eaten.There are special regional relations. They are, let’s say, some traditions for men and women. For example, the tradition of men and women gathering in the so-called Gap is typical for the Fergana Valley and the Tashkent Oasis.Gap is translated as conversation. At the end of the week, on some day, men gather in tea rooms, or women in some restaurant or a special room where delicious food is cooked, they talk, discuss topics. It is not common in the Zeravshan Valley, Bukhara, Samarkand. Or, let’s say, there is a nuance when men of the Fergana Valley, or the Tashkent Oasis, do the cooking themselves. Cooked meals are mostly unfavoured in the Zeravshan Valley. If a man starts cooking there, he is given a bad glance, in the idea that it is a women’s job, something women should do.In other words, there are regional peculiarities typical of provinces everywhere. So, we can certainly say that Uzbekistan is rich with traditions, rich with customs and rites. Ethnologists of the History Institute of the Academy of Sciences research and study the traditions and customs and, naturally, we expect capital, big work dedicated to the prob
