Leaving on Uzbek Airlines
Departing Uzbekistan from Tashkent — the Usman Quran stained with the blood of the third caliph, the Soviet metro as public art, and reflections on a country of extraordinary artistry, kindness and beauty. (5 min read)
My holiday ends in Uzbekistan where it began — in the capital city, Tashkent. The city has become much greener in the last week… and it is much nicer in the sunshine.
I’ve walked a lot these last 2 days and it has rounded out my experience of this great country. I finally ate like my guidebook said I would (yesterday’s lunch was Soviet style) but I balanced this with a superb vegan meal that would rival the best at home.
Yesterday was full-on. Our flight from Urgench (the nearest airport to Khiva) to Tashkent was modern and efficient. It was cool to fly over such a diverse landscape — from desert, to jagged mountains, to farm land, over salt land and to see the city with the mountains in the distance.
Back in Tashkent, we visited a monument which commemorates the resilience of the Uzbek people after the earthquake of 1966, experienced the food bazaar (too much meat for me) and rode the iconic metro. It is important to mention that the earthquake in 1966 provided the impetus for transforming Tashkent into a “model” Soviet city. One aspect of this was the creation of a modern metro system. Opened in the 1970’s, the metro now has 4 lines and about 50 stations. Until June 2018, photography inside the heavily policed Metro was forbidden because of the military sensitivity of its second role: as a nuclear bomb shelter. For 200 som ($US 0.16), one can ride the metro all day long. I used it to visit my vegan restaurant across town and jumped off and on to photograph the different stations. They are works of public art of a different kind — referencing the country’s history, produce and artistic achievements. Everything is marble, glass or steel and it is really clean and efficient.
I was delighted to see that the Centre for Islamic Civilisation in Tashkent is nearing completion (2025). I love the concept and the building looks awesome… and it may just bring me back here (when I see the other Stans).
Yesterday’s highlight was seeing the Usman (Osman/Uthman) Quran — believed to be stained with the blood of the third caliph, Usman. Compiled at the beginning of the 7th century, it is one of two ancient Qurans in the world. In 1402 it was taken from Basra (Iraq) by Timur and has been kept in Tatarstan, Samarkand and Tashkent. It is not possible to photograph the original — it is kept in a shrine — but they have a copy on display which can be photographed. We were told that pages were stolen from the original and are unaccounted for — however the Soviets made a complete copy.
Speaking of copies, today I finally visited the State Museum of Temurid History. This museum was (harshly) criticised in my guidebook but I have mixed feelings. On the one hand it was the perfect ending to my trip because it brought together places and stories our guide shared with us. On the other hand, a lot of the objects in this museum are copies with the originals in major museums in Europe, the UK and USA. This really activated me because they should be in Uzbekistan.
Joanna Lumley is right about how adorable the children are in Uzbekistan — not just beautiful, but also confident and curious. Several wanted to speak with me as I travelled around and I got invited to play soccer a few times walking around the streets. Today a woman came up to me in the State Museum of Temurid History and asked me if I would speak with her class because they learn English in school. These kids were a little timid at first but kangaroos and the beach seem to have universal appeal.
The extraordinary artistry and beauty of the Islamic tile work of Uzbekistan will stay with me forever.
I hope you have felt a bit inspired by the Uzbek people from my posts and if you would like to visit, I can recommend a really good guide. If the Uzbek people are as kind and educated as Kamila, this country has a great future.
Namaste.
© Paul McCarthy & Iluminar.au
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