100 Experiences of Kyrgyzstan

Roadside kumys stall - made from fermented mare's milk. Image: Silk Road Media

New York Times journalist Steven Kinzer once wrote that "Kyrgyzstan is arguably the world's least-known country". Perhaps it is. Yet this tiny, alpine nation in which there are still more horses than cars, is well-worth exploring for its stunning panoramas, gentle people and strong nomadic traditions.

Silk Road Media has recently published a delightful book - 100 Experiences of Kyrgyzstan.  Written by Ian Claytor, who has lived in Bishkek since 1995, this compact edition (16.25 cms x 15.5 cms) is crammed with 220 pages of stunning photography and informative snippets about, well, 100 different aspects of Kyrgyzstan.

The grandeur of Kyrgyz nature is inspiring. The Tien-Shan mountains run northeast to southwest through the country. Even touring in summer the mountain range remains snow-capped. Famed for its peaks, the Karakol region in particular is a base for serious mountain climbers. The sections in Mr Claytor's book about mountains, lakes and valleys are gorgeous. I look forward to exploring more canyons and gorges when I am back in spring.

Kyrgyz landscape, Son Kul. Image: Silk Road Media

From the book I learned more about Kyrgyz cuisine and traditions. I had seen pieces of Kyrgyz patchwork - kurak. But did not know how the kurak items were imbued with mystical significance such as bringing good luck and prosperity and guarding against the evil eye.

For example, the kyrk koinok - a shirt for babies to wear after 40 days - is made from 40 pieces of fabric that the mother traditionally collected from neighbouring yurts and sewed together.

I have tried kumys, the drink made from fermented mare's milk. I had not, however, heard the proverbs about kumys such as "Who drinks kumys will live a century" and "Kumys is man's blood, air his mind". I also learned that when preparing the kumys, it is beaten with a wooden stick known as a bishkek, from which the capital city derives its name.

Kyrgyz kurak, Image: Silk Road Media

Anyone who has been to Kyrgyzstan will swoon over the splendid photographs in this book. If you are planning to visit Kyrgyzstan, then this may just be the book for you. Not as a guide book, but as a pictorial companion.

I am smitten with Kyrgyzstan and will spend another 2 months there in 2014.  If indeed "Kyrgyzstan is arguably the world's least-known country", I'd probably like it to stay that way...

You can pick up a copy of 100 Experiences of Kyrgyzstan at Amazon.

Related posts:
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Image: Silk Road Media

Bukhara's Summer Palace: Sitora-i Mokhi-Khosa

Nilufar Nuriddinova

Nilufar Nuriddinova is one Bukhara's most experienced guides. She knows the city like the back of her hand. Nilufar graduated from the faculty of foreign philology at Bukhara State University and she will contribute occasional articles about this remarkable city.

Bukhara is well known as a museum city under the open sky with hundreds of monuments from different periods of history. Each monument of this extraordinary city possesses its own unique architecture, design and history.

The summer palace of the last Emirs of Bukhara, known by the poetic name Sitora-i Mokhi -Khossa, dates from the beginning of the 20th century. It is in the countryside, 4 kms to the north of the city.

The stunning White Hall, image Richard Marshall

Emir Nasrullakhan built the first summer palace here in the early 19th century. (This Emir is famous in the west as the ruler who imprisoned and eventually executed the British Great Game players Stoddart and Connolly in 1842).

According to legend, the Emir requested the aksakals (elderly wise men) to recommend a location for his summer residence. They told him to kill a lamb and separate it into four parts and hang the lamb pieces at the four corners outside the city. The piece that had been hung in the north was still fresh after some days and therefore the site was chosen as being the coolest area not too far from the city.

During construction, Nasrullakhan’s much-loved and beautiful wife Sitorabony, meaning “star” in Persian, died in childbirth. Nasrullakhan always compared her beauty to the moon. After her death the ruler decided to immortalise her by naming the palace Sitora-i Mokhi-Khossa or “A Star like the Moon”.

Nothing remains of this first palace. However, his son, Muzaffarkhan, built another palace on the grounds in the mid-19th century and maintained the name Sitora-i Mokhi-Khossa. The entrance portal, a striking example of Russian-influenced architecture, still stands.

The third summer palace built next to the second, fuses oriental and European (especially Russian) architectural styles. It was built by the order of the last emir of Bukhara, Said Alimkhan, and was completed in 1917.

Entrance portal summer palace, Bukhara

The grounds of the palace are about 7 hectares and all the buildings are surrounded by gardens and courtyards. This “garden-palace" style was very common and dates from the Timurids’ period. If you visit in spring or autumn the rose gardens will delight you.

The palace has three courtyards: hovli berun (outside), miyon hovli (middle) and hovli darun (harem). Traditional Bukharan houses always had two courtyards: the hovli berun, where men gathered, and the hovli darun for women. Each courtyard had its own gate; men never entered from the women’s section and women never from the men’s.

As Sitora-i Mokhi-Khossa was a palace, there were variations: the hovli berun (outside courtyard) was used for storage and workshops for the craft masters who made items for the Emir’s family and gifts for his guests. The second courtyard, the miyon hovli, was the main part of the palace or official part.

From the outside all the buildings at Sitora-i Mokhi-Khossa are in Russian style but the inside of each room is decorated in stunning, traditional Bukharan ornamentation and design. The rooms, each uniquely decorated, include the Emir’s bedrooms, the white hall (reception room), the chess room, the waiting room and the emir’s tearoom.

Rose garden, Bukhara summer palace, image: Urs Sieber

The White Hall is breathtaking: the walls are decorated with ganch (plaster) work over mirrors executed by the famous Bukharan master Shirin Muradov and his students. (In the Soviet period Muradov restored architectural monuments and carved decorations on many buildings in Tashkent. His most significant work was the carved ornamentation on the panels, ceilings, and cornices of the Bukhara Hall of Tashkent’s Opera House).

The hall is lit by a huge chandelier brought from Poland; the door locks and door handles were brought from England and most of the furniture imported from Russia in the 19th century. Venetian mirrors can be found in the rooms and the tiles for fireplaces were brought from Germany. (The last emirs of Bukhara graduated from the military academy in Saint Petersburg and were quite taken with European architecture and décor).

Today the Emir’s glass-walled chaikhana (tearoom) houses an exhibition of 19th - 20th century porcelains, which Alimkhan keenly collected. His father, Emir Akhadkhan, was a passionate carpet collector and until the arrival of the Bolsheviks in Bukhara it is believed there were about 4000 carpets there, of which only a few remain today.

The glass-walled tearoom, image: Urs Sieber

Between the middle courtyard and harem there is one more Russian-style building. It was a hotel for the Emir’s guests and today houses a small exhibition of 19th century Bukharan clothing. Only in two rooms can we see some partly original plaster decoration covered with gold leaf. According to historical information, Bukharan masters used about five kilos of gold to decorate the hotel’s interior. Prior to Uzbekistan’s’ independence in 1991, this building and the harem were part of a kidney sanatorium which has been relocated nearby.

Going deeper into the garden one finds a courtyard with a two-story building with balcony and Russian style dome, a pond, a wooden pavilion and minaret. It was the harem. Downstairs in the two-story building there were bedrooms for the Emir’s wives and upstairs there was a kitchen, a terrace where they had their breakfast and dinner and a room for flowers.

Today the harem houses the Bukhara Museum of Applied Arts, where you can see outstanding examples of suzanis.

View of the harem, image: Richard Marshall

The gardens have been restored with original plantings and peacocks still roam there as they did in the Emirs’ days. A visit to Sitora-i Mokhi –Khossa is included in an Uzbek Journeys tour. If you are travelling independently, please note that it is closed on Tuesday afternoons and Wednesdays.

Contact Nilufar at:  nilufar_nuriddinova(at) yahoo(dot)com

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Kyrgyztsan's Petroglyphs #1 - Issyk-kul Hollow

Lilya Kas'yanova

Lilya Kas'yanova, one of Kyrgyzstan's finest guides, is passionate about the history, art and craft of her country. A graduate in Linguistics and Intercultural Communications from I. Arabaev Kyrgyz State University, she is also a keen photographer and hiker. Lilya, who regularly leads Uzbek Journeys tours in Kyrgyzstan, will contribute occasional articles about her areas of interest.

Petroglyphs (coming from the Greek petra – stone or rock and glyphe – carving) date from the pre-literate epoch of humanity; these images reproduce the world-view of pre-historic peoples and there are many outstanding examples to be found in Kyrgyzstan.

European scholars started archaeological investigations of Central Asia in the 1870s, when the Turkestan region became part of Tsarist Russia. Central Asian rock carvings and cave paintings attracted the attention of eminent researchers such as A. Bernshtam, D. Vinnik and M. Masson. For modern researchers, petroglyphs represent a valuable source for studying the social, spiritual and economic lives of our ancestors.

Overview: technique and style of petroglyphs

Depiction of goats at Cholpon Ata's "stone garden", image L. Kas'yanova

Central Asia's most ancient petroglyphs are usually dated back to the Bronze Age. Regrettably some have been destroyed as the result of weathering, earthquakes, and rock falls. Images were carved on boulders and rocks only on occasions of the utmost importance. In certain cases, it is possible to distinguish markings of stone tools from metal ones.

A number of carvings were created on rock surfaces covered by desert varnish. Desert varnish is caused by the simultaneous influence of external agents such as ultraviolet rays, humidity level and temperature. These agents all favour the development of ferrous-manganese layers, which are used in combination with other factors to determine the age of the petroglyph.

Some petroglyphic depictions and scenes have been decoded, or, at least, varieties of versions of their meaning suggested by scholars. Nevertheless, there are significant numbers of scenes the meanings of which are unclear and have yet to be unveiled. Among the earliest motives are scenes with goats. The Soviet archaeologist A. Okladnikov related these depictions to the cult of fertility. It was identified that the Bronze Age tribes worshipped the sun and some animals, and had a fertility cult.

With the proliferation of chariots, a horse cult started to form. Horses became the principal means of conveyance and later, when a number of tribes started to lead a nomadic life, the role of the horse increased. A nomad could not imagine his life without his horse. In mythology, the deity of victory - Verethraghna - appeared in the likeness of a camel. For nomads the camel was an indispensable animal, however, the time of camel worship formation has not yet been identified.

In Central Asia the bull was the main symbol of sacrifice and creatures with mixed zoomorphic and anthropomorphic features, which are connected with the Paleolithic epoch, can be also encountered in the petroglyphic drawings of the late Stone and early Bronze ages. Archers portrayed by Mesolithic artists can be seen on stone canvases even in the late Middle Ages. The same refers to mythical beasts of prey and solar symbols.

Goat with solar symbol,  image L. Kas'yanova

The 1st millennium BC was marked by the beginning of “wild animal style”, which is an art of the Eurasian steppes. The Scythian-Saka tribes were the founders of this style.  Fine scrolls and winding lines fill the figures of animals. The carved images of these early nomads (mid-1st-millennium BC to mid-1st-millennium AD) are found in almost all petroglyphic art complexes. The carved images of the Turkic-Mongolian period (6th - 13th centuries AD) are attributed to the closing stage of petroglyphic art. Archers and horse riders holding lances and banners are typical images of the Turkic-Mongolian art of rock carvings.

Petroglyphs of Issyk-kul hollow 

Kyrgyzstan abounds in monuments of  prehistoric art. One of the most remarkable petroglyph sites is the Cholpon-Ata mountain area in the Issyk-Kul region. (Cholpon-Ata means "father of the morning star"). The Cholpon-Ata open-air museum, created in 1987 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is located at the foothills of the Kungey Ala-Too Range, at an altitude of 1600 -1800 meters. This unique site covers an area of 42 hectares and comprises thousands of granite boulders adorned by hundreds of carvings.

Hunting with snow leopards, top right. Image: Berry King

There are about 400 stones with petroglyphs at the site. The stones, which were used as “canvases” by skillful ancient and medieval carvers, vary in size from 30 cm to 3 meters; they were deposited by mountain torrents at the locality. The images on the stones are stylistically diverse and are dominated by depictions of animals such as ibexes, deer, argali (mountain sheep), camels, horses and snow leopards. Hunting scenes, attacks of animals by beasts of prey, numerous images of horse riders and archers as well as depictions of nomadic tamga (emblem) can be encountered.

A great number of carvings at the site are from the Scythian-Saka epoch that flourished in the  8th - 3rd centuries BC. These are some of the most stunning examples of the Scythian-Saka “wild animal style” in Central Asia. According to the opinions of some scholars, the Cholpon-Ata historical site provides evidence of being an immense open-air temple used for solemn ceremonies that were a part of spiritual life of the early nomads. At the museum complex there are circular stone structures preserved as part of an ancient observatory. One of the local features is that there are ancient burial sites connected with the stone carvings.

There are scores of petroglyph sites which frame Issyk-Kul Lake, however, the images of the north shore outnumber those of the south and west sides. This is because the gorges and grottoes of the south shore have not been extensively explored. Nevertheless, there is one more exceptional locality of petroglyphs in the Issyk-Kul region - Ak-Chunkur (in Kyrgyz it means “White Cave”) situated 3000 metres above sea level. The occupation layer of the cave has a late Stone Age character. As the result of excavations, stone implements were discovered in Ak-Chunkur. The walls and cupola of the cave are decorated by depictions of animals and inscriptions in red iron ore and black dye.

Charming felted products from the JICA project

The Japanese development agency, JICA, is working with Kyrgyz women to produce high quality felt products using natural dyes and petroglyphic patterns. 

Passengers on an Uzbek Journeys tour to Kyrgyzstan explore Cholpon Ata's stone garden before heading to Karakol. It is a fascinating site. And you can also visit the the small boutique in Karakol that sells the JICA-supported items.

Contact Lilya on: lolya.87(at) mail (dot) ru

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Another 48 Hours in Tashkent

Scene from a puppet play, Tashkent Puppet Theatre

An earlier post, 48 Hours in Tashkent, based on spending the weekend in this lovely city, has been one of the most popular articles published on this website. Although the allure of the ancient Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva is strong, Tashkent is a most interesting capital to explore.

Here are more suggestions on how to enjoy your time in the city, visiting spots that are not included on an Uzbek Journeys tour.

Tashkent Puppet Theatre 

Tashkent's puppet theatre, built in 1979, is a magical place for children and adults. The entrance foyer is a child-size Oriental city with scenes from fairy tales; there is also a puppet museum in the building. Elements of the theatre were commissioned from the best suppliers in the USSR: the chairs in Hungary, the beautiful doors in Moscow. Instead of a bell to call the audience, mechanical figurines holding Uzbek karnay (traditional, long trumpets) announce performances.

The theatre is located at 1 Kosmonavtov Prospect. The nearest metro stop is Kosmonavtov. (If you catch a taxi, it will not be be able to drop you off outside the theatre. Simply get out where the street is blocked and follow the families on foot, about 6 minutes). Performances, in either Uzbek or Russian, are only on Saturdays and Sundays, usually at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Tickets are around US$5 - attending a performance is the only way to see inside this marvellous space. Call the theatre on 256 73 95 to check performance times.

State Museum of History

 

State Museum of History, image courtesy Richard Marshall

This building, formerly known as the Lenin Museum, was opened in 1970 to mark the centenary of Lenin's birth.

It is a sensational example of Soviet cosmic constructivism. Take time to look at the external and internal architectural details.

Today the building is the State Museum of History displaying items from the stone age through modern times. Of particular interest are the pieces collected from the Buddhist sites around Termez. The museum is at 3 Rashidov Avenue in the city centre. It is open daily from 10:00 - 5:00 p.m. and closed Mondays.

Zerlump 

Zerlump is a small boutique featuring the clothes of Kanishka, a cool Tashkent designer. His t-shirts using Islamic patterns are particularly attractive as are some of his leather accessories. The shop is very close to Caravan restaurant at Zavodskaya 24, tel: +998 90 936 3636. However, there is only a stencilled sign on the wall (see image) and no other identification. You need to ring the doorbell.  Zerlump is open Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Stencil sign outside Zerlump

Kanishka has another, larger boutique decorated with Uzbek architectural elements at Shota Rustavelli 67, opposite Cafe Fregat.  It opens the same hours as Zerlump, however, there is no sign indicating that the house is a boutique. Ring in advance on +998 71 253 1166.

To have a feel for his designs, look at Kanishka's Facebook page.

Holmuradov Designs

While in the mood for shopping, stop by the new boutique of Ulughbek Holmuradov at 59 Babur Street, tel: +998 90 977 8878.  Ulughbek is a contemporary jeweller, furniture designer and interior architect. His pieces are irresistible.

A ring by Ulughbek Holmuradov

Holmuradov has real design flair. He fuses contemporary and traditional Central Asian style, often with a dash of humour. I have a charming cosmonaut pendant - the fringe is a clever play on the Cyrillic for USSR - CCCP.  And a pair of earrings inspired by a plov spoon.

You can swoon over more of his designs on his website. The boutique is open Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Tashkent House of Photography

The Tashkent House of Photography (THP) is in an Islamic-designed building, constructed in 1934 specifically as an exhibition hall. The carved portal doors were produced by Uzbek master craftsmen. Since 2005 it has been a dedicated photography space of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan supporting the work of budding and well-known photographers.

There are regular exhibitions held of both Uzbek and foreign photographers works. THP is centrally located near the Uzbekistan Hotel at 4 Istikbol Street and is open Tuesday - Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Alight at metro stop Amir Timur. Call ahead on +99871 233 5168 to check what exhibitions are on.

Bookcafe

 

Exterior of Bookcafe

Just a few doors down at number 8 Istikbol is Bookcafe. Opening around 9:00 a.m. and closing late, this cool café serves light brunch, lunch and dinner as well as yummy cakes and ice cream. There's free wifi and lots of books, some in English, to browse. Tashkent's Westminster University is at number 12 Istikbol, so Bookcafe is often full of young Uzbeks eager to chat to foreigners. During university vacation, the café may have reduced hours, so call ahead to check: +99871 200 8008.

Abulkasym Madrassah

Built in the mid-19th century, the madrassah, once the stronghold of anti-Tsarist activists, was the scene of the peace treaty signing between Tashkent authorities and Russian General Chernyaev in 1865.  In the Soviet period, the building served as accommodation for families from the Russian province of Samara, who were relocated there after the 1920 famine. After the last family left in 1974, the madrassah housed the Tashkent toy factory and gradually fell into disrepair.

After extensive renovations, the madrassah is now a centre of Uzbek applied arts and master craftsmen occupy the former student cells. In particular, the woodcarvers there are exceptional. It is open daily from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., however, arriving around 11:30 a.m. should ensure artisans are there.

Abulkasym madrassah is close to Alisher Navoi national park and the parliament building.The nearest metro is Bunyodkur station on the Chilonzor (red) line.

Zenghi-Ata Mausoleum

Zenghi-Ata complex - garden and minaret

This pretty complex, dating from the 14th century, is about 12 kms from Tashkent and built on the burial place of Sheik Ali Khoja Allas Zenghi-Ata. His wife, Ambar Bibi, is also buried there and many Tashkent women visit her mausoleum on Fridays. The garden is lovely as is the cemetery that surrounds the mausoleum. Take a taxi there and ask the driver to wait.

Kafe - Кафе

This is one of my favourite cafés in Tashkent. Excellent coffee, a variety of cakes and quiches and a cool hangout for Tashkent artists. It is not far from the Fine Arts Museum and near the dance school of Zlotnikov at 23 Shakhrisab St. For directions phone Кафе on +998 94 661 36 37. Usually open from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Other ideas

On a hot day, take a picnic to the Botanical Gardens. Or you can happily roam around town on foot discovering the fabulous mosaic panels that decorate Tashkent buildings. The Artists Exhibition Hall, decorated in stylised cotton flower motif, may have an interesting exhibition or craft fair. It is located very close to Tsum department store at 40 Rashidov Street and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. except Sundays and Mondays. For train spotters a visit to the Railway Museum is a must and if you are a football fan, then try to catch a match at the splendid new stadium at Bunyodkor.

Enjoy the city, which I regard as my home away from home.

Artists Exhibition Hall, Tashkent

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Kyrgyzstan: Hunting with Birds of Prey

Lilya Kas'yanova

Lilya Kas'yanova, one of Kyrgyzstan's finest guides, is passionate about the history, art and craft of her country. A graduate in Linguistics and Intercultural Communications from I. Arabaev Kyrgyz State University, she is also a keen photographer and hiker. Lilya, who regularly leads Uzbek Journeys tours in Kyrgyzstan, will contribute occasional articles about her areas of interest.
  

Overview

 
The practice of hunting with birds of prey dates back to antiquity.  According to the research of the great Soviet ornithologist G. P. Dement’ev, the first mention of birds of prey in Central Asia was when Urus Inal, the Kyrgyz Khan, presented shumkars (gyrfalcons) to Genghis Khan at the end of the 12th century.

Berkutchi – hunters with golden eagles - have always been highly respected in Kyrgyz society, as they were able to provide enough meat and pelts not only for a family but for a whole village. This type of hunting was an indispensable part of everyday nomadic life. At great occasions it was also an opportunity for hunters to demonstrate their skills to their community or tribe.

The skills of bird taming and training were passed down from one generation to another. This art was mostly the prerogative of wealthy people, as the training and keeping of hunting birds was costly.

Hunters used, and still use, diverse birds of prey. Hawks are adaptable to various hunting conditions and become accustomed to a master quite quickly. Saker falcons are popular, especially for their easy and accommodative disposition.

Tenti Baike with his eagle Bai-Sary, image Lilya Kas'yanova

But in Central Asia, berkut, (golden eagles) are preferable and highly prized. The magnificent mountain localities from the Tien Shan range to the Himalayas provide a home to the berkut, which takes its name from the golden feathers at the back of its head. The berkut generally hunts hares, foxes and lynxes but bigger and well-trained birds can kill a wolf.  

Catching and taming birds

There are two ways of getting berkut for domestication and training:

1.   Birds in the wild are caught by nets. These birds possess a great store of hunting skills transmitted from their parents.

2.   Fledglings are taken from the nest. As a rule, berkuts build their nests on the inaccessible ledges of rocks, so berkutchi (hunters) have to be adroit climbers. This is an extremely hazardous pursuit. (Unlucky berkutchi have been killed by eagles that returned to the nest during the theft!)

Those fledglings taken from the nest become accustomed to people quickly. Usually, a novice berkutchi learns how to work with hobby falcons or sparrow hawks, and only when more experienced, does he train saker falcons and golden eagles.

Firstly, a bird has to be tamed.  At the very beginning, the hunter spends all his time with the eaglet. The bird is placed on a continuously swinging perch and, in order not to fall down, the eaglet has to balance constantly. Concentrating on this activity, the bird gets tired but cannot fall asleep, and thereby becomes accustomed to its master quicker.  The eaglet is fed 4-5 times per day.

Next, the bird is taught to fly down to the hand of the berkutchi. The birds of prey are trained by means of dragging the target, usually a stuffed fox fur fastened to a rope.

Feeding and training

Golden Queen eagle, image Lilya Kas'yanova

Correct feeding is one of the main conditions for favourable raising and training of hunting birds.

Different sorts of meat can be used for feeding, such as beef, fox and mutton; pigeon meat is considered a delicacy. But there is an indispensable condition: the meat must always be fresh as it prevents the eagle from getting sick.

Overfeeding has a negative effect not only on the hunting - fat birds become lazy and lose their will to hunt - but it can be also kill the bird. To keep the bird fit, a golden eagle is given about 800 grams of meat per day. During the season the bird is fed after the hunting activity. The life expectancy of a golden eagle is 40 years. Berkutchi prefer female birds as they are bigger and therefore more suitable for hunting wolves.

The average weight of a golden eagle is 5-6 kilograms.  With such a weight it can be difficult for berkutchi to walk and carry the bird for hours, especially in the mountains: berkutchi prefer riding during hunting sorties.

Special equipment

There is a special implement to carry the eagle, called “baldak”. This is a sort of Y-shaped rest, the foot of which is fixed on the saddle and the upper Y-shaped part supports the arm of the hunter while holding the eagle. Berkutchi wear a sophisticated glove that is made from pieces of rawhide leather with felt lining. This glove protects the hunter’s arm from the sharp talons of his pet.

One more item of the hunter’s equipment is the tomogo. Tomogo is a leather hood that is put on bird’s head. It covers its eyes and is used to calm the eagle. With this hood, the bird looks impressive and menacing.

Out of the hunting season, a berkutchi has to spend at least 2-3 hours with his pet (maintaining and enriching the bird’s aptitudes); otherwise the bird becomes quickly estranged. Intensive training takes place just before the season in September and the beginning of October. The hunting season starts in late October, and lasts for about 4 months. Expert berkutchi and eagle, it is claimed, are able to get 25 foxes, 3-4 lynxes and a few wolves.

Sary-Eji wearing her tomogo, her hood, image Lilya Kas'yanova

This exceptional national skill, one of the most remarkable traditions of Kyrgyz nomadic culture, is gradually dying out. In the Issyk-Kul region there are still a few masters who do their utmost to pass these valuable eagle-hunting skills to disciples.

To renew interest in traditional nomadic practices the annual Salburun festival was started in 1997. (Salburun in Kyrgyz means “hunter’s zest”). The festival is a series of competitions and activities celebrating the nomadic way of life. Events such as ulak tartysh (buzkashi), dog racing, and archery are held. Of course the highlight of the festival is eagle hunting.

Passengers on an Uzbek Journeys tour to Kyrgyzstan certainly have the opportunity to view an eagle hunt if they wish.

The video clip below [6 mins] provides an introduction to Kyrgyzstan's Golden Eagle Hunters. (If you cannot view this on your device go directly to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H82aBfvLHOY)

 

Source: The work Hunting with Birds of Prey by G. P. Dement’ev contributed to the writing 
of the article. 

Contact Lilya on: lolya.87(at) mail (dot) ru

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