A Carpet Ride to Khiva: Seven Years on the Silk Road

by Christopher Aslan Alexander

  Dave was waiting in the van and smiled sadly at me as I tried to compose myself. The dust from Dashti Barchi mingled with my tears, leaving brown streaks down each cheek.

  Epilogue

  September 2009

  Out of my window I can see the Afghan mountains, close enough to reach on foot in half an hour – plus a bracing swim across the Panj River which separates the Afghan and Tajik Pamirs.

  I’ve been living in the Pamirs for two years now. The region is known as Badakshan and covers bits of four different mountainous countries: Tajikistan (where we are apparently semi-autonomous), Afghanistan, China and Pakistan. The people are Ismaili and speak a variety of obscure and complicated mountain languages. The one I’m learning and writing a textbook for is called Shugni.

  I live with a local family and try not to draw comparisons with my Uzbek family in Khiva. In fact, life over this past year has been a conscious effort not to make comparisons, and to live in the present, not the past. The town of Khorog itself is shabby and uninspiring, and I still yearn for the spectacular view of madrassahs and minarets that I had from my balcony in Khiva. Still, the enormous mountains that surround Khorog are full of natural beauty.

  I’m in contact with friends in Khiva and plan another dye-buying trip with Madrim to Afghanistan, once this year’s tourist season is over. I still get to use my Uzbek a bit here, when talking with the Kyrgyz who live in the high plateaus to the east of us. I’m working with yak-herders there, introducing yak-combs and buying up yak-down – traditionally thrown away – to be knitted into luxury sweaters here in Khorog. So I’m about to start another workshop, and I’m hoping that my experience in Khiva will help with that. We’ve established a brand name, Yak-yak (www.yakyakstory.com), and I’ve just visited a traditional Pamiri house for sale that, with a bit of work, would make a great workshop. I’ve had some adventures already: a misguided swim that ended in Afghanistan; being gored by a yak; and being confronted at gunpoint while soaking in a hot-spring on the Afghan–Chinese border.

  I’d love to write more about this, but it’s a new chapter, and first it needs to be lived.

  Glossary

  Abke Literally ‘older sister’ in the Khorezm dialect, but also used as a generic term of respect towards older women.

  Abrash The mottled effect created by subtle differences that affect anything dyed naturally. This can also be more noticeable in a carpet where different dye batches with different shades have been used.

  Achik Spicy or sharp-tasting; also a description of objects or substances which can ward off the evil eye.

  Agha Literally ‘older brother’ in the Khorezm dialect, but also used as a generic term of respect towards older men.

  Aksakal A white-beard.

  Amin Similar to ‘Amen’, and said at the end of prayers.

  Arabesque Intricate swirling patterns, often incorporating floral motifs.

  Beshik A Central Asian cradle into which swaddled babies are strapped.

  Beshik toy Literally a ‘cradle celebration’, similar to the christening of a new-born baby.

  ‘Boshka iloyja yoke’ ‘There is no other way.’

  Caravanserai A huge courtyard for trading and bartering large quantities of merchandise, surrounded by storage facilities, the upper storey functioning as an inn.

  Chowkidor A guard, often called on to perform other household duties, in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

  Corpuche A long, narrow, cotton stuffed mattress for sitting on.

  Dasturkhan A tablecloth laid on the floor on which food is placed. The same rules apply as if it were on a table, so walking on it is a big cultural faux pas.

  Field and frame Both carpet terms, the field refers to the main design within the central rectangle of a carpet, and the frame is the border of the design that frames it.

  Frontispiece A detailed painting or geometric design that appears on a double spread at the front of antique, hand-written books.

  Gok Literally ‘green’, describing the first shoots of clover that emerge in spring and are minced and cooked, tasting much like spinach.

  Gul Flower, both literally and as an abstract floral motif in textiles.

  Halpa Either the female folk Islamic equivalent to a mullah (presiding over spiritual gatherings of women such as funerals) or a female singer of folk songs.

  Hoja A title of respect given to someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca.

  Homom Public bath-house (pronounced ‘Hamam’ in Turkish). Older ones are communal with steam rooms and hot marble to lie on. Soviet ones are just shower blocks with the possible addition of a sauna.

  Ichan Kala Literally ‘inner city’, referring to everything within the city walls of Khiva.

  Ikat A style of dyeing in which warp threads carry the pattern, having been resist-dyed.

  Isfan A dried herb which gives off a pungent smoke when burnt and is reputed to drive away evil spirits or microbes, depending on your worldview.

  Iwan A tall, three-sided building that faces north, usually with a carved wooden pillar or two holding up the side without a wall. This open-air room is shaded from the sun and captures the northern breezes, circulating them and acting as a simple air-conditioner. All traditional dwellings include an iwan.

  Jinn A devil or demon.

  Kilim A flat-woven floor covering which, unlike a carpet, has no knotted pile.

  Kelin A term used to describe both a bride and her position of daughter-/sister-in-law within her husband’s family.

  Kufic An ornate stlye of Arabic calligraphy.

  Laghman Thick, hand-stretched noodles, usually served in a meat and vegetable broth.

  Madder root Madder is a straggling weed, known as royan in Uzbek and Rubia tinctorum in Latin; the roots, once matured, give a pinkish/brick-red colour that can be enhanced by the use of mordants and tannins, such as oak gall.

  Madrassah An Islamic school of learning, usually based on a courtyard layout with residential cells for studying and living in.

  Maidan A central square or plaza.

  Majolica Tiles using a colour palette of white, turquoise and blue, originating from the island of Majorca.

  Medallion Used in carpet terminology to describe a large, irregular, central pendant design surrounded by smaller, floral designs.

  Namaz A Muslim prayer, recited five times a day facing Mecca.

  Naqsh A generic term used to describe patterning or design that can apply to anything from tiling to carved wooden inlay, etc.

  Nashallah A blend of beaten egg-whites, sugar and cream of tartar, eaten raw with bread during Ramazan.

  Navruz One of the largest festivals; celebrated on 21 March, marking spring and the New Year, with Zoroastrian roots.

  NGO Stands for ‘non-governmental organisation’ – usually doing development work of some kind.

  Non Traditional flatbread baked in an earthen oven.

  Oak gall Nut-sized round nodules formed by certain types of oak in reaction to wasp eggs laid in their trunks. High in tannin, they work with madder root to create vivid reds.

  Paranja An all-enveloping covering worn by women in Central Asia along with a horse-hair veil, until banned under Communism.

  Plov The greasy national dish of Uzbekistan, consisting of rice, carrots and mutton.

  Ramazan The Uzbek name for Ramadan – the Muslim month of fasting.

  Remont A Russian term used to describe the continual patching and mending of buildings and cars.

  Resist-dyeing A form of tie-dyeing in which parts of a fabric or warp threads are bound to prevent dyeing and other parts are left open to receive the colour.

  Samovar A large urn for boiling water and brewing tea.

  Samsa A pastry parcel filled with meat, potato or pumpkin, similar to a samosa.


  Sericulture The rearing of silkworms for silk.

  Shashlik Skewers of mutton or beef on a stick and cooked over charcoal.

  Shelwar kamiz Cotton baggy pants covered in a long top, commonly worn in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

  Sumalek A brown paste made from mashed wheat-shoots, stirred continually for hours and cooked primarily at Navruz.

  Suzani Literally means ‘needlework’ in Tajik and describes the embroidered tapestries of southern Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

  Tanish bilish ‘Useful connections’; similar to the proverb ‘It’s not what you know, but who you know that counts.’

  Turkestan A historic term used to describe the area of Middle Asia now occupied by the former Soviet Central Asian states, northern Afghanistan and western China.

  Usta Master at something (of either sex) but also a generic term for a handyman.

  Vellum Skin from the stomach of a sheep or goat and superior to paper in book-making.

  Wahabi The term used to describe Islamist fundamentalists, referring to the strict Saudi Wahabite sect which advocates jihad.

  Warp A weaving term describing the vertical threads that make up the backbone of a carpet.

  Weft A weaving term describing the horizontal threads that weave between the warp threads.

  Further Reading

  Colonel Bailey, Mission to Tashkent (1946)

  Frederick Burnaby, A Ride to Khiva (1876)

  Ella Christie, Through Khiva to Golden Samarkand (1925)

  Victoria Finlay, Colour (2002)

  Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game (1990)

  R. Jefferson, A New Ride to Khiva (1899)

  Gustav Krist, Alone Through a Forbidden Land (1938)

  Chris Kremmer, The Carpet Wars (2002)

  T. Lentz, Timur and the Princely Vision (1989)

  Lady Macartney, An English Lady in Chinese Turkestan (1931)

  J.A. MacGahan, Campaigning on the Oxus, and the Fall of Khiva (1874)

  Ella Maillart, Turkestan Solo (1933)

  Ethel Mannin, South to Samarkand (1936)

  N. Muraviev, Journey to Khiva (1871)

  Paul Nazaroff, Hunted Through Central Asia (1932)

  Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red (2001)

  Arminius Vambery, Travels in Central Asia (1863)

  Monica Whitlock, Beyond the Oxus (2002)

  Acknowledgements

  Firstly I’d like to thank my parents, who kindly allowed me a year of rent-free living in order to write this book. Special thanks to Pat Alexander, whose editing skills helped me enormously at the start, and to Rachel McKinley for your diligent proof-reading. Thanks also to Jane Hepburn, Tim and Sheila Stevenson, Will Beharrel, Lis and James Woods, Iain Pickett, Lauren McGill and David Lewis for your helpful comments.

  Tatiana Wilde, thank you for your constructive criticism and helping the book take shape. Simon Flynn, Duncan Heath and all at Icon, thanks for taking a chance with a first-time author; your professionalism, your polishing of the manuscript and your commitment to seeing the book do well, have been a huge encouragement.

  Finally, thanks to Endre Medhaug for your unfailing, prophetic optimism that this book would ever come to be!