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Kashkadarya region is becoming a popular tourist destination. The region has 2 large cities known for their history.
The administrative center of the region is the city of Karshi.
This small city is known today for the Shurtan natural gas field (one of the largest in Central Asia). But few people know that the history of Karshi is already 2700 years old and the names of many rulers and prominent figures of the past are associated with it.
According to research conducted by UNESCO, it is known that there was a settlement on the site of the current city in the VII century BC. Located on the section of the Great silk road running from Central Asia to India and Afghanistan, the city was an important object for many conquerors. So, in the IV century BC, Alexander the great fought for the city and was delighted with the resistance of local residents. Freedom-loving people have always tried to defend their independence.
Until the XIV century, the city was called Nakhshab, but by order of Tamerlane, a fortified Palace was built here, and the city received its current name – Karshi (translated from the Turkic language as “fortification”).
You can not miss the opportunity to visit the city of festivals – Shakhrisabz.
No matter what time you go to this ancient city, it appears to travelers as a huge green garden.
Looking at its well-maintained modern appearance, you can not say that this small town is 2700 years old, and that it played a significant role in the history of the Central Asian region. But once Shahrisabz was the capital of the ancient state of Sogd.
But today this beautiful city is mostly known for Amir Timur (Tamerlane), who was born in the nearby village of Khoja Ilgar. When he became the ruler, he immediately made Shakhrisabz his residence and ordered to build a Palace for himself, known today as AK-Saray. By the way, around the same time the city received its modern name-Shakhrisabz, which means “Green city”in Persian.
Now the city has a large number of architectural attractions, and the historical center of the city is included in the UNESCO world heritage List. In addition, the city administration has been planning the development of the city for many years so that the ancient monuments of Shahrisabz will be preserved for future generations.
For tourists, there is a huge amount of entertainment for active pastime. Here you can go horse riding, Hiking to the Kitab reserve, and many other things that are worth trying.
The most popular entertainment among the local population of Kashkadarya is the competition of real dzhigits-Kupkari.
Kupkari is a traditional equestrian competition among the peoples of Central Asia. In this game, brave riders compete for the carcass of a goat or a young RAM: the winner must come to the finish line, not allowing other riders to recapture the prey.
Usually Kupkari is held in spring or autumn. Prepare for Kupkari in advance and very carefully. Often, dashing riders from neighboring regions participate in Kupkari. The horse is chosen strong, hardy and short. Undersized-in order to make it easier to pick up the carcass of the animal from the ground, because in the heat of the fight, it often falls to the ground.
For Kupkari, riders wear protective helmets, quilted cotton robes and trousers. Since during the competition, the horsemen, entering into the excitement, strike each other with a whip, which is not prohibited by the rules of the competition, this equipment helps the rider very much.
Kupkari participants line up and wait until the village elder or another person respected in the district leaves the animal carcass in the center of the circle and gives the signal to start the competition.
Then the dzhigits strive to be the first to grab a lamb or a goat from the ground and get to the finish line without losing their trophy, and at the same time fighting off rivals who are trying to take away the loot.
The winner, the first to reach the finish line with the trophy, receives a valuable prize. In the old days, it could have been a colorful carpet, oxen, sheep and goats, pieces of expensive fabrics. In our time, the prize for the winner of Kupkari can be, for example, expensive household appliances or even a car.
This is an extreme entertainment with a huge prize Fund, which attracts tens of thousands of people every time in the open air.
