One of the advantages of having to travel for work is that, often unexpectedly, you discover remote places and cultural customs that you were completely unaware of. That's why, when someone reluctantly asks you: "What are you going to do there?", I immediately start to imagine the many unexpected things that could happen.
Central Asia, as its name suggests, is a region located in the heart of the Asian continent, made up of five countries: Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan , although sometimes some add a region of Mongolia, some Chinese provinces and Afghanistan.
Although we might think that belonging to the same region gives these countries common traits, we would be surprised by how different they can be. Despite all of them becoming Soviet socialist republics within the former USSR , their characteristics are very diverse. To begin with, they all speak different languages, belonging to different language families. In Kazakhstan, Kazakh is spoken, and in Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz, which are quite different but closely related to Russian. They are Slavic languages, therefore. In contrast, Uzbek and Turkmenistan are spoken, both languages of Turkic origin. In Tajikistan, they speak Tajik, which comes from Persian, like Iranian.
Now, one thing all these countries have in common is that they were nomadic , and in fact, in many areas they still are. A large portion of the members of these societies are dedicated to livestock farming—cattle and sheep—and, notably, to horse breeding, of which they are renowned riders. Historically, they have practiced transhumance , since they had to move with their livestock to find new pastures, especially during the cold seasons, which in Central Asia can be very harsh.
During one of the meetings for a project I was involved in, I had the opportunity to visit Kyrgyzstan. The meeting was in the capital, Bishkek . This is a small country, nestled among valleys, and therefore very mountainous. Over the weekend, I took the opportunity to visit one of the most highly recommended places: Issyk-Kul (The Hot Lake). Surrounded by mountains with perpetual snow, the lake never freezes, hence its name. There, I encountered one of those surprises I mentioned at the beginning. In addition to the stunning scenery, which I highly recommend, the World Nomad Games were being held near the town of Cholpon-Ata.
Just as when the world celebrates the Olympic Games, a meeting place mediated by sport, in Central Asia nomadic peoples meet to practice and compete in their own sporting practices: balancing and horse fighting, human towers, archery, falconry , wrestling ( alysh and kourash), among others very specific and more typical of those lands, such as shagai , mancala and kok-boru or buzkashi.
The feeling is that of being in the middle of a major international event… centuries ago. Technology is simply nonexistent. Everything works exactly as one imagines it must have worked hundreds of years ago. But, at the same time, everything also corresponds exactly to a modern-day event: markets selling local merchandise , temporary facilities (the typical nomadic yurts , called "boz ui" here ) where athletes change and rest, as if it were an Olympic village, and areas for eating and drinking, all organized in exquisite chaos.
Central Asian countries have also woken up to the call for modernization of higher education and are seeking the best way to adapt their culture and customs to the knowledge society. It will be worth keeping an eye on their development in the coming years, given that their potential for improvement and their capabilities are very high.
