We’ve been travelling in Central Asia for a few months now, and particularly, a month in Tajikistan. We love assembly and connecting with the native individuals of whichever nation we’re in and Tajikistan has some implausible individuals! It’s an impressive melting pot of individuals from all around the area.
What I discover most intriguing about this little nation is the variety of individuals dwelling right here. Do you know that Tajiks are descendants from the Aryan individuals? Which means that they’re intently associated to Iranians, which might clarify why we’ve been seeing Persian trying individuals with skinny noses, inexperienced eyes and light-weight’ish colored pores and skin.
Throughout our time within the Pamir Mountains, the way in which individuals seemed appeared to vary with every day. From Osh to Murgab (and the vast majority of the Japanese Pamirs), the individuals dwelling listed here are predominately Kyrgyz, who got here from the Alay Valley within the 18th and nineteenth centuries.
After Murgab, we started to satisfy Pamiri individuals, an Iranian group dwelling within the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province (GBAO) of Tajikistan, in addition to Pakistan, China and Afghanistan. We needed to get a particular allow on our passports to have the ability to journey to the GBAO space of the Pamir Mountains, and are so glad we did. Not solely do the individuals of this area communicate their very own language, however they observe a distinct faith than different elements of Tajikistan. This faith is named Ismailism and is a department of Shia Islam. Amongst many variations between the 2, they don’t have any mosques, simply assembly halls for prayer.
From Kyrgyz to Pamiri to Wakhan individuals! The individuals of the Wakhan Valley, known as Wakhi individuals, communicate a distinct language than Tajiks, Kyrgyz and Pamiri individuals. Presently they stay within the Wakhan valley of Afghanistan and Tajikistan in addition to in Pakistan and Northwestern China.
If you happen to requested somebody dwelling within the GBAO area of Tajikistan the place they had been from, they might first classify themselves by which valley they’re from (Wakhan, and many others.), then they might say they’re Pamiri individuals and eventually that they’re Tajik.
The one factor that the entire individuals of the mountains have in widespread is their hospitality, friendliness and skill to endure the cruel climates and excessive altitudes.
In the primary metropolis of Dushanbe, it’s an entire melting pot of individuals! Right here you’ll discover Russians, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz and foreigners from many different nations, together with America, India and nations in Africa. Mini-skirts and brightly colored headscarves stroll side-by-side. You’ll see brown, blonde, crimson and black hair. You’ll discover individuals praying at mosques and sipping espresso in European cafes.
Though I want I might say that everybody will get alongside right here and dwelling in Tajikistan is filled with rainbows and lollipops for the native individuals, it’s simply not the case. Clashes between clans, poor financial state (the common wage is about $1,200/12 months) and the shut proximity with Afghanistan (which means ties to the drug commerce and the spillover of Islam extremism) are all issues this little nation and its individuals have confronted, and proceed to face.
Even with the entire hardships, the individuals are nonetheless form and filled with smiles. The experiences we had with the native inhabitants of Tajikistan, irrespective of which ethnicity, race, faith or village they had been from, had been nothing however constructive. We had been greeted with hellos, invited into houses and handled like honoured friends. We are going to depart this nation with fond reminiscences of hospitable individuals and the nice experiences we had with them.
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