Uzbekistan Iindaba: Ngahamba Indlela Yesilika Amalanga Ayisikhombisa Ngathola Ukuthi UMarco Polo Washiya Okunengi

Isikweli seRegistan eSamarkand ngehora lesithandathu nemizuzu engamashumi amane nahlanu ntambama sijika sibe mumthunzi osagolide ongakaze uwubone. Amathayela aluhlaza weemadrasa ezintathu avuka eendimeni ezipholile ze-Islam aqalise ukumunya ukutjhisa okufako kwelanga. Ikhehla elithengisa ijusi yehalananda lathi kimi ngesiNgisi esiyaluzako: ‘Lendawo bekuyindawo yeempikiswano eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisithandathu edlulileko — abafundi abavela kizo zontathu iimadrasa bephikisana esikweleni. Itheology, isayensi yeenkanyeti, izibalo, nanyana yini.’ Ngemva kwalokho langezelela isawoti enkomishini yami lathi: ‘Phuza. Ijusi yehalananda engenaswidi — kuyindlela onganambitha ngayo iNdlela yeSilika.’

Bekakhulume iqiniso. Ijusi yehalananda engenaswidi inobumsiro obuhlaba njalo, njengokunambitheka kokugcina kwakho koke okuphelako okusendaweni le. Kanti umbuzo wami bekungilo: yini etjho esele eNdleleni yeSilika?

IUzbekistan inabantu abangaphezu kwezigidigidi ezingama-36, lilizwe elinabantu abanengi kunawo woke e-Asia Ephakathi, kanti ngelinye lamazwe amabili kwaphela emhlabeni avalelwe ngamazwe ngapha nangapha (elinye kuliLiechtenstein). Elizweni eliboshwe ngomhlaba kuwo woke amacala, iNdlela yeSilika akusimlando kwaphela — bubufakazi obuzwakalako kunabo boke ubufakazi ilizwe leli elake laba nabo bokuthi likhona emhlabeni. Ngo-2026, amaWhite Wolves — iqembu lesitjhaba leUzbekistan — lizokubonakala esiteji seNdebe yoMhlaba okokuthoma. Kwabanengi abathanda ibholo leenyawo, lokhu kuzokuba sisikhathi sokuthoma abafuna ngaso ukuthi ‘ukuphi iUzbekistan.’

Ilanga lokuthoma bekungelaseTashkent. IMetro yeTashkent ayisilo ithulusi lokuhamba kwaphela — mthelela oyinqayazana kunayo yoke eyeSoviet Union eyashiya eUzbekistan. Isiteshi ngasinye simumsebenzi wobukghwari ozimeleko: idomu lesiteshi sika-Alisher Navoi libonisa iimbongi ze-Asia Ephakathi ngemozayiki; iimbonda zesiteshi seKosmonavtlar zihlonipha kusukela kuYuri Gagarin kuye kubatjhingeli bombuluko bom-Uzbek. Isikhulu sekuphepha semetro sabona ubuso bami bokufika, saphakamisa ishiya, sangivulela indlela — abantu bendawo bayakubhadala, abokufika mahala, umthetho ongakabhalwa weTashkent.

Ngelanga lesibili bengisesitimeleni esihamba ngesivinini esikhulu ngiye eSamarkand. Ngaphandle kwefasitela, iinkhanya zendawo zatjhuguluka zisuka kokumpunga wedorobho zaya kokumhlophe kwamasimu kakotini, zase ziya kumngenandlela onsundu weKarakum Desert. Insizwa ehlezi eduze kwami yasebenzisa i-aphu yokuhumutjha ukubuza ukuthi ngivela ngaphi, yase ingikhombisa ngekoroiso isikrinisakhiwo semtjalekwayo: iindaba zokuthi iUzbekistan iphumelele ukungena eNdebeni yoMhlaba. ‘Abdukodir Khusanov,’ kusho yona, ikhomba isivikeli esineminyaka engamashumi amabili esikrinini. ‘Udlalela iLens. EFrance. Kwanje amaFulentshi ayazi ukuthi iTashkent ikuphi.’

Amalanga wesithathu nowesine bekunguSamarkand neBukhara. Amathayela aluhlaza weSamarkand ajulile ukudlula nanyana yisiphi isithombe esingakhuluma — lowo muhlaza othile ukhanya kungathi ukhutjhulwe esitezi selwandle iMediterranean kodwana womiswe ngaphasi kwelanga le-Asia Ephakathi. Edolobheni elidala leBukhara, ngaduka amahora amathathu. Akusikho ngombana idolobho likhulu, kodwana ngombana woke umnyango wamapulangwe ovuleke kancane bewukhanya ungena kwesinye isikhathi. Umthengisi wesilika wayehlezi esitolo sakhe — isilika leqiniso, elethwe ukuvela esigodini seFergana, lidaywe babomvu ngempande yemadder — wangibona ngigolozele umthangala wesilika ebomvu isikhathi eside. ‘Uyazi,’ kusho yena, ‘uMarco Polo akhenge abhale ngalo mbala. Wathi isilika yeUzbek ishibilile, kodwana akhenge abhale ngokubomvu.’

IKhiva bekulilanga lesihlanu. Leli dolobha elinerhangqwe ngeendonga zamatshe, lizombe iinqaba eziphuzi-onsundu, belingathoko linamuntu ngaphasi kwelanga leminini. Ngahlala emthunzini wekaliti yeKalta Minor. Ikhehla lafika ngokuhambahamba lahlala eduze kwami. ‘Abavakatshi bafika ngehora lesine ntambama,’ kusho lona. ‘Ikuseni yisikhathi seKhiva ngokwayo.’ Sathula isikhathi eside. Ngemva kwalokho lakhomba ifulegi yeUzbekistan ekude ephephezelako lathi: ‘Uyasibona leso sibhakela sebholo leenyawo? Bekulisibaya. Ngesikhathi seNdlela yeSilika, abathengisi babeshintjha amabhiza abo lapha. Kwanje abasakhulako bakhahlela ibholo lapho. Osekutjhugulukileko yilokho okushintjhiswanako, kodwana indlela iseyindlela leyo.’

Ilanga lesithandathu lavuleka esitimeleni sasebusuku — kusuka eKhiva kubuyelwa eTashkent, kulandelelwa umngenandlela wegwadule. Umsakazo wenqola wawuklinyazako ngamakorido wesiRashiya amadala anomsindo we-Asia Ephakathi. Ngaphandle kwefasitela, umhlambi weenkamela ovela ngezinye iinkhathi nezibane eziphasalazekileko zazithithiza zidlula. Ngacabanga ngalokho umthengisi wesilika eBukhara ayekukhulume, ngegolide laseSamarkand, ngeshiya esiphakanyisiweko sesikhulu semetro eTashkent. Ngemva kwalokho ngavula amavidiyo wemidlalo ephambili ka-Abdukodir Khusanov eLigue 1 emtjalekweni wami — umfana wom-Uzbek oneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye ushelela, uzingela, ukhaba iimpasi ezide enqaleni yobuFulentshi.

Ilanga lesikhombisa, sengibuyele eTashkent. Ilanga belomile nelitjhisako njengombana belinjalo iveke edlulileko. Kodwana ebengikuphathele ekhaya bekungezona izithombe namkha izipho — bekusampendulo yombuzo. INdlela yeSilika ayikashiyi 'lutho' ngemva — itjhugulule kwaphela indlela ekhona ngayo. Iinongo zaba mnotho webholo leenyawo; iziteshi zeenqola zaba ziindawo zokuma zezitimela ezinesivinini esikhulu; isilika yaba ziinkontraga zokutjhugululwa kwabadlali. Okungakabhalwa nguMarco Polo akusikho kwaphela umbala wawo lowo mthangala wesilika obomvu — okungakabhalwa nguye kukuthi abantu abakulendlela abakaze basuke ngempela. Bashintjha kwaphela amakamela ngezitimela, neenongo ngebholo leenyawo.