Ngihambe imihla eyisikhombisa ngilandela uMzanzi weSilika, ngathola ukuthi uMarco Polo wayekhumbula okuningi

Isigcawu saseRegistan (Registan) eSamarkand (Samarkand) siba ngumbala wegolide ongakaze uwubone ngehora lesithupha namashumi amane nanhlanu ntambama. Ithayili eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka zezindlu ezintathu zemfundo yobuSulumane zivuka ekuthuleni kwejometri yobuSulumane, ziqala ukumunca ukushisa kwelanga elishonayo. Indoda endala ethengisa ijusi yamaphomegranathi yathi kimi ngesiNgisi esinzima: 'Lapha eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisithupha edlule kwakuyinkundla yezingxoxo—abafundi bezindlu ezintathu zemfundo babexabana esigcawini, bephikisana ngezenkolo, izinkanyezi, izibalo, konke.' Yabe isifaka usawoti enkomishini yami, yathi: 'Phuza. Ijusi yamaphomegranathi engenashukela, ukuze uzwe ukunambitheka koMzanzi weSilika.'

Wayeqinisile. Ijusi yamaphomegranathi engenashukela inokumuncwa okubabayo, okufana nomsalela wazo zonke izinto ezinyamalalayo kulo mhlaba. Umbuzo wami wuthi: Yini esele kuMzanzi weSilika?

I-Uzbekistan inabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-36, iyizwe elinabantu abaningi kakhulu e-Asia Ephakathi, futhi ingelinye lamazwe amabili kuphela emhlabeni angenawo ulwandle (elinye yi-Liechtenstein). Ezweni elizungezwe umhlaba, uMzanzi weSilika awuwona nje umlando—ubufakazi obukhulu kakhulu bokuba khona kwalesi sizwe emhlabeni. Ngo-2026, iqembu leWhite Wolves (iqembu lesizwe lase-Uzbekistan) lizovela okokuqala emhlabeni weNdebe yeZwe. Kwabaningi abalandeli, lokhu kungukuthi okokuqala bafuna ukuthi 'I-Uzbekistan ikuyphi?'

Usuku lokuqala lungolwaseTashkent. Uhlelo lwesitimela esingaphansi komhlaba lwaseTashkent aluwona nje umzila wezokuthutha—uyifa eliyinqala kakhulu elashiywa yiSoviet Union e-Uzbekistan. Isiteshi ngasinye siwubuciko obuzimele: isiteshi sika-Alisher Navoi sinemifanekiso yezimbongi zase-Asia Ephakathi ophahleni, izindonga zesiteshi sika-Kosmonavtlar zihlonipha wonke ama-astronaut kusukela ku-Gagarin kuya kumaqhawe asemkhathini ase-Uzbekistan. Unogada wesitimela wabona ubuso bami obungowezizwe, waphakamisa amashiya, wabe esengishayela isandla—abantu bendawo bayashaja, abangowezizwe bahamba mahhala, lo ngumthetho ongabhalwanga waseTashkent.

Usuku lwesibili ngangisesitimeleni esisheshayo esiya eSamarkand (Samarkand). Umbukwane wangaphandle wawusuka empunga wedolobha uye emhlophe wamazambane, bese uba nsundu emaphethelweni ogwadule lwaseKarakum. Umakhelwane wami wayengumuntu osemusha, engibuza ngesoftware yokuhumusha ukuthi ngivela kuphi, wabe esekhombisa ngokuziqhenya isithombe sezindaba ekukhaleni kwakhe esibonisa ukuthi iqembu lase-Uzbekistan lidlulele eNdebeni yeZwe. 'Abdukodir Khusanov,' esho ekhomba umdlali osemusha oneminyaka engamashumi amabili emuva, 'udlalela iLens. AmaFulentshi aseyazi iTashkent.'

Usuku lwesithathu nolwesine kwakuyiSamarkand (Samarkand) neBukhara (Bukhara). Ithayili eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka zaseSamarkand (Samarkand) zijule kunezithombe—lowo mbala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ubukeka sengathi ukhishwe phansi koLwandle iMedithera, kodwa womiswa yilanga lase-Asia Ephakathi. EDolobheni eliDala laseBukhara (Bukhara), ngaduka amahora amathathu. Hhayi ngoba idolobha likhulu, kodwa ngoba umnyango ngamunye ovuliweyo wezinkuni ubukeka uholela esikhathini esihlukile. Umthengisi wezilika wayehleli esitolo sakhe—isilika sangempela, esilethwe esigodini saseFergana, esibomvu ngombala ovela empandeni ye-madder—wangibona ngibuka lowo mqulu wesilika obomvu isikhathi eside, wathi: 'Uyazi, uMarco Polo akazange abhale ngalo mbala. Wathi isilika sase-Uzbekistan sishibhile, kodwa akazange abhale ngombala obomvu.'

IKhiva (Khiva) kwakungusuku lwesihlanu. Leli dolobha elidala elizungezwe izindonga ezinombala wesihlabathi lalicishe lingabi namuntu emini. Ngahlala emthunzini we-Kalta Minor (Kalta Minor), kwafika indoda endala ihamba kancane yahlala eceleni kwami. 'Izivakashi zifika ngehora lesine ntambama,' kusho yona, 'ekuseni yisikhathi saseKhiva (Khiva) uqobo.' Sathula isikhathi eside. Yabe isikhomba ifulegi lase-Uzbekistan elivunguza kude yathi: 'Uyabona, leyo nkundla yebhola. Kwakuyisibaya samahhashi. Ngesikhathi soMzanzi weSilika, abathengisi babeshintsha amahhashi lapho. Manje abasha bayadlala ibhola khona. Izinto ezishintshwayo sezihlukile, kodwa umzila usewumzila ofanayo.'

Usuku lwesithupha lwachithwa esitimeleni sasebusuku—ukusuka eKhiva (Khiva) ngenyumoya eTashkent, sidlula emaphethelweni ogwadule. Umsakazo esitimeleni wawukhipha umsindo oshwabayo, udlala izingoma ezindala zesiRashiya ezinomsindo wase-Asia Ephakathi. Ngezinye izikhathi ngangibona imihlambi yamakamela nezibani eziyizigaxa ngaphandle. Ngakhumbula amazwi omthengisi wezilika waseBukhara (Bukhara), ngakhumbula umbala wegolide waseSamarkand (Samarkand), ngakhumbula ukukhishwa kwamashiya kukanogada wesitimela waseTashkent. Ngabe sengivula i-highlights yomdlalo ka-Abdukodir Khusanov kuLigue 1 yaseFulansi—umuntu osemusha wase-Uzbekistan oneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye edlala eFulansi, ehlanza, ephindela emuva, edlulisela ibhola elide.

Usuku lwesikhombisa, ngibuyele eTashkent. Ilanga lalishisa futhi lomile njengosuku lokuqala. Kodwa engikubuyisile akuyona izithombe nezikhumbuzo, kodwa impendulo yombuzo: UMzanzi weSilika awushiyanga 'lutho'—ushintshe nje indlela yokuba khona. Izinongo zaba umnotho webhola, izindawo zokulala zabathengisi zaba iziteshi zezitimela ezisheshayo, isilika saba izinkontileka zokudluliswa kwabadlali. UMarco Polo akazange abhale nje kuphela ngombala womqulu wesilika obomvu—akazange abhale ukuthi abantu bakulo mzila abakaze bahambe ngempela. Bashintsha nje amakamela abe izitimela, izinongo zibe ibhola.