Ngihambe iminyaka eyisikhombisa ngilandela iSilk Road (Silk Road), ngathola ukuthi uMarco Polo (Marco Polo) wabhala izinto eziningi ezingekho

IRegistan Square (Registan Square) yaseSamarkand (Samarkand) iba yigolide ongakaze ulibone ngehora lesithupha namashumi amane nanhlanu ntambama. Izitini eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka zezinkolelo ezintathu zivuka ekuthuleni kwejiyomethri yamaSulumane, ziqala ukumunca ukushisa kwelanga okusele. Indoda endala ethengisa ijusi yamapomegranathi yangitshela ngesiNgisi esinzima: 'Lapha eminyakeni eyikhulu nesithupha edlule kwakuyinkundla yezingxoxo—abafundi bezinkolelo ezintathu babexabana esigcawini, befunda izinto ezingaphezulu, izinkanyezi, izibalo, konke.' Wabe esefaka usawoti enkomishini yami, wathi: 'Phuza. Ijusi yamapomegranathi engenashukela, ukuze ukwazi ukunambitha ukunambitheka kweSilk Road (Silk Road).'

Ubeqinisile. Ijusi yamapomegranathi engenashukela inokumuncu okubukhali, okufana nokunambitheka kwezinto ezinyamalalayo kulo mhlaba. Umbuzo wami: Yini esele kuSilk Road (Silk Road)?

IUzbekistan (Uzbekistan) inabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-36, iyizwe elinabantu abaningi kakhulu e-Asia Ephakathi, futhi ingelinye lamazwe amabili kuphela emhlabeni angenawo ulwandle (elinye yiLiechtenstein (Liechtenstein)). Ezwini elizungezwe umhlaba, iSilk Road (Silk Road) ayiyona nje umlando—iwubufakazi obukhulu kakhulu bokuthi leli zwe likhona emhlabeni. Ngo-2026, i-White Wolves (White Wolves) (iqembu lesizwe lase-Uzbekistan) lizovela okokuqala emhlabeni weNdebe Yomhlaba. Kubalandeli abaningi, lokhu kungukuthi okokuqala bafuna 'Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan) ikuphi'.

Usuku lokuqala lungolweTashkent (Tashkent). Uhlelo lwe-subway yaseTashkent (Tashkent) akulona nje ithuluzi lokuhamba—iyifa eliyinqaba kakhulu elashiywa yiSoviet Union e-Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan). Isiteshi ngasinye siwubuciko obuzimele: esiteshini sika-Alisher Navoi (Alisher Navoi) kunezithombe zomdwebo wezimbongi zase-Asia Ephakathi ophahleni, izindonga zesiteshi sika-Kosmonavtlar (Kosmonavtlar) zihlonipha wonke ama-astronaut kusukela ku-Gagarin (Gagarin) kuya kumaqhawe asemkhathini ase-Uzbekistan. Unogada we-subway wabona ubuso bami bangaphandle, waphakamisa amehlo, wabe eseshaya isandla—abantu bendawo bakhokha ngekhadi, abangaphandle bahamba mahhala, lo ngumthetho ongabhalwanga waseTashkent (Tashkent).

Usuku lwesibili ngisesitimeleni esisheshayo esiya eSamarkand (Samarkand). Umbukwane wangaphandle usuka kokumpunga kwedolobha uye kokumhlophe kwezinkambu zikakotini, bese uba nsundu emaphethelweni eKarakum Desert (Karakum Desert). Umakhelwane wayengumuntu osemusha, wangibuza ngohlelo lokuhumusha ukuthi ngivela kuphi, wabe esekhombisa ngokuziqhenya isithombe sezindaba esisetshenzisweni sakhe sefoni seqembu lase-Uzbekistan elingenele iNdebe Yomhlaba. 'Abdukodir Khusanov (Abdukodir Khusanov),' wakhomba kumdlali osemusha oneminyaka engamashumi amabili emuva, wathi, 'Udlalela iLens (Lens). AbaseFrance manje bayayazi iTashkent (Tashkent).'

Usuku lwesithathu nolwesine kwakuyiSamarkand (Samarkand) neBukhara (Bukhara). Izitini eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka zaseSamarkand (Samarkand) zijule kunezithombe—lolo hlaza okwesibhakabhaka lubukeka sengathi lukhishwe phansi kolwandle iMedithera (Medithera), kodwa lomiswe yilanga lase-Asia Ephakathi. Edolobheni elidala laseBukhara (Bukhara), ngaduka amahora amathathu. Hhayi ngoba idolobha likhulu, kodwa ngoba umnyango ngamunye ovulekile wezinkuni ubukeka uholela kwenye inkathi. Umthengisi kasilika wayehleli esitolo sakhe—usilika wangempela, ovela eFergana Valley (Fergana Valley), obomvu ofakwe umbala we-madder root—wabona ngigxile kulo mqulu kasilika obomvu isikhathi eside, wathi: 'Uyazi, uMarco Polo (Marco Polo) akazange abhale lo mbala. Wathi usilika wase-Uzbekistan ushibhile, kodwa akazange abhale ngobomvu.'

IKhiva (Khiva) kwakungusuku lwesihlanu. Leli dolobha lasendulo elizungezwe izindonga ezinombala onsundu lalicishe lingenamuntu emini. Ngahlala emthunzini weKalta Minor Minaret (Kalta Minor Minaret), kwafika indoda endala ihamba kancane yahlala eceleni kwami. 'Izivakashi zifika ngehora lesine ntambama,' yathi, 'Ekuseni yisikhathi seKhiva (Khiva).' Sathula isikhathi eside. Yabe isikhomba ifulegi lase-Uzbekistan eliphephezelayo kude yathi: 'Uyabona, leyo nkundla yebhola. Kwakuyithafa lamahhashi. Ngesikhathi seSilk Road (Silk Road), abahwebi babeshintsha amahhashi lapho. Manje intsha idlala ibhola lapho. Izinto ezishintshwayo zihlukile, kodwa umgwaqo usawumgwaqo ofanayo.'

Usuku lwesithupha lwachithwa esitimeleni sasebusuku—kusuka eKhiva (Khiva) kubuyela eTashkent (Tashkent), sidlula emaphethelweni ogwadule. Umsakazo esitimeleni wawukhipha umsindo oshwabayo, udlala izingoma ezindala zesiRashiya ezinamagama ase-Asia Ephakathi. Ngezinye izikhathi ngangibona imihlambi yamakamela nezibani eziyizigaxa ngaphandle. Ngacabanga ngalokho umthengisi kasilika waseBukhara (Bukhara) akusho, ngacabanga ngegolide laseSamarkand (Samarkand), ngacabanga ngokuphakamisa amehlo kukanogada we-subway waseTashkent (Tashkent). Ngabe sengivula isithombe sevidiyo emsakazweni wami yemidlalo ka-Abdukodir Khusanov (Abdukodir Khusanov) kuLigue 1 (Ligue 1)—umuntu osemusha wase-Uzbekistan oneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye edlala eFrance, eslayida, ebaleka, edlulisela ibhola elide.

Usuku lwesikhombisa, ngibuyela eTashkent (Tashkent). Ilanga lalishisa futhi lomile njengosuku lokuqala. Kodwa engikubuyisile akuyona izithombe nezikhumbuzo, kodwa impendulo yombuzo: I-Silk Road (Silk Road) ayishiyanga 'lutho'—ivele yashintsha indlela yokuba khona. Izinongo zaba umnotho webhola, izindawo zokuhlala zabahambi zaba iziteshi zezitimela ezisheshayo, usilika waba izinkontileka zokudluliswa kwabadlali. UMarco Polo (Marco Polo) akazange abhale nje kuphela umbala walowo mqulu kasilika obomvu—akazange abhale ukuthi abantu bakule ndlela abakaze bahambe ngempela. Bavele bashintsha amakamela baba izitimela, bashintsha izinongo baba ibhola.