Uzbekistan Tindzaba: Ngahamba ngeSilk Road Emalangeni Lasikhombisa Ngase Ngitfola Kutsi UMarco Polo Washiya Lokunyenti

Samarkand's Registan Square ngehora lesitfupha nemizuzu lengemashumi lamane nesihlanu ntsambama iguqukela emkhaleni weligolide longakaze uwubone. Emathayela laluhlata etindlini letintsatfu temfundziso avuka ekucingeni lokulamahlisi kwemaSulumane ase acala kumunya kushisa lokufako kwelilanga. Lijaha lelikhulile lelitsengisa luju lwehalananda langitsela ngeSingisi lesiphukile: 'Lendzawo ibeyinkundla yekuphikisana eminyakeni lengemakhulu lasitfupha ledlule — bafundzi labavela kutonkhona titsite temfundziso baphikisana enkundleni. Tefundziso tenkholo, kufundza ngetinkhanyeti, tekubala, noma ngabe yini.' Wase wenegeta luswayi enkomishini yami watsi: 'Yinatsa. Luju lwehalananda lelungenaswifti — indlela lonambitsa ngayo iSilk Road.'

Bekalungile. Luju lwehalananda lelungenaswifti lunemunyu lokhaliphile, njengekunanela kwakho konkhe kulomhlaba lokushabalala. Futsi umbuto wami bewutsi: yini lesele kuSilk Road?

IUzbekistan inebantfu labangetulu kwetigidzi letingu-36, live lelinetakhamuti letinyenti kakhulu e-Asia Lemkhatsini, futsi ingulenye yetive letimbili kuphela emhlabeni letivalwe ngekungeni elwandle nakancane (lelenye yiLiechtenstein). Eveni lelivalwe ngemave nato tonkhe tinhlangotsi, Umzila weSilk awugcini nje ekubeni ngumlandvo — ubufakazi lobunemphimbo kakhulu lelive lelike laba nabo bekutsi likhona emhlabeni. Nga-2026, ema-White Wolves — licembu lesive lase-Uzbekistan — litawuvela esiteji seNdzebe yeMhlaba kwekucala. Kubalandzi labanyenti bebhola letinyawo, lesi sitawuba sikhatsi sekucala labafuna ngaso kutsi 'ikuphi iUzbekistan.'

Lilanga lekucala beliTashkent. Imetro yaseTashkent ayisiyo ndlela yekuhamba nje — lilifa lelijabukisako lelivekile iSoviet Union e-Uzbekistan. Nome ngusiphi sitishi sisebenta ngekutimela: idomu lesiteshi sase-Alisher Navoi liveta tihlabeleli tase-Asia Lemkhatsini ngemamozayikhi; emabodwe aseKosmonavtlar atfulela kuhlonipha kubo bonkhe kusukela kuYuri Gagarin kuye kutindvuna tetinkhanyeti tase-Uzbekistan. Siphitsamandla semetro sabona buso bami belivakashi, sawubeka enhla umakhalakucatsa, sangidlulisa — bantfu basekhaya bayabhadelwa, etivakashi akubhadalwa, umtsetfo longakabhalwa waseTashkent.

Ngelilanga lesibili bengisesitimeleni lesihamba ngekushesha ngaya eSamarkand. Ngaphandle kwelifasitelo, indzawo yashintja kusuka ekubeni mphunga wedolobha yaya ekubeni mhlophe wesimanga sekotini, yase iya emaphethelweni lansundvu eKarakum Desert. Lijaha lelisemceleni waso lasebentisa uhlelo lwekuhumusha kutsi ngibuya kuphi, lase litigcabisa ngekungikhombisa sitfombe lesisikrinini selucingo lwaso: tindzaba tekutsi iUzbekistan iphumelele eNdzebeni yeMhlaba. 'Abdukodir Khusanov,' utsite, akhombe lomdlali lovikelelo loneminyaka lengemashumi lamabili esikrinini. 'Udlalela Lens. E-France. Nyalo emaFrench ayati kutsi iTashkent ikuphi.'

Emalanga esitsatfu nelesine bekuseSamarkand naseBukhara. Emathayela laluhlata aseSamarkand ajulile kanganaba asitfombe lesingakwati kukutsiwa — loluhlata lokhatsako lubukeka shengatsi wacoshululwa ekujuleni kweLwandle lwaseMedithera kodvwa wabhakwa woma ngaphansi kwelilanga lase-Asia Lemkhatsini. Edolobheni lelidzala laseBukhara, ngaduka emahoreni lamatsatfu. Hhayi ngoba lelidolobha likhulu, kodvwa ngoba wonkhe umnyango wemapulangwe lovuleke ingxenye wawubukeka njengokuholela kwesinye sikhatsi. Umtsengisi wesilika wahlala esitolo sakhe — silika lesangempela, lelisuswe eSigodzini saseFergana, lidaywe ngebovu ngemphandze wemadder — wangibona ngigolozela insimbi yesilika lebovu sikhatsi lesidze. 'Uyati,' utsite, 'uMarco Polo akakaze abhale ngalombala. Watsi isilika sase-Uzbek besishibile, kodvwa akakaze abhale ngebovu.'

IKhiva kwaba lilanga lesihlanu. Lelidolobha lelibiyelwe ngelubondza, lelirindziswe tinkhoma letiphuzi, belicishe lite bantfu ngaphansi kwelilanga lasemini. Ngahlala emtfuntfweni wembhoshongo leminithi yaseKalta Minor. Lijaha lelikhulile lahamba kancane lachubeka lahlala eceleni kwami. 'Bavakashi beta ngehora lesine ntsambama,' utsite. 'Ekuseni sikhatsi saKhiva leso.' Sachuba sathula sikhatsi lesidze. Wase ukhomba ifulegi yase-Uzbekistan leyayiphephetha ekhatsi futsi watsi: 'Uyayibona lenkundla yebhola letinyawo? Beyiyisitebele. NgeSilk Road, bahwebi bebashintja emahhashi abo lapha. Nyalo bantfu labasha bakhahlela ibhola lapho. Lokushintjiwe kushintjile, kodvwa umgwaco usengumgwaco lofananako.'

Lilanga lesitfupha lavuleka esitimeleni sasebusuku — kusuka eKhiva kubuyela eTashkent, kulandvwa umkhawulo welugwadule. Umsakato wekalishi wakhihlika ngemaculo emaRussian lamadzala ngekuphimisa kwase-Asia Lemkhatsini. Ngaphandle kwelifasitelo, umhlambi wemakamela lowehlukene kanye nekukhanya lokusakatekile kwadlula. Ngacabanga ngaloko lobekusho umtsengisi wesilika eBukhara, ngegolide laseSamarkand, ngekubhekisa enhla kumakhalakucatsa kwesiphitsamandla semetro eTashkent. Ngase ngidvonsa tilayithi teLigue 1 ta-Abdukodir Khusanov elicingweni lwami — umfana wase-Uzbekistan loneminyaka lengemashumi lamabili nakunye ashelela, ajaha, adlulisa emabhola emade enkundleni yaseFrance.

Lilanga lesikhombisa, ngibuyele eTashkent. Lilanga belomile futsi lishisa njengoba bebesolo kusukela emva kweliviki leliphelile. Kodvwa lebengingahamba nako ekhaya bekungasi titfombe nobe tikhumbuto — kwakuyimphendvulo yembuto. Umzila weSilk awukashiyi lutho — uvele washintja indlela lowaba khona ngayo. Tinongo taba ngumnotho webhola letinyawo; tindzawo tekuhlala temahhashi taba timphawu tekuma kwesitimela lesesivinini lesiphezulu; isilika saba tivumelwano tekudluliswa kwebadlali. Loko uMarco Polo lakushiya kwakungasiwo nje umbala walowo mshiza wesilika lobovu — washiya liciniso lekutsi bantfu bakulomgwaco abakaze bahambe. Bamane batsintsa emakamela ngetitimela, kanye netinongo ngebhola letinyawo.