Ndihambe iintsuku ezisixhenxe kwiSilk Road, ndafumanisa ukuba uMarco Polo wayengabhali izinto ezininzi

IRegistan Square (Registan) yaseSamarkand (Samarkand) ngenzulwazi yesithandathu nemizuzu engamashumi amane anesihlanu ngokuhlwa iba ngumbala wegolide ongazange uwubone. Iithayile eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka zeemadrasa ezintathu zivuka ekuzolweni kwejometri yamaSilamsi, ziqalise ukufunxa ubushushu belanga elitshonayo. Indoda endala ethengisa ijusi yerharnati yandixelela ngesiNgesi esiqinileyo: 'Le ndawo yayiyindawo yeengxoxo kwiminyaka engamakhulu amathandathu eyadlulayo—abafundi beemadrasa ezintathu baxabana esikwerini, befunda ngezakwalizwi, ngeenkwenkwezi, ngezibalo, yonke into.' Emva koko wafaka ityuwa kwikomityi yam, wathi: 'Yisela. Ijusi yerharnati engenaswekile, ukuze ungcamle incasa yeSilk Road.'

Wayenyanisile. Ijusi yerharnati engenaswekile inencasa ebukhali emuncu, njengencasa yezinto zonke eziphelayo kulo mhlaba. Kwaye umbuzo wam yile: Yintoni kanye ekhoyo kwiSilk Road?

IUzbekistan (Uzbekistan) inabemi abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-36, ingoyena mmandla unabantu abaninzi kuMbindi weAsia, kwaye lelinye lamazwe amabini kuphela aphantsi komhlaba kabini ehlabathini (elinye yiLiechtenstein). Kwilizwe elirhangqwe ngumhlaba ngokupheleleyo, iSilk Road ayisiyiyo nje imbali—bubungqina obukhulu bokuba eli lizwe likho ehlabathini. Ngo-2026, iqela leWhite Wolves (iqela lesizwe laseUzbekistan) liya kuvela okokuqala kwiqonga leNdebe yeHlabathi. Kubalandeli abaninzi, eli lixesha lokuqala abakhangela 'apho iUzbekistan ikhona.'

Usuku lokuqala lwaluseTashkent (Tashkent). Inkqubo kaloliwe ongaphantsi komhlaba yaseTashkent ayisiyiyo nje into yothutho—lilifa elona likhethekileyo elashiywa lixesha leSoviet eUzbekistan. Isikhululo ngasinye ngumsebenzi wobugcisa ozimeleyo: Isikhululo saseAlisher Navoi (Alisher Navoi) sinemizobo yemilinganiselo yembongi yaseMbindi weAsia kwi-dome, kwaye udonga lwesikhululo saseKosmonavtlar (Kosmonavtlar) luhlonipha bonke oosomajukujuku ukusuka kuGagarin ukuya kumagorha aseUzbekistan. Umphathi wokhuseleko kaloliwe ongaphantsi komhlaba wabona ubuso bam basemzini, waphakamisa amashiya, emva koko wawangawangisa isandla—abantu basekuhlaleni batshaya ikhadi, abasemzini basimahla, lo ngumthetho ongabhalwanga waseTashkent.

Usuku lwesibini ndandikuloliwe ohamba ngesantya esiphezulu usiya eSamarkand (Samarkand). Imbonakalo yangaphandle yefestile yatshintsha ukusuka kungwevu yesixeko ukuya kumhlophe wamasimi omqhaphu, emva koko yaba ngumdaka womphetho weKarakuum Desert (Karakum Desert). Ummelwane yayingumfana oselula, osebenzisa isixhobo sokuguqulela ulwimi ukundibuza ukuba ndivela phi, emva koko wabonisa ngekratshi isikrini sefowuni yakhe esinomfanekiso weendaba wokuba iqela laseUzbekistan liye langena kwiNdebe yeHlabathi. 'UAbdukodir Khusanov (Abdukodir Khusanov),' watsho, ekhomba umkhuseli omncinci oneminyaka engamashumi amabini esikrinini, 'Udlalela iLens (Lens). AmaFrentshi ngoku ayayazi iTashkent.'

Usuku lwesithathu nolwesine yayiyiSamarkand (Samarkand) neBukhara (Bukhara). Iithayile eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka zaseSamarkand zinzulu kunemifanekiso—loo mbala uluhlaza ubonakala ngathi ukhutshwe emazantsi oLwandle lweMediterranean, kodwa womiswa lilanga laseMbindi weAsia. Kwidolophu yakudala yaseBukhara, ndalahleka iiyure ezintathu. Kungekho ngenxa yokuba isixeko sikhulu, kodwa ngenxa yokuba umnyango ngamnye womthi ovulekileyo ubonakala ukhokelela kwelinye ixesha. Umrhwebi wesilika wayehleli evenkileni yakhe—isilika yokwenyani, eveliswe kwiFergana Valley (Fergana Valley), edaywe ngombala obomvu weengcambu zemidye—wabona ndijonge loo silika ibomvu ixesha elide, wathi: 'Uyazi, uMarco Polo akazange abhale lo mbala. Wathi isilika yaseUzbekistan inexabiso eliphantsi, kodwa akazange abhale ngombala obomvu.'

IKhiva (Khiva) yayilusuku lwesihlanu. Le dolophu yakudala irhangqwe ziindonga zomhlaba omthubi yayiphantse ingabikho mntu emini elangeni. Ndahleli emthunzini weKalta Minor (Kalta Minor) minaret, kwafika indoda endala ihamba kancinci yahlala ecaleni kwam. 'Abakhenkethi bafika ngentsimbi yesine ngemva kwemini,' yatsho, 'intsasa lixesha leKhiva ngokwayo.' Sathi cwaka ixesha elide. Emva koko yakhomba iflegi yaseUzbekistan ebetha kude, yathi: 'Uyabona, elo bala lebhola. Yayiyindawo yamahashe ngaphambili. Ngexesha leSilk Road, abarhwebi babetshintsha amahashe apho. Ngoku abantu abancinci badlala ibhola apho. Izinto ezitshintshwayo zahlukile, kodwa indlela iseyiyo le ndlela.'

Usuku lwesithandathu ndaluchitha kuloliwe wasebusuku—ukusuka eKhiva (Khiva) ndibuyela eTashkent (Tashkent), ndinqumla umphetho wentlango. Unomathotholo wakwigumbi loololiwe wenza ingxolo emnandi, udlala iingoma ezindala zesiRashiya ezinencasa yaseMbindi weAsia. Ngaphandle kwefestile ngamanye amaxesha kwakubonakala imihlambi yeenkamela kunye nezibane ezimbalwa. Ndakhumbula amazwi omrhwebi wesilika waseBukhara (Bukhara), ndakhumbula umbala wegolide waseSamarkand (Samarkand), ndakhumbula ukuphakamisa amashiya komphathi wokhuseleko kaloliwe ongaphantsi komhlaba waseTashkent. Emva koko ndakhangela kwiifowuni yam iingqokelela zemidlalo kaAbdukodir Khusanov (Abdukodir Khusanov) kwiLigue 1 yaseFransi—umfana oselula waseUzbekistan oneminyaka engamashumi amabini ananye ehlutha, ebaleka, egibisela, edlula ibhola emide ebaleni laseFransi.

Usuku lwesixhenxe, ndibuyele eTashkent (Tashkent). Ilanga lalishushu njengemihla esixhenxe eyadlulayo. Kodwa into endiyibuyisileyo ayizizo iifoto kunye nezikhumbuzo, kodwa yimpendulo yombuzo: ISilk Road ayikhange 'ishiye' nantoni na—ivele yatshintsha indlela ekhoyo ngayo. Iziqholo zaye zaba luqoqosho lwebhola ekhatywayo, iindawo zokumisa iinqwelo zeenkamela zaba zizikhululo zikaloliwe ezinomtsalane, isilika yaba zizivumelwano zokudluliselwa kwabadlali. Into uMarco Polo angazange ayibhale ayisiyiyo nje umbala wombala wesilika ebomvu—akazange abhale ukuba abantu bakule ndlela abaze bemka ngokwenene. Bavele batshintsha iinkamela zaba ngoololiwe, batshintsha iziqholo zaba yibhola ekhatywayo.