Ngihambe umzila weSilk Road izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, ngathola ukuthi uMarco Polo wayengakubhalanga okuningi

Isigcawu saseRegistan eSamarkand ngehora lesithupha namashumi amane nanhlanu ntambama siba umbala wegolide ongakaze uwubone. Amathayili aluhlaza ezikole zezinkolo ezintathu avuka ekuthuleni kwejiyomethri yamaSulumane, aqale ukumunca ukushisa kwelanga elishonayo. Indoda endala ethengisa ijusi lamahalananda yangitshela ngesiNgisi esinzima: 'Lapha eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisithupha edlule kwakuyinkundla yezingxoxo—abafundi bezikole zezinkolo ezintathu babexabana esigcawini, bephikisana ngezenkolo, izinkanyezi, izibalo, konke.' Yabe isifaka usawoti enkomishini yami, yathi: 'Phuza. Ijusi lamahalananda elingafakwanga ushukela, khona uzokwazi ukunambitha ukunambitheka kweSilk Road.'

Wayeqinisile. Ijusi lamahalananda elingafakwanga ushukela linokumuncu okubukhali, okufana nomsalela wazo zonke izinto eziphelayo kuleli zwe. Futhi umbuzo wami wawuthi: Yini esele kuSilk Road?

I-Uzbekistan inabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-36, iyizwe elinabantu abaningi kunawo wonke e-Asia Ephakathi, futhi ingelinye lamazwe amabili kuphela emhlabeni angenawo ulwandle (elinye yi-Liechtenstein). Ezweni elizungezwe izwe ngazo zonke izinhlangothi, iSilk Road ayiyona nje umlando—iwubufakazi obukhulu kakhulu bokuthi lizwe likhona emhlabeni. Ngo-2026, i-White Wolves (iqembu lesizwe lase-Uzbekistan) lizovela okokuqala esiteji somhlaba seNdebe Yomhlaba. Kwabaningi abalandeli, lokhu ngukuthi okokuqala bafuna ukuthi 'I-Uzbekistan ikuyiphi indawo'.

Usuku lokuqala lungolwaseTashkent. Uhlelo lwesitimela esingaphansi komhlaba lwaseTashkent aluyona nje into yokuhamba—iyifa elimangalisayo kakhulu elashiywa yiSoviet Union e-Uzbekistan. Isiteshi ngasinye siwubuciko obuzimele: isiteshi sase-Alisher Navoi sinemifanekiso yezimbongi zase-Asia Ephakathi ophahleni, izindonga zesiteshi sase-Kosmonavtlar zihlonipha wonke ama-astronauts kusukela ku-Gagarin kuya kumaqhawe asemkhathini ase-Uzbekistan. Unogada wesitimela wabona ubuso bami obungowezizwe, waphakamisa amashiya, wabe esengishaya ngesandla—abantu bendawo bakhokha ngekhadi, abafokazi bakhululekile, lo mthetho awubhalwanga waseTashkent.

Usuku lwesibili ngangisesitimeleni esinesivinini esikhulu esiya eSamarkand. Umbukwanga ngaphandle kwewindi usuka kumpunga wedolobha uye komhlophe kakotini, bese uba nsundu emaphethelweni ogwadule lwaseKarakum. Umakhelwane owayehlezi eceleni kwami wayengumfana osemusha, wangibuza ngesipelingi ukuthi ngivela kuphi, wabe esengikhombisa ngokuziqhenya isithombe sezindaba esisetshenzisweni sakhe esibonisa iqembu lase-Uzbekistan selidlulele eNdebeni Yomhlaba. 'U-Abdukodir Khusanov,' esho ekhomba umdlali osemusha oneminyaka engamashumi amabili emuva, 'udlalela iLens. AmaFulentshi aseyazi iTashkent manje.'

Usuku lwesithathu nolwesine kwakunguSamarkand neBukhara. Amathayili aluhlaza aseSamarkand ajulile kunasezithombeni—lowo mbala uluhlaza okungathi ukhandwe phansi oLwandle iMedithera, kodwa womiswa yilanga lase-Asia Ephakathi. Edolobheni lasendulo laseBukhara, ngaduka amahora amathathu. Hhayi ngoba idolobha likhulu, kodwa ngoba umnyango ngamunye wokhuni ovuliwe wawubonakala uholela kwesinye isikhathi. Umthengisi kasilika wayehleli esitolo sakhe—usilika wangempela, ovela eFergana Valley, obomvu ngombala wezimpande zemifino—wangibona ngigqolozele lowo mqulu kasilika obomvu isikhathi eside, wathi: 'Uyazi, uMarco Polo akazange abhale lo mbala. Wathi usilika wase-Uzbekistan ushibhile, kodwa akazange abhale ngobomvu.'

I-Khiva kwakungusuku lwesihlanu. Leli dolobha lasendulo elizungezwe izindonga ezinombala womhlabathi lalicishe lingabi namuntu emini. Ngangihlezi emthunzini we-Kalta Minor minaret, kwafika indoda endala ihamba kancane yahlala eceleni kwami. 'Izivakashi zifika ngehora lesine ntambama,' yasho, 'ekuseni yisikhathi seKhiva.' Sathula isikhathi eside. Yabe isikhomba ifulegi lase-Uzbekistan elintanta kude yathi: 'Uyabona, leyo nkundla yebhola. Kwakuyisibaya samahhashi. Ngesikhathi seSilk Road, abathengisi babeshintsha amahhashi lapho. Manje abasha badlala khona ibhola. Izinto ezishintshwayo sezihlukile, kodwa umgwaqo usewumgwaqo.'

Usuku lwesithupha lwadlula esitimeleni sasebusuku—kusuka eKhiva sibuyela eTashkent, sidlula emaphethelweni ogwadule. Umsakazo esitimeleni wawukhipha umsindo oshwabayo, udlala izingoma ezindala zesiRashiya ezinomsindo wase-Asia Ephakathi. Ngezinye izikhathi ngaphandle kwewindi kwakukhanya imihlambi yamakamela nezibani eziyizihlakala. Ngakhumbula amazwi omthengisi kasilika waseBukhara, ngakhumbula umbala wegolide waseSamarkand, ngakhumbula ukuphakamisa amashiya kukanogada wesitimela waseTashkent. Ngabe sengivula isethi yemidlalo ka-Abdukodir Khusanov kuLigue 1 efowunini—umfana osemusha wase-Uzbekistan oneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye egijima, ehlwitha, ephindisela, edlula ibhola emabaleni aseFrance.

Usuku lwesikhombisa, ngibuyela eTashkent. Ilanga lalishisa futhi lomile njengasezinsukwini eziyisikhombisa ezedlule. Kodwa engikubuyisile akuyona izithombe nezikhumbuzo, kodwa impendulo yombuzo: I-Silk Road ayikho into 'eshiyekile'—ivele yashintsha indlela ekhona ngayo. Izinongo zaphenduka umnotho webhola, izindawo zokuhlala zabathengisi zaphenduka iziteshi zezitimela ezinomsindo omkhulu, usilika waphenduka izinkontileka zokudluliswa kwabadlali. Into uMarco Polo angayibhalanga akulona nje umbala walowo mqulu kasilika obomvu—akayibhalanga into yokuthi abantu bakulo mgwaqo abakaze bahambe ngempela. Bavele bashintsha amakamela bafaka izitimela, bashintsha izinongo bafaka ibhola.