Uzbekistan Izindaba: Ngahamba Umzila Kasilika Izinsuku Eziyisikhombisa Futhi Ngathola Ukuthi UMarco Polo Washiya Okuningi Ngaphandle

IRegistan Square yaseSamarkand ngehora lesithupha namashumi amane nanhlanu kusihlwa ishintsha ibe umbala osagolide ongakaze uwubone ngaphambilini. Amathayili aluhlaza amamadrasa amathathu ayaphaphama esimweni esipholile sobuIslam aqale amunce ukushisa okufayo kwelanga. Ikhehla elalithengisa ujusi wepomegranate langitshela ngesiNgisi esibambezelayo: 'Le ndawo yayiyinkundla yezingxoxo eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisithupha edlule — abafundi abavela kuwo womathathu amamadrasa bephikisana enkundleni. Imfundiso yenkolo, izinkanyezi, izibalo, noma yini.' Labe selifaka usawoti enkomishini yami lathi: 'Phuza. Ujusi wepomegranate ongenashukela — injalo indlela onambitha ngayo uMzila Kasilika.'

Wayeqinisile. Ujusi wepomegranate ongenashukela unomuncu obukhali, njengokunambitheka kokugcina kwakho konke okuphelayo kuleli zwe. Futhi umbuzo wami wawulona: yini esasele ngempela eMzileni Kasilika?

IUzbekistan inabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-36, iyizwe elinabantu abaningi kunawo wonke e-Asia Emaphakathi, futhi ingelinye lamazwe amabili kuphela emhlabeni avaleke ungakwazi ukungena ngomhlaba noma ngasiphi isandla (elinye yiLiechtenstein). Ezweni elivalwe umhlaba nxazonke, uMzila Kasilika awukona nje umlando — kuwubufakazi obunomsindo kakhulu leli zwe elake laba nabo bokuba khona kwalo emhlabeni. Ngo-2026, amaWhite Wolves — iqembu lesizwe laseUzbekistan — lizoqala ukuvela esiteji seWorld Cup okokuqala. Kubalandeli bebhola abaningi, lokhu kuzoba okokuqala befuna ukuthi 'ikuphi i-Uzbekistan.'

Usuku lokuqala ngangiseTashkent. Imetro yaseTashkent ayisona nje isistimu yezokuthutha — iyifa elixakile kunawo wonke iSoviet Union eyalishiya e-Uzbekistan. Zonke iziteshi ziwumsebenzi wobuciko ozimele: idolobha lesiteshi i-Alisher Navoi libonisa izimbongi zase-Asia Emaphakathi ngemifanekiso yamatshe amancane; izindonga zesiteshi iKosmonavtlar zihlonipha wonke umuntu kusukela kuYuri Gagarin kuya kosomkhathi baseUzbek. Iphoyisa lezokuphepha lemetro labona ubuso bami bokufika, laphakamisa ishiya, langidlulisa ngaphakathi — abantu bendawo bayakhokha, abokufika mahhala, umthetho ongabhalwanga waseTashkent.

Ngosuku lwesibili ngangisesitimeleni esinesivinini esikhulu esiya eSamarkand. Ngaphandle kwewindi, umumo wezwe wawushintsha kusuka kokumpunga wasemadolobheni kuya emhlophe wamapulazi kakotini, bese kuba semngceleni onsundu woGwadule iKarakum. Insizwa eyayihlezi eceleni kwami yasebenzisa i-app yokuhumusha ukubuza ukuthi ngivela kuphi, yabe isingikhombisa ngeqholo isikrini efonini yayo: izindaba zokuthi iUzbekistan isiphumelele ukufikelela eWorld Cup. 'U-Abdukodir Khusanov,' yasho, ikhomba umdlali wasemuva oneminyaka engamashumi amabili ekhombeni. 'Udlalela iLens. EFrance. Manje amaFulentshi ayazi ukuthi iTashkent ikuphi.'

Izinsuku zesithathu nezesine kwakuseSamarkand naseBukhara. Amathayili aluhlaza aseSamarkand ajule ukudlula noma yisiphi isithombe esingawaveza — lowo mbala oluhlaza othile ubukeka sengathi wakhishelwa ngaphandle phansi koLwandle iMedithera kodwa womiswa ngaphansi kwelanga lase-Asia Emaphakathi. Edolobheni elidala laseBukhara, ngaduka amahora amathathu. Hhayi ngoba idolobha likhulu, kodwa ngoba wonke umnyango wokhuni ovuleke kancane wawubukeka njengokungenela kwenye inkathi. Umthengisi kasilika wayehlezi esitolo sakhe — usilika wangempela, olethwe kusuka eFergana Valley, udaywe ubomvu ngempande yemadder — wangibona ngigqolozele iphakethe likasilika obomvu isikhathi eside. 'Uyazi,' washo, 'uMarco Polo akakaze abhale ngalo mbala. Wathi usilika waseUzbek ushibhile, kodwa akakaze abhale ngobomvu.'

IKhiva kwakungusuku lwesihlanu. Leli dolobha elinamadonga elibiyelwe ngezinqaba ezinsundu ngokumpunga, lalicishe lingenamuntu ngaphansi kwelanga lasemini. Ngahlala ethunzini leKalta Minor minaret. Ikhehla laqonda kimi lahlala eceleni kwami. 'Izivakashi zifika ngehora lesine ntambama,' lasho. 'Ekuseni yisikhathi seKhiva uqobo.' Sathula isikhathi eside. Labe selikhomba ifulegi laseUzbek elaliphephezela buqamama lathi: 'Uyayibona leyondawo yebhola? Kwakuyisitali. Ngesikhathi soMzila Kasilika, abathengisi babeshintsha amahhashi abo lapha. Manje intsha ikhahlela ibhola lapho. Okushintshaniswayo sekushintshile, kodwa umzila usenguwo ofanayo.'

Usuku lwesithupha lwavela esitimeleni sasebusuku — iKhiva ibuyela eTashkent, silandela umkhawulo wogwadule. Umsakazo wesitimela wawukhala ngezingoma zakudala zesiRashiya ezinokugqama kwase-Asia Emaphakathi. Ngaphandle kwewindi, imihlambi yamakamela eyezikhathi ezithile nezibani ezisakazekile zazidlula zicwayiza. Ngacabanga ngalokho umthengisi kasilika eBukhara ayekushilo, ngegolide laseSamarkand, ngeshiya eliphakanyisiwe lephoyisa lemetro eTashkent. Ngabe sengivula amavidiyo amahle ka-Abdukodir Khusanov eLigue 1 efonini yami — insizwa yaseUzbek eneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye ishibilika, ixoshana, idlulisa amabhola amade enkundleni yaseFrance.

Usuku lwesikhombisa, ngibuyele eTashkent. Ilanga lalilomile futhi lishisa njengoba lalinjalo evikini eledlule. Kodwa engangikuphathele ekhaya kwakungezona izithombe noma izikhumbuzo — kwakuyimpendulo yombuzo. UMzila Kasilika awuzange 'ushiye' lutho ngemuva — wavele washintsha indlela okhona ngayo. Izinongo zaba umnotho webhola; iziteshi zamahhashi zaba iziteshi zezitimela ezinesivinini esikhulu; usilika waba amakontakithi okudluliswa kwabadlali. Lokho uMarco Polo akushiya ngaphandle kwakungekhona nje umbala walelo phakethe likasilika obomvu — washaya ngaphandle iqiniso lokuthi abantu bakulo mzila abakaze bamuke ngempela. Bamane batshintshe amakamela bathatha izitimela, nezinongo babeka ibhola.