syr-darya

Source to Sea: Three journeys down the Syr Darya

~ Nick Fielding ~ 1 Comment

The Syr Darya is Central Asia’s secret river. More than 2,200 kms in length and travelling through four countries – Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan – it flows from its source in the Tien Shan Mountains all the way to what remains of the Aral Sea.

In September, together with Dela Arba Travel from Almaty, I will be starting the first of three expeditions down the river, the first of their kind. Starting at the source we will travel down the river – known as the Naryn at this point – to the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border, before crossing into the Ferghana Valley. From here we will cross briefly into Tajikistan to visit Khojand and the site of Alexandria Eschate, the city built by Alexander the Great on the shores of the river. From there we will return to Uzbekistan to visit Tashkent and Aidarkul Lake. Along the route we will visit some of the ancient cities and archaeological sites, such as Akhsikent and Sharukhiya. Full details can be found here:

Syr_Darya_Expedition_Source_to_Sea_final (July 26)Download

Two further journeys along the river will take place in spring 2027. Expedition 2 will follow the river from the Uzbek border to the remarkable city of Turkestan, location of the superb Khoja Ahmed Yassawi Mausoleum built on the orders of Timur (Tamerlane) at the end of the 14thC. Expedition 3 will follow the river from Turkestan through the Kyzyl Kum desert to the Aral Sea. Along the route we will explore some of the remarkable ‘lost’ cities that can be found deep in the desert.

If you are interested in joining any of these three expeditions, please get in touch. There are still a couple of places on Expedition 1, which leaves on 15 September from Almaty in Kazakhstan. More places are available on the two other expeditions.

Khoja Ahmed Yassawi Mausoleum, Turkestan

Exploring The Northern Silk Road

~ Nick Fielding ~ 1 Comment

On Monday night I gave the Younghusband Lecture to the Adventure Circle of the Army and Navy Club in London. My subject was Kazakhstan: Exploring the Northern Silk Road, based largely on my trip earlier this year from Almaty to the remnants of the Aral Sea in the far west of the country.

Having now spent 15 years or so exploring various parts of Kazakhstan, mostly in the east and south-east, I was finally struck by the importance of the route across the southern part of the country that is sometimes referred to as the Ferghana-Syr Darya Corridor. This east-west route follows the course of the great Syr Darya River as it meanders its way to the northern part of what remains of the Aral Sea. It is a route that has existed for thousands of years and once would have led caravans from the Pamir Mountains up past the Aral and on towards the Volga River and the former Golden Horde city of Kazan or further west, across the top of the Caspian Sea towards Krim (Crimea).

The Syr Darya is almost a mirror image of the more southerly Amu Darya River – known in antiquity as the Oxus – but is much less well known. When most people think of the Silk Road they tend to think of the cities of Samarkand, Bokhara and Khiva, all closely linked to the Amu Darya.

These two great Central Asian Rivers have always been important in the history of the region, providing water for agriculture and defining borders and spheres of influence. And yet while many people are familiar with the great cities associated with Timur and the Uzbek Khanate, very few know much about the northern route. It too has associations with Timur, particularly the city of Turkistan, but it also has its own rich history. Along this northern Silk Road can be found the remains of many great cities that flourished in the period before the discovery of the sea routes between China, India and Western Europe.

These cities include Otrar, Sauran, Kyshkala, Asanas, Syganak, Yassy and Zhankala, all now nominated by the Kazakhs for UNESCO World Heritage status. Along this route can also be found the magnificent ancient petroglyphs at Arpauzen and the cosmodrome at Baikonur.

The remains of Sauran
Otrar
Zhankala
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkistan
Another view of the Mausoleum.

There are still many discoveries to be made along the Northern Silk Road. Friends in Kazakhstan tell me that they have come across the remains of ‘lost’ cities in the Kara Kum Desert that are not mentioned on any maps or history books. Adventure beckons!