Shymkent, South Kazakhstan Province, Kazakhstan
After my long train ride I was going to be based in Shymkent for the next four days exploring the Turkestan region. I'd found a guide on https://indy-guide.com/ who I'd arranged three days of tours with.
My guide was named Dildabek and we met in the hotel lobby at 830am. I didnt know there were natural springs in the city and the reason for the towns creation.
Shymkent means sod town from the most soil from the springs. 'Kent' means town and Tashkent in Uzbekistan is named stone town.
The natural springs are used for bathing and have been diagnosed for their mineral content. Fishing is forbidden. Dildabek also told me of local customs how they orally know their ancestors back 20 generations as part of their nomadic culture and can not intermarry for seven generations.
Next he took me to Independence Park where I had walked yesterday walking from the train station. I wasnt keen in the rising heat but he said there were ancient ruins the other side of the park.
He was also telling me of local culture of talking to dead spirits. They will bake fresh bread and go to the graves as they believe the strong aromas will make the spirits happy. They also believe in horse spirits as the horse is their companion, mode of transport, and source of meat.
Speaking of meat next we went to the Green Bazaar. This was a typical Central Asian market selling traditional breads and produce. Surprising in the meats section was horse meat and sausage, something I was not keen to try.
Next we made our way to Abey Park which had a Soviet style WWII memorial. Many locals went to fight in the wars during Soviet times and the monument is to the local heroes who sacrificed their lives.
There were also tributes to the Afghan war so I was curious about how locals felt about fighting fellow Muslims and Central Asians. I didnt want to probe too much but he said they had to support the war as there was no choice in Soviet times.
It was very typical of Soviet style monuments and their were various sections of the park but the heat was quite bad now.
Next we drove to the northern part of town to an ethno theme park. He said there were good views of the city if we climbed all the stairs to the monument at the top. I wasnt too keen on the climbing in the sun but went along.
I also asked to visit some churches as I like Russian churches and wasnt able to find them in Astana. During Soviet times religion was controlled and all priests hand picked. If you wanted a government job you had to be non religious.
The first church we visited had its domes removed in Soviet times and is now a puppet museum, preserving the buildings heritage.
Next we drove to St Nicholas Church. This was more hidden among the trees but had distinctive domes. The Russian population is dwindling and this is the only remaining practicing church in Shymkent. It was an interesting first half day exploring.
Darren Thompson
2018-10-27
What a cracking little article! Thoroughly enjoyed it and the photos for me were a trip down memory lane! I'm glad I found this through Facebook! ))) Speak soon! )))