The Music Festival Sharq Taronalari (Melodies of the East) was first held in Samarkand in 1997. Since then, the festival has been held every two years, inviting performers and musical groups from all over the world. The aims of the music forum include preserving and developing the best examples of national musical art and presenting them to an international audience, educating young people in the spirit of national traditions and establishing international links between creative collectives and musicians from different countries.

The Music Festival Sharq Taronalari has been held in the following years:

1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022 (the Music Festival Sharq Taronalari planned for 2021 has been postponed to 2022).

The Music Festival Sharq Taronalari is organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Sport of Uzbekistan, the National Television and Radio Company of Uzbekistan, the Uzbek Composers Association and the Hokimiyat of the Samarkand Region. The competition receives regular support from UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The number of countries participating in the festival increases from year to year: while representatives from 31 countries took part in the first festival in 1997, there were already representatives from 50 countries in 2009.

The music festival takes place in Samarkand on Registan Square, the city’s main attraction. Surrounded on three sides by three magnificent madrassas – Ulugbek, Sherdor and Tillya Qari – the square is the setting for a colourful sound and light show that presents the history of Samarkand from ancient times to the present. The show traces the major milestones and eras of life in Samarkand: from the first records of human settlement in the region, the site of Afrosiab, through the Mongol invasion to Samarkand’s Golden Age under Amir Timur, known in the West as Tamerlane. During this period, Samarkand became the largest city on the Great Silk Road, where culture and crafts flourished and architects left behind magnificent examples of medieval architecture.

Samarkand is definitely a first-class city that everyone visiting Uzbekistan and Central Asia should visit – to be in the region and not visit Samarkand would be a regrettable and unforgivable mistake. Samarkand has a large number of historical monuments, including Registan Square, the Bibi Khanum Mosque, the Shah i Zinda Mausoleum Complex, the Ulugbek Observatory, the Haji Daniyar Mausoleum and finally the Gur Emir Mausoleum, where the mortal remains of Tamerlane rest. All these sites are as interesting for history buffs, lovers of medieval culture, architecture and handicrafts as they are for ordinary tourists who may remember the immersion in the atmosphere of the medieval East for a lifetime.

Over the years, various entertainment events have enriched the programme of this great musical spectacle, including exhibitions and fairs of local handicrafts such as costumes, musical instruments and household items. There are also art exhibitions, performances and concerts. The week-long festival concludes with a colourful gala concert and fireworks.

As the Music Festival Sharq Taronalari is traditionally held in late summer or early autumn, it coincides with the peak of the tourist season. This is the best time to visit the Central Asian region, when the hot summer temperatures return to normal, fruit and vegetables abound in the markets and tens of thousands of tourists flock from all over the world to combine a historical and cultural tour of Uzbekistan with a spectacular music show.

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In September 2011, the inaugural run of Central Asia’s first high-speed train, the “Afrosiyob,” commenced service on the Tashkent-Samarkand route. Designed with passenger comfort in mind, the train carriages boast state-of-the-art amenities. Each cabin features plush, adjustable seats equipped with a table, footrest, and built-in audio-video module. Passengers can enjoy entertainment on individual monitors, complemented by a reading lamp for added convenience. The cabin windows are crafted from insulating laminated glass and feature sunshades, ensuring a pleasant journey regardless of external conditions.

Storage space is plentiful in all cabins, with dedicated clothes hangers and luggage racks conveniently situated above the seats. For refreshments, passengers can visit the bistro car, offering a diverse menu of oriental and European cuisine, along with tea, coffee, and other beverages. Smoking is strictly prohibited in all areas of the train, maintaining a clean and comfortable environment for all passengers. Each carriage is equipped with a display providing essential information such as the train’s route, cabin number, temperature, and current speed. Additionally, the cabins are adorned with carpeting, enhancing comfort and providing effective noise insulation throughout the journey.

In the Afrosiyob train, provisions for disabled individuals are comprehensive. The 3rd carriage of the train features a designated area with secure anchorage for wheelchairs. Each seat is equipped with a call button to summon the steward, ensuring accessibility. Additionally, a specialized toilet for wheelchair users is conveniently located nearby. The uniform floor level across all sections of the Afrosiyob train facilitates smooth wheelchair movement.

Experience swift and comfortable travel through Uzbekistan’s cities by purchasing an Afrosiyob train ticket here. The Afrosiyob express train operates daily, providing regular trips to Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent. Refer below for the current Afrosiyob high-speed train Timetable. We will gladly organise the booking of train tickets for “Afrosiyob” for you and send them to you electronically.

Enquiry form for the ticket price of your train journey

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The specificity of indigenous peoples’ clothing has long been determined by climatic and domestic conditions and tribal traditions. In the 19th century, clothing (robes, dresses and shirts) still retained features of archaism: wide, long, one-piece and freely falling, hiding the human body shape. Uzbek clothes were characterised by their uniformity – winter and summer, men’s, women’s and children’s clothes were similar in shape and cut.

The traditional national male costume consisted of a warm quilted coat – chopon, tied with a scarf or shawls, a headdress and boots made of thin leather. The men wore a straight-cut shirt on the bottom and a coat on top. The robe could be light or warm, quilted with cotton wool. The sides of the coat had slits to facilitate walking and sitting on the ground. The Chopon coat was usually tied with a shawl or scarves.

The festive costume differs from the everyday costume in the beauty and richness of the fabrics, embroidery, etc.

Women’s costume consisted of a robe, a functional dress of the simple Khan Atlas type, and trousers – wide, thin, narrowed at the bottom. The women’s headgear consisted of three basic elements: Cap, scarf and turban. Women’s festive clothes differed from everyday clothes in the quality and beauty of the fabrics from which they were made. The Uzbek children’s clothes repeated the forms of the adults’ clothes. In addition to the general characteristics, the Uzbek clothes of each region or tribe had their own specificity, expressed in the fabrics used, the shape of the cut, etc.

The Tubeteika – a hard or soft cap with lining – has always been one of the most popular and widespread crafts in Uzbekistan. The tubeteika has become an integral part of the Uzbek national costume and has been integrated into the life and traditions of the Uzbek people. The most widespread forms of Uzbek tubeteikas are tetrahedral, slightly conical. The tubeteikas were made of two or more layers of fabric quilted and fastened with silk or cotton threads. The finished tubeteika was embroidered with silk thread, gold or silver thread. For many centuries, women in particular mastered the art of tubeteika embroidery. The flower motif, the almond-shaped motif “bodom” – symbol of life and fertility are the most common motifs adorning tubeteikas. Widely used in tubeteikas ornament is the pattern “ilon izi” (snake track), which plays the role of talisman.

Tubeteikas differ by region in shape, ornament, signs of artistic symbolism. The creation of a particular type of tubeteikas in this or that region influenced not only the natural conditions, but also the art traditions historically formed in that region and the general level of art and cultural development. For example, while in Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya (especially in Boysun) round, cone-shaped tubeteikas were embroidered with bright, contrasting silk threads, in Bukhara they were mostly decorated with gold embroidery. The earliest tubeteikas were made in the towns of the Fergana Valley: Khust, Margilan, Kokand and Andijan. Shahrisabz “Gilam duppies” were particularly notable for the continuous stitching in the technique “Iroqi”. In Tashkent, most of the women’s tubeteikas were embroidered in the Iroki technique with continuous cross-stitch, dominated by floral motifs on a white embroidered background. To the names of these tubeteikas was added the name of the town where they were made: “Chust doppi”, “Kokand doppi”, “Shahrihon doppi”, “Margilan doppi”, “Gilam (Shahrisabz) doppi”, etc. Local characteristics were sometimes expressed so strongly that a person’s affiliation to this or that place was determined by the headgear.

Der Beitrag Uzbek clothes erschien zuerst auf Turkestan Travel.

Uzbek cuisine is the most diverse in the Orient. Some of the recipes for Uzbek dishes have a centuries-old history. Each dish has its traditional rituals and ways of preparation. There are about 1000 different recipes of dishes, drinks and sweets.

Pilaf (Palov, Pilav, Plov) is the most famous dish of Uzbekistan. It is considered both an everyday and a festive dish. Not a single wedding, party or birthday celebration can do without it. The main ingredient of pilov is rice, meat, carrots, onions, etc.

One of the famous Uzbek sausages is “Kazi” made from horse meat.

Bread is sacred to the Uzbek people. According to tradition, when someone leaves home for a long time, they should take a small bite of a piece of bread, which is kept until the person comes back and eats it. The tradition of carrying baskets of bread on one’s head also shows a high respect for bread. For many centuries, bakers have baked the flat bread in the Tandoor (clay oven), which makes the bread tasty and crispy. There are two types of lepyoshkas: regular (obi-non) and holiday (patyr). Regular flat bread is kneaded in water and covered with sedana. Patyr is prepared from puff pastry with the addition of mutton fat.

Shashlik and Somsa (national pita made of layered dough, baked in the tandoor) are very famous dishes of Uzbek cuisine.

Soups occupy an important place in the national cuisine of Uzbekistan. These dishes are rich in vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, as well as onions and greens. The most popular soups are mastava and shurpa.

Halva, the world-famous traditional oriental delicacy, is made from wheat flour, sugar and nuts or sedana. There are about 50 different types of halva in Uzbekistan.

In addition, Uzbekistan is famous for its delicious juices made from fruits, grapes, melons and watermelons. There is also a wide range of dried fruits, nuts and almonds.

When you visit Uzbekistan, be sure to try Uzbek cuisine and ask your hosts for a recipe for your favourite dish.

Der Beitrag Uzbek cuisine erschien zuerst auf Turkestan Travel.

Tajikistan is a mountainous country in the heart of Asia, with a great historical heritage and an ancient and distinctive culture. It is the land of striking natural contrasts, the highest peaks, mighty glaciers, rushing, mighty rivers, lakes unique in their beauty, unique vegetation and rare animals. 93% of the territory of the Republic belongs to mountain ranges, which are part of the Pamir, Gissar-Alay and Tien-Shan mountain systems. The mountain ranges are separated by rich and fertile lands of Fergana, Zerafshan, Vakhsh and Hissar valleys. The complexity of the relief and the great altitudinal amplitude of the mountain systems cause an extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna. The soil, vegetation and fauna of Tajikistan have a highly indented character. The vegetation is rich in wild fruit trees and thousands of plant species, which are actively used by the population. The most valuable wealth of the republic is its rivers and lakes with systemic glacial food. There are huge reserves of snow and ice in the highlands of the country. Types of tourism activities include mountaineering, mountain sports and ecotourism, rafting, paragliding, skiing, interhiking, historical, cultural and ethnographic tourism, spa stays and recreational activities. Here is the useful information for your Travel to Tajikistan.

Why visit: A trip to Tajikistan takes tourists to historical sites and ancient cities like Khujand, Penjikent and Istaravshan. The best areas in Tajikistan for ecotourism are the Fann Mountains, Lake Karakul and the Pamir Mountains. Families spend an active holiday with their children in Tajikistan, visiting the dolphin water park and the Dushanbe zoo. Mountaineers from all over the world come to Tajikistan to conquer the 7000 m high Communism peak. Spend your wellness holiday in Tajikistan at the thermal springs of Garm Chashma and Obigarm.

When to travel: Winter in Tajikistan is the best time for skiing and extreme mountaineering. The snow and ice transform of the country into a frosty wonderland with sparkling peaks. But at the same time, the mountains become potentially dangerous and the mountain roads are sometimes covered with snow, making it almost impossible to cross the Pamirs.

Autumn in Tajikistan varies depending on where you are. In the mountains it rains and a cold wind blows, while the valleys of Dushanbe and Khujand offer a pleasant backdrop in the golden hues of the leaves. September is the last month when you can travel comfortably on the Pamir Highway, but even then temperatures can drop below 00 C at night.

Spring approaches in April and beautiful landscapes of mountains and valleys appear as early as May. Spring in Tajikistan is full of festivals and is perfect for combining tours of the cities and the mountain regions. The melting snow of the Pamirs fills the rivers and the mountain slopes are covered in green.

Summers in Tajikistan are sunny but not so hot. This is the ideal season for travelling through Tajikistan. You can drive freely in almost all mountainous areas. It is quite warm during the day for swimming in the mountain lakes. At an altitude of up to 3,000 metres you can sleep comfortably in tents. In summer, the markets are already full of fragrant and extremely tasty fruits and vegetables.

Arrival: The most comfortable and fastest way to reach Tajikistan is by plane to the capital. Dozens of foreign airlines, such as Flydubai, Turkish Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air Astana, Siberia and others, have their offices in the capital of the country. Besides Dushanbe, there are international airports in Kulob and Khujand. Tajik Air and Somon Air fly on local routes. These airlines also operate flights to Europe.

Language: Tajik is the official language of the country. Russian is the language of international communication and a small amount of office work is done in this language. Uzbek in particular is one of the most widely spoken indigenous minority languages. Very few people in Tajikistan speak English.

Visa: Foreign nationals require a valid passport and visa to enter Tajikistan. A visa can be applied for at the Tajik Embassy abroad. It is also convenient to get an electronic visa on the portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan. Tajikistan has a visa-free regime with almost all CIS countries, except Turkmenistan. There is also a simplified visa regime with 69 countries under which one can get the tourist visa on arrival at Dushanbe airport. More details on the visa for Tajikistan can be found here ⇒.

Registration: Every foreigner should be registered on arrival in Tajikistan within 3 working days from the date of entry into the country. An accommodation certificate should be obtained from the hotel and then registered with OVIR. Registration with OVIR may take more than 3 days, so it is better to ask the hotel or travel agency that organised your trip for help. There is a fee for registering with OVIR and the hotel.

With a tourist visa, a foreigner has the right to stay in Tajikistan for 30 days without registration. To visit the Pamirs, a foreign tourist needs a permit in addition to a visa. The permit is issued together with the visa at the embassies of Tajikistan in Europe or can be obtained at the police station in Dushanbe.

When leaving Tajikistan, your passport and the validity of the visa will be checked at passport control. The immigration officer may also ask you to present the registration forms from your hotel or the local OVIR. So make sure you always have your hotel’s registration form to hand (preferably stapled to your passport) before you go through passport control at the airport.

Accommodation: In Dushanbe and the larger tourist cities of the country, there are European-style hotels with a wide range of services. In other cities, Soviet-style hotels and private hotels with modest accommodation are common.

Money and currency exchange: American dollars, euros and Russian roubles can be exchanged for Tajik somoni at Dushanbe airport, banks and hotel exchange offices ⇒exchange rate. Exchange offices and banks do not accept banknotes if they are old, worn, torn or crumpled, or if there is any handwriting on them. You can only pay with a bank card or withdraw money from ATMs in Tajikistan’s major cities, hotels and supermarkets. Travellers’ cheques cannot be cashed in Tajikistan.

Departure: For international flights, travellers are advised to arrive at the airport 2-3 hours before departure. Before leaving your hotel at the airport, check the following documents: passport, registration form received from your hotel or OVIR, customs declaration on arrival, flight ticket and validity of visa for Tajikistan in your passport.

Through customs: When leaving the country, you will need to fill in a copy of the customs declaration at the customs checkpoint. Please indicate the exact amount for each type of currency and any valuables you are transporting. Please note that it is not formally allowed to take more cash out of the country than was brought in at the beginning of your trip to Tajikistan.

Handicrafts and souvenirs: At the checkpoint, the customs officer may ask you to show him handmade items and souvenirs you have purchased to ensure that you are not illegally exporting cultural goods or antiques. If you are taking such items out of the country, you must have the relevant documentation with you.

Der Beitrag Travel to Tajikistan – useful information erschien zuerst auf Turkestan Travel.

The tourist front-runners among the Central Asian countries are of course Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with their ancient Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara. Kyrgyzstan is considered a Mecca of international mountaineering thanks to the accessible seven-thousand-metre peaks in the Tien Shan Mountains. More than 75 % of the country’s surface is covered by the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alai mountain ranges. However, Kyrgyzstan is not only attracted by the mountains: due to the low tourist flow, the country has preserved the original culture, handicrafts, traditions and customs of the nomads, the old architecture and the joie de vivre that is so lacking in the developed tourist regions. Here is useful information for your travel to Kyrgyzstan. So it’s high time to pack your bags and backpacks and travel to Kyrgyzstan before mass tourism arrives, and holidays there will appeal to beach lovers and adventurers alike.

Why visit: Kyrgyzstan beckons with its nomadic culture and everyday landscapes. The places are not yet revised and the photos will be unique. You will also have the opportunity to meet people who live very differently, observe national nomadic games, try new foods and experience the famous Tien Shan mountains, of which there are many seven-thousand-metre peaks. It is easy to climb the high mountains and dissolve into the night sky because there is virtually no lighting from the cities and the stars seem closer. Hospitality here is almost the same as in the Caucasus: a guest means a holiday for the house.

When to travel: The time of year depends on where you want to go. In summer, the temperature rises to over 35 degrees in the valleys, but it is cooler in the mountains. In autumn, winter and spring, the highlands are covered with snow, so the ski resorts are open from November to April. On the high mountain pastures – jailoo – it is better to travel from June to September when there are camps of nomads. For hiking and trekking, we recommend May to October. The best seasons for combined travel are early and late summer or early autumn, when the mass flow of tourists decreases, it is not hot and sometimes there is snow on the mountain tops.

Arrival: By plane to the capital of Kyrgyzstan in the north – Bishkek, to the south of the country – to the city of Osh. Or via Kazakhstan – Alma-Ata. From Alma-Ata to Bishkek you can take a taxi, bus or train. From Osh, taxis will take you to the Druzhba (“Dozlik”, “Dostuk”) border crossing 30 kilometres away at the border with Uzbekistan for a small fee.

Language: The state language of Kyrgyzstan is Kyrgyz, Russian is considered the language of interethnic dialogue. English is not widely spoken, only in tourist areas such as Bishkek, Osh and Karakol.

Visa: For most other countries – visa-free up to 60 days stay. For the full list of visa-free countries, click here.

Currency: The national currency is the Kyrgyz Som. It is better to change your roubles or dollars in banks or exchange offices, the latter are open 24 hours a day. Card payments will only be possible in Bishkek, Osh and Karakol. In other places it is better to have cash in som. Other foreign currencies are hardly or not at all accepted for payment. Prices for goods and food in the country are lower than in most touristy countries in the region.

Accommodation: In the larger towns you can rent holiday flats or guesthouses through us. There are also many good and inexpensive hostels. In summer, the Kyrgyz organise tourist yurt camps at popular tourist spots, which can also be booked through us. In other cases, ask locally and you will immediately find a guesthouse, hostel or yurt to stay in.

Communications: There are three mobile phone operators in Kyrgyzstan: O! , Megacom, and Beeline. It is easy to buy a SIM card in any communication shop with a foreign passport or without a passport in local supermarkets. 3G and 4G communication and mobile internet is available in populated areas, while in remote areas the connection is poor or non-existent. In cities, many cafés and restaurants have free Wi-Fi.

Travelling around the country: The most convenient way to see everything and be mobile is to rent a car in Bishkek or Osh. If you plan to drive in the highlands, it is better to choose crossovers or SUVs. Over 70% of Kyrgyz roads are not paved. There are no global car rental companies – you need to find a local one.

It is possible to rent a car for drivers who are older than 25 years, have not less than 3 years of driving experience and have an international driving licence (or a new type of licence – 2014 and after with the full name translated into English).

Make sure that the company you rent a car from insures the vehicles. Insurance is not compulsory in Kyrgyzstan and not all rental companies insure the cars, so ask in advance. Also check if it is possible to drive the rented car to neighbouring countries.

The popular tourist destinations are easy and cheap to reach on your own by bus or minibus. Individual transport is well developed and taxi drivers are always available. The quality of the main roads and highways is good, but in the highlands there are classic dirt roads that are best travelled by off-road vehicles. Although it is possible to reach Lake Sonkol and the Arabel Plateau by car.

The railway connection is poor (only the Bishkek – Balykchy line) and only works in summer.
There are also flights from Bishkek to Osh. By comparison, a regular bus (minibus) takes 10-12 hours on a good route over the high mountain passes between them.

Cuisine: There is a cult of food in Central Asia. Thanks to the country’s location in the heart of the region, the local cuisine has absorbed the characteristics of many Central Asian nations.

The Kyrgyz are nomadic, so the traditional cuisine is linked to the traditions of the nomadic way of life. The dishes are cooked from fresh products, almost all of them are based on meat: mutton, beef, horse meat or yak. A vegetarian will find it difficult to eat here, although many traditional dishes contain a lot of vegetables.

A vegetarian travelled with us and we had to explain to the Kyrgyz in the café for a long time that you don’t have to do something on meat broth and without meat. They were very surprised and could not understand for a long time how this was possible.

The main dishes are beshbarmak, pilaf, lagman, shorpo, manty, kurdak, dymdama, ashlyan-fu, chuchuk (kazy), tash-kordo.

• Beshbarmak are homemade noodles made from lamb or horse meat broth. The meat is finely sliced and cooked.
• Lagman – long homemade noodles cooked in the meat broth of lamb with vegetables. When there is a lot of broth, the dish resembles a thick, spicy soup.
• Shorpo is a national Kyrgyz soup made from lamb broth with vegetables. The broth is very rich and thick. Onions, carrots and potatoes are added to the vegetables.
• Manti resemble dumplings. The filling is usually minced meat (mutton or beef), onions and potatoes. It is steamed.
• A kourdak is similar to our stew. Meat or liver roasted in a cauldron with onions. Often potatoes and herbs are added.
• Dymdama- stewed cabbage, carrot, pepper, onion, aubergine, potatoes with meat and fat.
• Ashlyan-fu – cold soup cooked in sour spicy vegetable broth with laghman noodles and slices or starch straws.
• Churuk – a delicacy, a special sausage made from horse meat.
• Tash kordo – marinated whole lamb carcass with onions and spices. The carcass is placed in a small hole one to two metres deep. The pit is paved with stones and a fire is built; when the coals are ready, the marinated carcass is placed in it and covered with twigs and the animal’s skin. The meat is braised until it is tender, which makes it soft and melt in the mouth.

No meal should be complete without fresh, hot flatbread with a beautiful pattern, baked in the tandoor. They are made plain or with fillings. The culture of making some of them has been included in the UNESCO heritage list. Other popular pastries include samsa, kattama and bortsaki.

The homeland offers a wide variety of dairy products, such as kurut, salty curd, and drinks like ayran, chalap, kumis. For sour milk drinks, it is recommended not to drink more than 100 grams per day to avoid digestive problems.

Also popular among traditional drinks are Maksym (carbonated drink made from cereals) and Bozo – a low-alcohol yeast drink made from millet and maize. You can’t go anywhere without tea. Tea is drunk from half-full bowls and then refilled occasionally, while pouring a full bowl is considered an insult to the guest. This is a gesture indicating that they should finish their tea and leave.

Safety precautions: In the northern part of the country, dress requirements are simpler than in the south, where it is undesirable to walk down the street in shorts and shirts; it is better to wear light trousers and a T-shirt that covers the shoulders.

You have to be careful when crossing the streets and driving a rental car, because car traffic in Kyrgyzstan is quite fast. Just as pedestrians can cross the road anywhere, cars do not always allow pedestrians to cross the road.

IMPORTANT: A girl should not walk alone on the street because there is still the tradition of bride kidnapping, although it is outlawed. Above all, do not walk alone and do not enter the yurts in the Jailoo – high mountains and places away from big cities.

Der Beitrag Travel to Kyrgyzstan – useful Information erschien zuerst auf Turkestan Travel.

To get to know the amazing traditions, the breathtaking nature, the skilful interweaving of the ancient and the modern, you don’t have to travel around the world: just come to Kazakhstan. Here they know how to welcome guests and you will feel the warmth of the country that lies at the heart of Eurasia. We have put together some useful information for your Travel to Kazakhstan.

Why visit: For the magnificent and unique nature, sports (including extreme sports), hunting, fishing, cultural life of Almaty and, of course, people. If your time in the country is limited, it pays to choose the region you want to visit first – the distance between cities and sights can be hundreds or thousands of kilometres, so plan your route well in advance. The most famous and popular places worth visiting are the Charyn Canyon, Lake Kaindy, the Borovoye (Burabay) spa area, the Turkestan excavations, the Ili River, the Singing Dunes, the Balkhash Reserve, the Karag Museum, the Baikonur Cosmodrome and the mausoleum of Khodja Ahmad Yassavi, Great Almaty Lake (BAO), Medeo high-mountain skating rink, Chimbulak (“Shymbulak”) ski resort, Turgen waterfalls, Chunya hot springs, Zailiyskiy Alatau mountains, Bayanaul National Park, Mangystau – there are many things to choose from depending on your interests.

When to travel: The best time to visit Kazakhstan is from March to November. You should bear in mind that in summer it can be very hot in the southern regions (up to +40°C), and in the northern regions the cold weather can last until May, starting as early as September-October. The rest of the time there is nothing to do in Kazakhstan – it is cold, windy and dirty, so you cannot visit any natural sights. The average temperature in winter is about -10 … -15 C in the south and up to -40 C in the north. It is a completely different matter if you are interested in winter sports – for skating, skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and also heliskiing and other amusements there are all the conditions in Kazakhstan, especially if you go to Almaty. In this case, you should plan a trip for the period from November to February, but just in case, it is better to check the forecast for snow, as the weather here is often unpredictable and even inconsistent.

Visa: Citizens of some countries are allowed to stay in Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 90 days (see here ⇒ Visa regulations Kazakhstan). The maximum duration of your stay in the country without registration is five calendar days; if you want to stay longer, you need to go to the local registration office (the procedure is simple). The main thing – don’t forget to fill in an immigration card when you enter the country, and keep all the receipts for your trip (train tickets, plane tickets) – just in case, so there are no unnecessary questions later.

How to plan your itinerary: choose the region you are interested in and then the city you will arrive in (in case of air travel, Almaty, Astana and Aktau are the most convenient). Almaty has the richest cultural life and most developed infrastructure; Astana hosts official events and exhibitions (such as Expo 2017); Aktau offers the flavour and special features of the western Caspian Sea region. Natural attractions and simply wonderful places are scattered all over Kazakhstan, so you need to choose the most interesting ones and plan your itinerary in advance. If you are travelling to Kazakhstan for the first time, it is worth visiting the city of Almaty and the Almaty region.

What you need to consider before travelling: Try to pack your luggage very carefully, as the local airlines’ chargers are not always neat. It is better not to pack fragile items and expensive equipment in your luggage and to wrap the bag itself with tape at the airport (or even at home) to protect it from damage and contamination during transport.

Transport to the train station/airport: At the airport it is better to arrive in advance – check-in for the flight starts two hours before departure and ends 40 minutes before departure. The journey will also take some time as the airports in Kazakhstan are usually located outside the city. The fare may vary: If you order a taxi from Almaty to the airport (same for the opposite direction), the cost starts at US $5; a hitchhiker can catch a taxi for US $2-3. Please note that all taxi drivers who meet passengers at the exit of the station always quote inflated prices, so it is better to order a taxi on your own or take a hitchhiker behind the station. There is also public transport to Almaty airport and train stations. Buses and trolleybuses usually leave before 21:00 – 22:00 and the fare is about 50 cents. There are two night routes to the airport, but they rarely run, so it is better to take a taxi – most popular flights leave at night. To use public transport (except metro) you should buy an Onai travel card (about $1.5), the account includes one trip, further you have to deposit money in terminals. The card is sold at stalls at bus stops, in the buses and trolleybuses themselves and from conductors. For the rest of Kazakhstan, almost the same recommendations apply – only the prices and distances change (except for Astana – to a lesser extent). The Onai cards are so far only valid in Almaty and Astana, while in the other cities the fare is paid via validators or “on the spot” at the conductor.

Transport in Almaty: As we have already mentioned, to move around the city by public transport you need to buy a special Onai card. It is valid everywhere except in the metro – there you use your own cards (tokens are also used). One ride costs 80 tenge, it works until you go out. However, the metro has only one line (nine stations), so this method is only suitable for getting around the city centre. For everything else, it’s best to use buses, taxis or hitchhike. A taxi ride around the city costs from $1.5 – there are many services with varying levels of service. You can use 2GIS to plan your route and hail a taxi via the InDriver and Touchka apps in addition to official taxis (you can set your own price there). One important point: hitchhikers can only be picked up in Almaty (i.e. you get out at the kerb and hold out your hand), this is not common in all other cities in Kazakhstan. A hitchhike around the city costs on average between 80 cents to 1.5 dollars. It is convenient (and even faster during rush hours) to get around the city on foot or by bicycle. There are public bike rental stations (but only a few), and you can also rent a bike at almost any sports shop or specialised place – there are many of them. The cost starts at $1.5 per hour.

Language: Officially, there are two languages in Kazakhstan – Kazakh (national language) and Russian (language of international communication). In practice, you can speak Russian in any big city. As a rule, people are open to conversation and happy to help foreigners find their way around or show them something. Few people speak English, but many understand it (especially young people).

Currency and its characteristics: The national currency of Kazakhstan is tenge. Payment for goods and services in the country is only made in the local currency. You can change EURO or USD at any exchange office – there are hundreds of them in every major city. As always, it is better not to change at the train station or airport, but in town. In addition, you can always withdraw the amount you need in Tenge from an ATM. In big cities, most goods and services can be paid for without cash, but cash is more reliable ⇒ currency exchange rate.

Accommodation: Hotels in Kazakhstan are quite expensive, especially considering the level of service in the hotels. The cost of a room in the big cities can range from $100 to $150. Of course, there are also cheap hotels, but they do not have online booking – and the rooms there are often not rented out for overnight stays. Adequate options are two – rent a bed in a hostel or rent a flat. Hostels have only been around for a short time and only in the big cities – a bed for one night costs on average $10-15. Airbnb is not yet very developed in Kazakhstan, but you can also try it.

Cuisine: Traditional Kazakh cuisine consists mainly of meat and dough. In the modern interpretation, they are mixed with dishes from other nationalities, so if you are offered traditional Kazakh cuisine, it is likely to be varied. The same goes for all other national cuisines of Kazakhstan, for example, how about the traditional Italian pizza with horse meat? Original Kazakh dishes include:

• Beshbarmak (also called “Kazakh-style meat”) – large pieces of cooked meat served with potatoes, skewers and onions;
• Kaurdak – fried pieces of liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, etc. with potatoes;
• Shorpa (meat broth) and Kespe (noodles);
• Cheesne (roasted young lamb cooked in a cauldron with onions and potatoes);
• Kazy, karta, shuzhuk – boiled sausages in natural casing;
• Baursak – round or square pieces of dough deep-fried in boiling oil in a cauldron

It’s hard to be a vegetarian in Kazakhstan: Everything found in the inexpensive kitchens is made of dough and meat. The menu of any café, regardless of cuisine, also consists mainly of these ingredients. So if you don’t want to limit your diet to fried potatoes and salad “Fresh”, you have to cook for yourself. Vegetables and fruits, especially in winter, can cost twice as much as meat. Vegetarian and almost-vegetarian establishments have been popping up in big cities lately, but so far they are rare and expensive.

It’s also worth trying in Kazakhstan:

• Kumys (fermented mare’s milk);
• Shubat (sour camel milk);
• Kurut (hard, salty curd);
• Kozhe (milk drink with cereals)

and many more. Generally, in any tourist country, the principle is: the more unsightly the restaurant looks with the national (and nearby) cuisine, the better the cuisine is. And vice versa – the more expensive and pretentious, the more it is an attraction for tourists and not an authentic place to eat. Apart from national cuisine (which does not exist here in its pure form), you can find almost any kind of food in Kazakhstan – from Czech to Malaysian.

Alcohol: There is no national alcoholic drink in Kazakhstan, except for kumys, which can be quite strong when fermented. Almost any alcoholic drink can be found in shops sold in Russia or Europe. Prices will be about the same or higher, but not crucial. Alcohol is only sold from 12:00 to 21:00 (strong) or until 23:00 in the case of beer and wine. The cafés, bars and restaurants are not subject to time restrictions. Of the good and cheap alcohol of local production, one must note the cognac “Kazakhstan” (factory “Bakhus”), and also the production of the company Arba Wine. Cognac (which is actually brandy) is superior to almost all similar products in the CIS. Beer costs from 150 tenge (50 cents) – several dozen local producers and all major import brands are represented. In every town there are beer outlets disguised as “bars” (although there is nowhere to sit) – you can even legally buy beer there at night.

Tour guides: the best tour guides are the locals. You can contact a local travel agency and there you can also organise an English-speaking tour guide(s). There is also a service of Roboguides in Almaty that can be useful for someone – and it is not expensive.

Travelling between cities: Cities are far enough apart that it is more convenient and quicker to fly between them. Domestic flights are operated by Air Astana, Qazaq Air, Bek Air, SCAT Airlines and tickets for them are not always found on aggregators like Aviasales; it is more reliable to contact the offices of the airlines and companies directly.

Trains are also a viable option. The main operator is “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy”, you can check the timetable and availability on the website. You can buy tickets at numerous train counters (commission costs about $2) and at the station itself (no commission, but you have to stand in a queue). The cost of the journey depends on the distance and the class of carriage. For example, the saloon car Almaty – Astana costs from US $12 (in KZT); the coupe car costs from US $18 (in KZT) and the journey takes 16-18 hours. A high-speed train runs between these cities and can take you to the capital or back in ten hours – the journey starts at US $25 (in KZT).

The third option is buses. Buses are either official (you can buy tickets at bus station ticket offices), or private (buses are hired at the bus station, and the route can be seen on the boards on the windscreen or from the driver). There is almost no difference in price, but the official buses run according to the timetable, while the private ones leave as soon as the salon is full. At the bus station you can also hire a taxi to another city (within 500 km). Bus fares are comparable to train fares or slightly more expensive. Usually this travel option is resorted to when the available train tickets run out (e.g. public holidays).

Internet: If you are not in the steppe and not on a snow-covered peak, you should have no problems with mobile phones and internet. There are Wi-Fi access points in almost all hotels, cafés, bars and restaurants. Mobile internet is also pretty stable (at least in the city) – operators Altel, Beeline, KCell, Tele2 offer both 3G and LTE (4G). SIM cards can be registered in company offices or at traders – you will find them already activated, so you don’t even need documents. KCell and Beeline have the best network coverage; Tele2 has the best price/quality ratio.

A few more little things that may also be important: There is no specific list of things to visit in Kazakhstan – you can buy almost the same things here as in Europe. The only exception is absolutely rare prescription drugs – you’d better take those with you. Otherwise, it all depends on the region and the purpose of your visit. Don’t forget to download city maps and update Maps.

Prices: A full meal in Almaty or Astana costs around US $10-15 (in KZT). You can eat at cheap establishments like kebabs for US $2.5 (in KZT) or even take samsa in transit for 30 cents each. The upper limit here is very vague and depends only on your appetite: dinner for half a million KZT is also quite realistic.
Prices in cafés and restaurants depend on the city and the level of the establishment. On average:

• Meat dishes from US $4 (in KZT);
• Soups from US $2 (in KZT);
• Salads from US $2 (in KZT);
• Shashlik from US $1.2 to 4 (in KZT);
• Beer from US $1.2 to 3 (in KZT);
• Cocktails from US $3 (in KZT)

Souvenirs: Souvenirs are not of particular interest. They are usually the same as those you can buy in any other country, but with national ornaments, pictures of eagles, steppes, yurts, etc. on them. You might find something interesting at fairs or craft shops, but be prepared for high prices. A great option (no kidding) is Kazakh cognac, which comes in a gift box.

Der Beitrag Travel to Kazakhstan – useful information erschien zuerst auf Turkestan Travel.

Why visit: The historic Great Silk Road cities of Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Kokand; the ship graveyard at Moynoq; the dynamic, green, modern city – Tashkent; the ambience of a Central Asian bazaar; Uzbek cuisine.

The best time to visit: March – for the spring festival of Novruz (21 March); April – for the pleasant warmth; May – the first harvest of fruits and vegetables; September and October – pleasant temperatures and harvest time for sugar-sweet grapes, honey and watermelons.

Be sure to spend at least two full days in Bukhara and Samarkand, and at least one full day in Khiva. Our recommendation is to explore the cities with the guide and spend half a day exploring the places you like on your own, taking a trip to the countryside or picking out some souvenirs. The tour guide in these cities is essential, he will not only acquaint you with the history and architecture, but also tell you many interesting things about the daily life of the Uzbeks.
If you want to visit the ship graveyard on the shore of the dried-up Aral Sea, you will have to go to the city of Nukus and arrange a trip to Moynoq (about $70, three or four hours one way). A tour along the seabed to the constantly receding water surface can cost $500.

Arrival: the passport control queue at the airport can get very long. There are separate passport controls, for tourists and for locals. You do not have to fill in the declaration form on arrival (only if you have more than 5000 USD, it is important to declare the money you bring with you). In Uzbekistan, you don’t have to worry about registration. All hotels you book are obliged to do such (online) registration.

Departure: You must arrive at the airport on time. This is important. Check at the entrance, the usual procedures of any airport in the world.

Language: the people of Uzbekistan speak Uzbek, an Old Turkic language. In the historic cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, there are also Tajiks who speak Persian. The people in the historic cities who live from tourism can speak and understand simple words in English.

Contact with the locals: the people of Uzbekistan are very friendly and open. During your trip in Uzbekistan it can happen very often that the locals (mostly school children and teenagers) approach the tourists and want to take photos together. It may be that these photos appear on social networks such as Facebook. If you do not wish this to happen, we recommend politely declining to share photos.

Currency and its peculiarities: The Uzbek sum is a currency that is not completely dependent on the dollar exchange rate. Therefore, we leave it up to you to take Euros or American dollars with you (exchange in the historic towns and in the big hotels is no problem). ATMs are available (different ATMs for Visa and MasterCard) in every town. Cashless payment for services is available in most hotels and shops.

Currency exchange: Do not change money on the black market or privately, there may be criminal consequences. You can find exchange offices directly at the airport, hotel or bank.

Exchange rates: the exchange rate in Uzbekistan changes only weekly. The current exchange rate can be found here ⇒ Central Bank of Uzbekistan.

Accommodation: you should not book accommodation through the usual sites like Booking.com. Find a hotel you like through Booking.com or TripAdvisor and arrange a booking with us. This will be the main option, as most hotels are booked by tour operators in the peak tourist season. You can get cheaper and better options with us.

Negotiate: It can’t be avoided, no matter how much you want it. Everyone haggles and almost everywhere. The first price you hear from a seller is usually an unserious one. We recommend quoting 2/3 of the price and then slowly agreeing on a compromise proposal. This kind of negotiation is also fun and part of the oriental tradition.

Cuisine: Everyone drinks tea. Always order green, as black is often brewed from a bag. The food is usually very greasy, so don’t overdo it with lagman or pilaf (but you should enjoy such greasy dishes at least once, we recommend it). In Uzbekistan, the shashlik types are prepared very well. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you have to go directly to the bazaar for dried fruits and nuts – in cafés and restaurants, 90% of the food is meat or fish. If you can tolerate alcohol, we recommend drinking 50g of vodka before the meal to disinfect the stomach (alcohol disinfects and dissolves fats).

Tour guide: In Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva you should definitely have a tour guide with you. You will be told a lot about the history, cultural characteristics and modern life of the Uzbeks. Unfortunately, finding a tour guide is a complicated matter. You should contact us with this question. There are not too many really good tour guides. Our tour guides are very reliable and have many years of experience in tourism in Uzbekistan.

Travelling between cities: From Tashkent you can fly with Uzbekistan Airways to any major city in the country. You can also book tickets for your domestic flights through us, online or directly at the airport. You can also travel between cities by train. You can book tickets for most trains through us, online or directly at the station. Tickets must be printed in advance – there is no electronic registration, nor terminals to get a ticket in Uzbekistan. Tickets for the high-speed train “Afrosiyob” can often be fully booked in the high tourist season, so please contact us in advance. The most popular way to get around Uzbekistan is by taxi. Every car here is a potential taxi. If you need a taxi in town, you can simply wave your hand – one will be waiting for you relatively quickly. But if you want to get from one city to another, it is much more difficult. For a start, it is necessary to determine where the taxi drivers gather in the direction you want to go (it is called “petak” here). You can find this out (as well as the approximate cost of the ride) from the hotel, taxi driver or passer-by on the street. Once you have found the desired collection point, you will have to endure the siege of those willing to take you there. Choose the most accommodating one and negotiate. An important clarification: In the vast majority of cases, you will be told the amount per person. Keep this in mind. If there are two of you and you want to travel comfortably, offer a little more cost for two people. If you are travelling from one city to another, we recommend booking the car or microbus through us. This is uncomplicated and safe for you. We will have you picked up from your hotel and we will take you to your desired destination.

Internet: There is no problem with the internet in Uzbekistan. There is free WiFi in every historical city where the historical sights are located. In addition, all hotels have free WiFi in the rooms or in the foyer for the customers of the hotel.

Weather: April-May and September-October is pleasantly warm. From late June to early August it is unbearably hot. Uzbekistan, like all its neighbours, has no outlet to the World Sea, the main rivers Amudarya and Syrdarya are used to irrigate crops, so at first glance there is no place to swim. This is not true: almost every major city has freshwater lakes. From Tashkent, for example, you can go to the Charvak reservoir for a few days, and from Bukhara – to Lake Tudakul.

A few more small things that can also be important: Sunglasses – not only from the sun, but also from the sand. Eye drops – can be really useful if sand gets in your eyes. Sunscreen – even in March the sun is already very strong. Allergy antidotes – every hotel, tea house and restaurant is covered with carpets and fabrics with national patterns. Allergy remedies won’t hurt, though Uzbekistan is ubiquitous cleanliness, both at home and on the street. Diarrhoea antidote – the food is very greasy. Even if you are self-conscious, do not neglect this advice.

Food: a full meal for two with drinks in the best restaurants in Bukhara and Samarkand costs around $10-15. Everything is cheaper in the tea houses, but you need to be prepared for certain greasy foods. Pilaf – eaten at lunchtime and rarely available after three or four in the afternoon. Alcohol – vodka, wine and beer. The wine in the shops is of very poor quality, it is better to go to any restaurant and pay a little too much. A tolerable red dry costs about three to four dollars. Restaurants have a lot of home-made cognac, it is of average (not bad) quality everywhere.

City taxi: 1 USD – the total price for an average ride. Prices are often quoted per person. Be sure to ask before you get in. But if you are in town for a few days (e.g. in Tashkent), don’t even start talking about money – give as much as you think is fair, based on the limits mentioned above. It will make you feel comfortable to be considered a local.

Souvenirs: Wear silk handkerchiefs, pashmina, adras and cotton. Ceramic plates with patterns. Dried fruits from the market. We recommend salted apricot kernels “shur-donak” – they taste almost as good as pistachios. In Uzbekistan there are also high-quality designer clothes with local patterns – we recommend you look out for these too.

Der Beitrag Travel to Uzbekistan – useful information erschien zuerst auf Turkestan Travel.

For various reasons, the women’s question has become an object of criticism against Islam. Even some Muslim ulamo have found that “the women’s question has become a poisonous knife stabbed into the heart of Islamic society”. Many books, articles, sermons and lectures have been written on the subject of the rights of women in Islam.

Of course, we cannot discuss this topic within the scope of this book. Moreover, Islam is not obligated to answer for an unpleasant situation that arises from not following its teachings. Most importantly, Islam does not need to be protected by anyone, except that people who understand something should help people who do not understand something. This issue is briefly discussed in the article “Women and Equality”. And now, from the context of this chapter, it is not superfluous to explain some other issues on this topic.

Before the Qur’an existed, women were not only condemned to have their rights trampled upon, but they were deprived of their human dignity altogether. In those days, for example, in the country where Islam first spread, the family in which a girl was born was in mourning and then some of these girls were buried alive, which was considered a disgrace to the honour and dignity of the family and a cause of poverty.

The Qur’an strongly condemns and forbids this superstition. Muslim families began to rejoice more over the birth of a girl than a boy. Those who raised daughters were promised more worldly and afterworldly benefits than those who raised sons.

It is narrated from Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu:

“The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:

“Whoever has three daughters and endures their whims, hardships and difficulties, Allah introduces him to Paradise because of His mercy towards them.

And the man said:

– And if there are two (daughters), O Prophet of Allah?

Said: And if two (daughters).

And the (other) man said:

– Even if one, O Messenger of Allah?

Said: Even if one.”

Ahmad relayed.

The upbringing and education of daughters and all that is necessary for their health, growth and education is a duty that rests on the shoulders of the father. It is only when his daughter marries that the father is relieved of this duty, for it now passes to his daughter’s husband. The care of a woman without a father or husband would be entrusted to her brothers or their legal successors. In general, Islam does not allow a woman to be left without a guardian. The care of the daughter is the responsibility of the father, that of the sisters is the responsibility of the brothers, that of the mother is the responsibility of the sons, etc.

Islam has given the woman the right to education and cultural upliftment by transferring this responsibility to the man. We all know that Islam has given men and women the same right to claim knowledge, and it has promised paradise to the man who brings up and educates his daughters or sisters. But perhaps not everyone knows that this also applies to slaves.

It is transmitted from Abu Musa Ash’ari radiyallahu anhu:

“The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:

“Someone who had a female slave and then brought her up and gave her a good education and then set her free and married her, then he is rewarded twice.”

Bukhari relayed.

It seems that the man who raised, cared for and educated a slave girl is equal to the man who freed her.

Muslim women of the first generations of Islam, who were not satisfied with the knowledge they received from their husbands and other caregivers enlightened by the open lessons and sermons of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, requested that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam preach separately for women, whereupon the Prophet immediately granted their request.

A woman not only has the right to be educated, receive lessons, lectures and sermons, but she also has the right to teach, lecture and engage in other scholarly activities.

Everyone is aware of the achievements of Muslim women in various fields of science, education and culture. In order not to be unsubstantiated, let us give examples.

It is narrated from Shifa binti Abdullah al-Adawiya radiyallahu anha:

“The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam came to me and I was with Hafsa radiyallahu anha, and he said to me: ‘Will you teach her the prayer against namila (skin disease) as you taught her to write?’

Abu Dawud transmitted.

The representative of the learned women, the Mother of the Faithful Aisha radiyallahu anhum, ranks sixth among all the contemporaries of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam according to the number of hadiths transmitted. The great companions radiyallahu anhum turned to the Mother of the Faithful Aisha radiyallahu anha for advice in difficult cases when they could not solve a difficult matter themselves. This was an unprecedented event on a world scale at that time.

A Muslim woman had a prominent place in society, politics and Shariah. The mighty Caliph, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and Almighty Allah Himself listened to and accepted the believing thoughts and truthful speech of a Muslim woman.

The great Caliph Umar ibn Khattab, known to the world as Umar the Righteous, once stated that the amount of mahr (the obligatory gratuitous material gift given by the groom to the bride on marriage) was quite exaggerated. To clarify this, he preached a sermon in which he said, among other things, “Listen to this! Do not exaggerate the height of women’s mahr. The most venerable among you in this world and the most God-fearing before Allah is the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. But none of his wives was given by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam Mahr more than 12 uqiyah (unit of currency) and his daughters were not given more Mahr than that.”

Then one of the women came out of the crowd and said, “O Umar! Allah says, even if you give one of the women mahr without measure (kintar), and you forbid us?”

The Caliph, whose sermon was so rudely and abruptly interrupted, immediately realised his mistake and publicly admitted it, saying, “The woman has told the truth, Umar has erred.” It is due to the courage of this woman that to this day no one has dared to limit the size of a woman’s mahr. This can only happen in a society where women are revered.

When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam set out from Medina in the sixth year of the Hijrah accompanied by one thousand four hundred companions, the Meccans (then polytheists) blocked their way in an area called Hudaybiya.

The confrontation ended in a truce, after which the Muslims were to return without visiting the Ka’bah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam announced this to his Companions, whereupon he ordered them to slaughter the cattle to be sacrificed and to cut their hair. But the companions were extremely displeased; they did not even move. The Prophet repeated his decision three times, but not a single person would obey.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam entered the tent full of grief, went to his wife Ummu Salama radiyallahu anha and told her what had happened, expressing his deep concern that the past Ummahs were ruined for disobeying their prophets.

And then Ummu Salamah radiyallahu anha gave the Prophet advice that no wise vizier could have given:

“O Messenger of Allah, do you want them to obey you? Go out to them, do not say a word and perform the sacrificial ritual quietly. Then call your barber to cut your hair.”

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam did exactly what Umma Salama radiyallahu anha said. The companions who saw this also rushed to perform the sacrificial rite and shave their heads. Thus, the Muslim Ummah was saved from destruction thanks to the ingenuity of a Muslim woman.

Let us now consider how Allah Almighty heard the request of a Muslim woman and fulfilled it.

Before Islam, there was a pagan rite of rejection of wives, zihar, by which a man equated his wife with his mother, sister or any other woman, after which he had no right to marry her. His wife became equal to his mother.

One day, a man named Aws ibn Samit, in the midst of a fit of rage, declared zihar to his wife named Hawla binti Salaba. According to the rules in force at the time, this was already considered a final decree of divorce, separating husband and wife for good. Later, when he came to his senses, he began to regret what he had done and told his wife: “I guess you are like a mother to me now.” And Khawla said, “By Allah, this is not a talaq (divorce),” whereupon she borrowed her neighbour’s dress and went to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam to settle the matter. She approached him and said:

“O Messenger of the Lord! My husband married me when I was beautiful and spiritually brilliant. Now that I have given him my youth, he has rejected me at my old age using all my wealth and mental faculties. But he regrets it. In this situation, is there not a way out for our further life together?”

– ‘You have been forbidden to him,’ said the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam.

– ‘I swear by the One who sent down the Qur’an to you, he has not uttered the word talaq (divorce). He is the father of my children and my beloved husband. – She exclaimed.

– You have become forbidden for him,” repeated the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

– I turn from my distress and loneliness to Allah Himself, I have lived with my husband for many years and had children by him,” she said.

– ‘You have become forbidden for him,’ the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam repeated, adding. – ‘No command has come upon you.

Hawla binti Sa’laba continued to argue with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam: He reiterated that she had been forbidden to her husband, and Hawla replied, “About my difficult, lonely situation, I will pray to the Lord Himself. Thereupon Hawla said binti Sa’laba:

– For I have little children, with me they would starve, and with him they would perish! – And turning her eyes to heaven, she pleaded:

“O Lord, I beseech Thee, alone! O Lord! Send down and put into the Prophet’s mouth the ayats that will relieve my distress!”

Suddenly the Prophet was mysteriously silent. A state usually occurring at the moments of recitation of the ayats of the Qur’an arose. After a few moments, he raised his head and said:

– Allah Almighty has sent down ayats upon you and upon your husband, and he recited ayats which read:

“Verily Allah has heard the words of her who quarrelled with you about her husband and complained to Allah, and Allah hears your quarrel; verily Allah is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” (‘Mujadilah’, 1).

In these ayats, the ritual of zihar was abolished, and husbands who disowned their wives through zihar (by comparing them to their own mothers) were instructed to atone for this sin with “kaffarat”. For 14 centuries, these hadiths have been recited and followed as Shariah laws. And there is no doubt that it will remain so until the Day of Judgement. Allah heard the supplications of a simple woman and then sent down the ayats of the Qur’an that fulfilled her demands. Is this not the highest honour and respect for the female race? In what social order, in what doctrine is there such a thing? Contemporaries greatly appreciated and respected Hawla binti Salaba.

The story goes that a certain old woman began to instruct the Caliph Umar ibn Khattab while he was surrounded by a group of people and stopped him for a long time:

“O Umar,” she said, “only recently you were called Umarchik. When you grew up, people started calling you ‘O Umar’; now they call you ‘O Emir (the Lord) of the believers! Fear Allah, O Umar! He who fears death fears to live his life in vain. He who believes in the reckoning due on the Day of Judgement fears the chastisement that awaits him.” She spoke at length to Umar.

Khalif Umar had no choice but to listen to her in silence. His companions who were watching it closely asked in amazement, “O Lord of the believers, is this old woman worth such attention? How long are you going to listen to this old woman?” “I am willing to listen to her from early morning till late evening, being distracted only by the obligatory namaz,” replied Umar. – Don’t you know who she is? – After all, she is hawla binti salaaba. Her words are heard by Allah in the seventh heaven. How can Umar not listen to her when she has been heard by the Lord of all worlds Himself!”

Yes, only in Islam can a woman appear to stop in the street and admonish the world-famous great Caliph, the Lord of all believers, at whose mention the mighty of this world trembled.

Islam adheres to respect for women and creates all the necessary conditions for the beautiful half of humanity to preserve their beauty and femininity, to fulfil their duties before humanity, before the motherland, before society and before religion.

Islam did not oblige women to perform heavy, arduous tasks that only men can perform, but it did place some purely feminine duties on an equal footing with those of men and promised them the same blessings as men. For example, mothers’ labour struggles were equated with men’s jihad against enemies. Thanks to Muslim women defending their natural rights, all this is stated in the mouth of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

A hadith transmitted by Imam Bayhaqi and Imam Ibn Asokir states, “Asma binti Yazeed al-Ansariya radiyallahu anha came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and said, “O Messenger of Allah! I am a messenger from the community of women who have sent me. They say my words, they are of the same opinion as I am: ‘Verily, Allah has sent you a prophet for men and women.’ We have believed you and followed you. We women have lingered in our homes, entangled in domestic cares. We are the objects of men’s desire, we bear your children. Men have the advantage of gathering in congregations and performing the prayer for the dead. When they go off to fight for the faith, we guard their property, raise their children, so are we rewarded as much as they are?

Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam turned to his companions and asked:

– Have you ever heard a woman ask a better question about religion than this?

– No, Messenger of Allah! – They replied.

– O ‘Asma! – Then the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said. – “Go back and tell the women who sent you that verily every one of you who treats her husband well and wants him to be pleased with her and strives to please him is equal in merit to the best of men.

Asma rejoiced immensely at what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam had said and returned repeating incessantly, “Laa ilaha illallah (there is no deity but Allah)”.

From the perspective of Islam, it is better for women to take care of their children, raise the next generation properly and strengthen the family than to earn money outside the home, outside the family nucleus, especially through hard, undignified work, such as military service or asphalting.

According to the laws of Islamic Sharia, a Muslim woman has the right to give political asylum to others.

Thus, on the opening day of Mecca, Ummu Hani binti Abu Talib took an enemy, a polytheist, under her protection by granting him asylum. When her brother Ali ibn Abu Talib came to know this, he rushed to kill this enemy. Then Ummu Hani came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and narrated his story. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:

“O Ummu Hani! Indeed, we have taken under our protection the one whom you have taken under your protection. And we have secured the one whom you have secured.”

Abu Dawud transmitted.

Before Islam, a woman was completely disinherited. After the death of her husband, she herself passed as an heir into the hands of one of his relatives. The latter would either marry her or give her to another as a wife and receive the mahr himself in return. Islam has abolished these cruel customs and declared the woman a legitimate, full heir.

Allah says in Surah Nisa:

“Give to men a share of what parents and relatives have left. And to women a share of what parents and relatives have left; of what is little or much is the prescribed share” (ayat 7).

The Qur’an gives women the right to perform bay’at to the head of state on an equal footing with men. This is a kind of analogy to the right to vote. Everyone knows that this is an extremely important political right.

Allah says in Surah Mumtahana:

“O Prophet! If believing women come to you to perform Bay’at with you, that they do not associate anything with Allaah, or steal, or commit adultery, or kill their children, or backbite between their hands or feet, or disobey you in matters you approve of, then accept their Bay’at and ask Allaah to forgive them. Verily, Allaah is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Ayat 12).

The word Bay’at is used in Arabic and means “to buy and sell”, “to make a deal”. In Shariah, the word Bay’at refers to a promise in submission to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. It is called bay’at precisely because it is as if one is “buying” a reward (savab) from the Almighty in exchange for the promise of submission. In the Islamic state system, the term means the conclusion of a contract between a citizen and a head of state. It is somewhat comparable to modern elections. In the bay’at, citizens shake hands with the emir or ruler and enter into a contract in which they agree to obey him if the ruler observes and implements Allah’s sharia. The emir or ruler also undertakes to perform his official duties according to the Shariah.

Now a few words about the work of women. Let us first ask the question, what do people, whether men or women, work for? The answer is, of course, simple, to provide for the family, to ensure a normal life. Is it then even necessary for a woman to work, to leave her home and children, her family, to do hard, undignified work when she is already adequately provided for? Some may object, “Shouldn’t a woman contribute to the development of society through her work?” We reply with a counter-question, “Who is more useful to society: a woman who works all day in the field, poisoning herself with various chemicals in the cotton field and feeding her child with milk containing pesticides, or a woman who leaves the hard work to her husband, gives her children a dignified education, is so needed by society and strengthens the family?”

But at the same time, Islam reminds us that when the need arises, if men are not sufficient for the work, women can be used in both labour and warfare.

Since in Islam it is a man’s duty to take care of a woman, respect her and provide her with everything she needs from birth to the end of her life, all hard work that requires physical strength and endurance is also placed on the shoulders of the man.

After all this, only one reason remains for women to work without objective necessity. This is pleasure pursued under the guise of work, which cannot take place within the family because of its evil nature.

Everyone knows that Islam strictly forbids any adultery. So it is probably better for the women themselves to entertain themselves at home when they are not working than when they are at work. It is worth reiterating that Islam does not forbid a woman from working and earning money, but that this matter is regulated in the interest of the woman herself, her family and society as a whole.

The upbringing and education of children is considered the responsibility of women. The provision of medical services to women is also seen as a woman’s business.

The famous Hanafi faqih of the past Kamaliddin ibn al-Humam said: “If a woman has a profession that is fardom-kifaya, which refers only to women, her husband has no right to deny her work.

It is also permissible for a wife to help her husband in the business. In urgent cases, when the family needs it, a woman is allowed to do a permissible type of work. Some ulema said that women with rare skills that are of great benefit to society are encouraged to engage in work for the benefit of society.

In other cases, women should not be forced to work. No one has the right to rush a woman and use her as cheap labour. No one should have the right to drive women to the fields early in the morning and make them work late into the night. No one has the right to force women to do unbearable work that destroys women’s nature, femininity and maternal tenderness.

From the book “Iyman – Islam – Qur’an”. Sheikh Muhammad Sadiq Muhammad Yusuf 

Translated by Turkestan Travel from Islom.Uz

Der Beitrag The Rights of Women in Islam erschien zuerst auf Turkestan Travel.

A mosque, a place of prayer for Muslims and a place of residence revered by them, was used for certain events from the 11th century onwards. The mosques in Khorezm, as everywhere in the Muslim lands, were for the prayers of a large number of Muslims on the days of the Muslim holidays “Kurban Hayit” and “Ramazan Hayit”, celebrated twice a year, where a great many inhabitants of a town and village gather.

These mosques, called “Namazgahs”, were located in a special area behind the city wall. The mosques were built frontally and the courtyard was not bounded in any way: The purpose of constructing such buildings was for Muslims to turn their faces towards Mecca (i.e. the Qibla) during prayer.

In Khorezm, the orientation point of a qibla is towards the south; therefore, in Khorezm, the Mihrab (prayer niche where Muslims turn their faces during prayer) of mosques was placed in the southern part of the building wall.

This type of suburban mosques “Namazgah” with standard composition has not survived in Khiva, only in Khazarasp district in Khorezm region there is a single mosque called “Namazgah” in Ismail Eshanbobo complex.

However, it is built in the form of a wide domed hall with a triple-vaulted gallery, which has an exit to the Aiwan on one side, i.e. it is built as a Mahalla mosque. Other juma mosques (“jami”, i.e. cathedral or juma means Friday prayer) are used to perform Friday prayer once a week, where most of the city’s Muslims gather for prayer.

Architecturally, these jami mosques usually consist of a longitudinal main building and a gallery along the perimeter walls. In Khorezm, mosques of this type have not been preserved.

In the first centuries of Islam, the mosques were only for the performance of prayers, this building was a type of the national house that sanctified the life of the population of all periods through various ceremonies – rituals, it has remained in the Makhalla mosques built in crowded places and near the bazaars.

Their forms differ greatly from one another, but nevertheless their structure preserved a single composition: it is a building with a small hall at the front, bordered by an aiwan.

The prayer hall could be vaulted and the aiwan could be a vaulted portal gallery of imposing, monumental character or a space covered by a flat roof of beams supported by wooden columns and fitted with aiwans.

In the southern part of the mosques in Khorezm and partly in Khiva, no openings or breakthroughs were made because there was a mihrab (a prayer niche facing Mecca) in their inner part.

This circumstance is very rare in Khiva mosques, as they say, can be counted on the fingers, but was preserved in some mosques listed below.

A domed hall with attached single-column aiwan is found in the mosque Yarmuhammad Dewon (Sayid-Ota), located near the mausoleum of Sayid Alauddin in the southwest, a mosque Bagbanly, located in the southern part of Ichan-Kala.

The ceilings of the Abdalbobo and Matriz Kushbegi mosques are also covered with a flat roof made of beams. The mosque where the three sides of the prayer hall are surrounded by an aiwan is the Ak Mosque, located next to the Palvan Darwaza Gate of Ichan-kala.

In front of the mosques of the Khiva district, there is usually a long courtyard with the tall aiwan of the mosque facing it and an aiwan of the darvazakhana or ters-aiwan (the opposite aiwan) on the opposite side.

The mosque was also a place for storing supplies, household items and taharat-hana (ablution room).

Der Beitrag The Mosques in Khorezm erschien zuerst auf Turkestan Travel.