Qazaqstan - a land of nomads

A night of catching up with hardcore travellers to hear about their trip led to the planning of this trip. The Silk Route was on the cards for a while but I wasn't really clear which part of it and why. As the four of us spoke, Central Asia made sense as it connected  the East and the West, it was right in the middle of the trade route. Qazaq was picked; one, because the others had been to the more popular ones - Uzbek & Azerbaijan and two, more importantly, we could enter without having to share our life history for a visa, yes, visa was on arrival. What a feeling. 

A week left to understand Qazaq and plan a trip is and was an impossible feat. Lucky for me, I am most comfortable with the unknown and the ambiguous. The others might have suffered a bit but they were troopers for sure. 

History of a nation is so interconnected with other nations, it is impossible to see it in isolation - as I read about the ancestry of Qazaq, the Saka tribes who established it as Qazaq land, it reminded me of the Sakas who came to India - that became a 3 hour detour that added to the layer of understanding the tribes of the Steppe. Along with history, the land promised some fantastic outdoors, the excitement was definitely doubled.

Armed with hotel bookings and plane tickets we were off to see Qazaq! Seven days in Almaty; seven days to find our way in a country that was familiar and new at the same time.

As I went through the predictable angst of how to write the blog I was torn between day by day and time in history format; dropped both and tried something new. I decided to write a bit about a time in Qazaq history and share our encounter with places & things of those times - I have tried hard not to force-fit. Plough through, would love to hear how it played out for you.

Please note: every era I talked about had constant battles and disruptions - as people moved from places with less (food, water, safety, comfort etc.) to places with more; there was much conflict. Therefore they were nomadic or sedentary based on the state of affairs of the area they lived in; most of the time. 

800,000 - 14,000 years ago

The Karatau mountain range was where the oldest human activity was found and dated. Steppe is a Russian word for flat, grassland and Steppe was home to many nomadic tribes and also to subsequent tribes who were one of the first to domesticate cattle and be sedentary. Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens probably crossed paths as the timeline of the first one's disappearance coincided with the second one's appearance. The homo sapien hunter-gatherers settled in the lands by the mountains and the Steppe. As you read please use time as an approximation - pinpointing is hard as change/cultural movement took/takes centuries; sometimes millennia. 

We drove to places outside of Almaty and the land that was then is visible in bits and pieces, whether the Steppe or the mountains (the snow-capped kind and the other-worldly ones) wherever you go. And sometimes for miles you just don't see anyone but yourself.

I had romanticised the Steppe all my life, it was part almost every reading I did. Steppes are present in one version or the other in almost every nation. The one relevant to where we were is called the Eurasian Steppe, home to many tribes and a connector of places eons before the Silk Route. As we drove from city to city, I couldn't help but stick my face to the window and gape. I know all land is old but we have built so much new on it, to get a glimpse of the past is almost impossible. Driving through the Qazaqi lands, you didn't need to imagine the land the way it was, you just needed to gape.

Go see the Steppe. Our (I stole so many from fellow-travellers) pictures do zero justice.

Charyn Canyons - we heard people including our guide call it the 'grand canyon of Asia’.  I cringed each time, why do we minimise a canyon 's uniqueness, it has worked very hard to be its spectacular self. The Charyn river cuts through and is home to a ton of flora and fauna - a protected national park in Qazaq. Two hours from Almaty and you are surveying land, pretending you were part of a hunter-gatherer unit looking for a new home.

We climbed a hillock (because we could), the one farthest away in this picture - it was a sharp contrast to the canyon. It stood out.

5500 years - 3000 years ag0

The people of the Botoi culture were one of the first to settle - they domesticated horses, made pottery and had polished stone tools. As the millennia went by they moved into using minerals and metal production. Eventually climate change forced them to become nomadic - which was true for many Steppe dwellers, climate dictated whether they were nomadic or sedentary. Once the weather became more conducive, multiple Indo-European/Indo-Iranian tribes moved in 1000 BCE onwards. They were collectively known as the Sakas, the first of the Qazaqi ancestors. Empress Tomiris was the most famous, if curious, there is a decent movie about her life. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7985648/)

Tanbaly (Tamgaly) Gorge Petroglyphs

This was a find for the ages. It was a two hour drive from Almaty and we were to go on the same day as Taraz. The drivers and the car service said it was too much to do in a day, so we dropped Tanbaly. Within minutes of leaving for Taraz we realised the car had no ac and the temperature promised to hit 37-38 degrees celsius, so we created a fuss and went back to the hotel. It is nice to travel with people who roll with the day. We decided to eat breakfast and get another car and go to Tanbaly instead. Best decision ever.

A UNESCO heritage site with over 5000 petroglyphs dating from 1500 BCE all the way to the 18th century (CE). As we turned off from the highway the road stretched endlessly in front of us, not a soul or a building in site. Google showed a dot in the middle of nowhere and we were certain it was a wild goose chase. We were 500m away when I saw a board on the right, scream-requested the driver to stop and walked to check it out. 

It was a burial ground, the discovery that launched the scientific research at Tanbaly - they found four burial cists in which along with human remains there were ceramics, earring, beads, mollusks and a bronze mirror. My heart couldn't hold its excitement - to see, to be.

We drove a little further and right where Google promised was the entrance to the Tanbaly Petroglyph site. 

We walked through the gorge with a guide who pointed at the more prominent ones - the cultic figures of Sun, symbols, people in rituals, people dancing to hunting scenes and animals. Was so excited to run my hand over some of them. The landscape and the stories of the people who lived there was felt, do not miss out seeing this. Also walked by many more burial cists.

When you climb on one of the hillocks you can actually see a green patch of land which has multiple curves, remnants of the river that gave life to the people who chose to settle there - picture below.

2500 years to 1000 years ago

Around 4th Century, for a short while, the Huns ruled many parts of Qazaq. The Huns eventually shifted their attention to the west and moved on (the process took at least a couple of centuries). In parallel the proto-Mongols gained a foothold in east Qazaq and the Turkic Khaganate (the second Qazaq ancestor) made their way around, this was by the mid 6th century. This period also marked the beginning of the Silk Route - people moved in and out and trade slowly flourished, cities were built along the Route, many which catered to the traveling merchants and many as part of the trade. The 8th-9th century gave way to the Arabs who brought in Islam and the Arabic script, which slowly reduced the use of Turkic-Runic script. The whole area was a rich, dynamic market in which languages, religions, foods, artisans, culture intermingled and was absorbed along with trade. https://www.sikkimsilkroute.com/silk-route-maps/ - a clean simple map of the entire route, if you are visual like me. Was good times for the region, till the arrival of Genghis Khan around the 12th century.

Taraz & Akyrtas - on the Silk Road, in an ac-less car.

I am surprised no one threw things at me every-time I sighed and said Silk Route, the romance of it is just insane. I talked about everything in Qazaq with reference to the Silk Route. It is one of the most fascinating amalgamation of cultures, people and goods, in a time which today many people consider, 'not' civilised. The complexities of exchanging currency, the perils of travel, the lack of local area knowledge and the hundreds of languages & dialects and so much more was figured out by the not so civilised. We stand on the shoulders of giants. The Silk Route was eventually abandoned, humans had figured out trusted ways of traveling by sea and the ports started to dominate and continue to do so.

We were promised a functioning ac car and we expected one, considering they ditched us once. The owner reassured so we did not check. At about 8:30 am, we were halfway to Taraz and requested the driver to turn on the ac and what do you know, it was not working! Exact same pattern of the guy before, 'it was working as of last night, don't know why it is not working today'. Mind you, all this with a language translate app. Most of our encounters with people and menu/signs in Almaty needed us to use either Russian or Qazaq language translations. We chose to go through - in the sweltering heat, driving at 130 KM per hour with the windows rolled down, and with snacks for breakfast (I was my hangry self by 1:30, not a pretty sight) we persevered. With this and a bad bathroom incident, we still experienced only 1/100th of the difficulty our ancestors faced on the route. Onward.

Taraz, a city on the Silk Route that is said to be 2000 years old and had multiple remnants from the days. 

The Talas river nourished and as always was the singular reason why cities sprouted there. Talas was also the place where the battle of Talas took place. The Arabs battled the Chinese and won the rights to the place and the river. It is said to be one of the most important battles of the region. 

Today it provides water, spectacular views and tries not to worry about fighting humans.

We traipsed to 3 different Mausoleums in Taraz, this was the era of the Turkic and was also the Arabic period - the architecture reflected the times. 

Aisha Bibi's Mausoleum -  a prince who fell deeply in love with her constructed it in her memory. People still pray here. Sixty four varieties of patterns decorated the well designed mausoleum.

Next was Tekturmas, up on a hillock, with the view of the city and the river. A massive complex welcomed us. This was considered the burial place of Saint Sultan-Makhmud-Khan (Tekturmas was his nickname and he was feared). By the 7th CenturyIslamic influence was underway. Some accounts say it is 14th Century and others say 16th Century mosque. We left the debating to the experts, wandered in the heat (mildly hitting sunstroke symptoms) and took in the views.

Finally, the mausoleum of Karahan, built in the XI century. It is connected to the Aisha Bibi Mausoleum. The area was cordoned off but we stumbled into the archeological site attached to it. It was guarded, casually. We walked around the place. The focus in most of the places that we saw in Taraz was restoration which included reconstruction and recreating - not sure how I felt about it. Seemed like it needed to be made new again. I am assuming people prefer to see that over brick, stone and imagination.

Taraz is beautiful mix of old and modern. The city had some amazingly new buildings, architecture and new construction everywhere. We found a mall and I was appeased - food! Still in a hot car with no ac, temperature at about 35 degrees celsius, we started our six hour drive back To Almaty with a stop at Akyrtas, I get goosebumps even today when I think of that place - heat or not.

Akyrtas "Utmost Stone"

We arrived at Akyrtas at 4:30pm and the sun was still in its element. The place was deserted and we walked right in. A massive complex awaited us. Being a UNESCO heritage site it was well maintained and all the information needed was readily available. But not much is known about this archeological wonder, a mystery half solved. There is a fort and a half finished palace, burial grounds, water systems, garden area, a quarry - we walked for a bit, the circuit was too long and there was no guide available, so explored the place on our own - wondering why this was built & left incomplete.

What is known - it was built around the 8th century (Arabs had come to conquer Central Asia), the ruler of the time was Karluk, the construction was left unfinished and the style was more Syria/Jordan than Qazaq. It was used from the 11th through the 14th century. 

The red stone was striking in the sun. The craftsmanship was astounding, perfectly rounded and had almost laser-like precision, tools they used is still unknown. The polish too was immaculate..

At the tail end of the 19th century, county chief Vasily Andreevich Kalaur (you will not find much about him except in one video) who was an ethnographer and passionate about this complex passed an order that this will not be destroyed or ignored but made visible for all to admire. He also wrote a legend based on the ethnographic data he collected. The story goes like this - two giants, a father & son were building this palace/fort. The son threw the rocks from the quarry (from about 400m away and on a hill) and the father built. The son fell in love with a local girl, she didn't want to marry him but couldn't say no (human problem), so she said, he shouldn't see her face till he finished the building. If he did see her then he should stop building. One day dressed beautifully she walked to the Talas river, knowing he would be at quarry. He couldn't resist looking at her and he stopped building. A huge fight broke out between the father and son and the construction remained incomplete. Father and son died? They were giants because there was no other evidence to show how the big rocks were moved from the quarry to here. https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/akyrtas/4b7f79d5-3783-4b62-8809-cc80b7d942a6

We walked around - me thinking about how to convince the others to do the whole circuit. I finally let it go. This was one of the three places I did not want to miss glad I got to be and see.

The drive back was so much better. The rain gods took pity and cooled us down. The rest of car ride was in silence partly because we couldn't hear each other over the noise of the wind and rain. We stopped a couple of times so the driver could eat and we got to take beautiful pictures of the Steppe and the rain. Loved the day.

12th to the 20th Century and the present

The Silk Route was thriving and the Mongols were on their way. They wreaked havoc, wiped out cities and disrupted the entire region. Most people became nomadic again, they fled the 'The Golden Horde" and Mongols were here to stay. A few centuries later the stronghold reduced and in 1465 the Qazaq Khanate took control (somewhat). Settling started to happen again and feudal towns were on the rise. There was constant threat and conflict in the area so they sought the help of Russia and eventually (1700's) became a part of Russia, voluntarily. Through the next couple of centuries they were strengthened and supported. 1925 saw Qazaqs gain autonomy and form the Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic. Went through famines, turmoil with Russia, internal migration, world wars and finally an independent Qazaq emerged in 1991.

Almaty & the beauty around

If Almaty was not what it was, this trip would have been so very different. A city like most modern cities, planned and built with thought - walking spaces, gardens and parks everywhere, new blending with the old (Russian architecture and modern buildings), people out and about enjoying the summer, music on the streets, wonderful food and great breweries. We are all vegetarian (and do not need Indian food at regular intervals) and managed perfectly well. English was barely spoken (our experience), so sign language, a language app and the most patient among us was delegated to interpret. Beyond a few moments of frustration, we didn't offend anyone.

We stayed (a happy accident) in a relatively residential neighbourhood and everything was accessible. We walked an average on 20k steps on the days we explored the city. It was one of my best walking vacations, so far. Loved it.

In no particular order.

1. Museums - The National and Musical Instruments one.

I am a nerd so I don't miss out on going to the museum - I want to really know what the place was and why it is the way it is. We got a couple of hours of walking time in both these places. The trajectory and the influences of the cultural diversity in Qazaq in one place. Smart, no?

2. The Zenkov Orthodox church, Green Bazaar and the war memorials, sights to take in.

3. Subway hopping - we read that each station was designed differently, so hopped on subways visiting station to station - the silk route one, the space station one & the royal one. A bit of vertigo happened, had to go down the steepest and deepest subway stairs I have ever been on!

4. Kaindy Lake

If for whatever reason, you just want to see one lake in Qazaq, pick this one. A 3 hour drive from Almaty, you switch cars and get into a soviet era van (brilliant it was) and you hurtle (hurtle) up or down depending on whether you are going to or coming from the lake. A ride you will never forget, the driver reminds you of all the men in the russian movies - strong, silent and scary. Once you get off, you walk down for 30 minutes before you get to the lake - quiet and beautiful and with one duck swimming it. Birch trees stand in the middle, giving it character of a lake from an age of the non-humans. We sat and took a breathe.

5. Kolsai Lake

Beautiful, Picturesque and packed. Very popular with tourists and locals. Easy walk to the lake. The space included vendors who rented out falcons (live) and outfits for photoshoots. We didn't stay beyond 10 minutes. Similar to Kaindy lake this lake was also formed by the landslide triggered by the 1911 earthquake. We quickly got one picture, without people.

6. Almaty things

The people are helpful not overly 'Service is God' types. Was nice for a change. For instance, as the nights were cold, the outdoor cafes gave you warm blankets - practical but wasn't done with a smile. Was just done. The obligation of being friendly back (whether you meant it or not) was not needed and was lovely. The ones who smiled and chatted actually meant to - would be a fair assumption. By the way, Mithun da is the man here, you just have to say, 'Jimmy, Jimmy' and you get an 'aaja, aaja'.

Will go back in winter one of these years and also once in the summer as we never got to do a proper hike this time. I was relaxed and that is saying a lot for a country that I didn't know much about. Maybe was home at some point in my existence.