Samanid tomb, Chashma-Ayub mausoleum

              Samanid tomb

31th of may.

Today's practice site was the tomb of the Samanids. The weather is perfect for a walk in the park. You may wonder "by the park?". Yes, because the mausoleum of the Samanids is located in the main park of Bukhara, in the Samanid Park.  

The mausoleum is one of the oldest monuments of Central Asian monumental architecture and an architectural monument of world significance.

The memorial structure that has survived to this day was originally part of a larger necropolis, of which nothing else remains (a small cemetery was located in the area of ​​the mausoleum only until the end of the 1930s). At present, the mausoleum is the only surviving building of the Samanid era on the territory of the Bukhara oasis. It is also one of the first surviving structures built entirely of burnt bricks.

As part of the "Historic Center of the City of Bukhara" in 1993, it was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

It is one of the main tourist attractions of the city.

Chashma-Ayub mausoleum

in ancient manuscripts, the following story is told. The prophet Ayyub (Job), tired of wandering, crossed the Amu Darya and reached Bukhara. The inhabitants of the city received him with honors, as a token of gratitude, Job said: “Oh, God! Bring abundance to their descendants, bring defeat to their enemies, avert confusion from them! He died in Bukhara in this very place, which has been preserved and revered to this day as a mazar; under it there is a source, according to legend, one of the sources of Jannat (paradise). They say that a tree grew near it, whose leaves were green even in winter.

In another version of the legend about Job, it is reported that in the place where he stopped, a spring gushed from the impact of his staff on the ground. Its water was considered healing, numerous pilgrims reached out to the source. Over time, the place acquired the status of a mazar - a place of worship. A cemetery appeared around it, functioning for more than a thousand years. It was believed that the water of the spring cures skin diseases and even leprosy.

Ark citadel

             Ark of Bukhara

30th may.
Last days of spring. The weather is
 sometimes windy sometimes very hot. But such circumstances do not prevent our practice. 

The main highlight of Bukhara is the Ark fortress. 
For centuries, the Ark remained the main residence of the Emir of Bukhara, the place from where the supreme command of the country was exercised. Here, in the Ark, in addition to the rulers, great scientists, poets and philosophers lived and worked: Rudaki, Firdowsi, Avicenna, Farabi, Omar Khayyam.

Ark rises above the Registan Square - a symbol of greatness, power, impregnability. And, nevertheless, the impression of inviolability was misleading, because the Ark was repeatedly destroyed and then rebuilt again.

The old fortress has seen many bloody wars. In 1220, when the soldiers of Genghis Khan captured Bukhara, the inhabitants of the city took refuge in the Ark, but the soldiers of Genghis Khan, having penetrated into the Ark, killed the defenders, plundered the valuables and destroyed the fortress.

Revolts broke out in the city repeatedly, and then Ark became the embodiment of tough tyranny, cobblestones flew at its gates. Before the revolution, more than 2 thousand people lived in the Ark, until the fortress fell under the blows of the Red Army.

The length of the walls is 789.60 m, the area is 3.96 ha. The height from the level of the Registan Square, near which it is located, ranges from 16 to 20 meters.

Blacksmith museum

              Blacksmith museum

27.05

We had a great time with groupmates. Day by day we learn new historical facts about our ancient city. 
Sometimes I want to say that these in a place do not end with groumatesmates.

One of the main activities of the Bukhara museum-preserve is to revive and support traditional Bukharan handicraft. In 1992, the blacksmiths' museum-workshop, the only one of its type in Uzbekistan, was set up in the 16th - century Kulyuta karavansarai. The museum-workshop is a living museum. Not only could one learn there the history of the ancient blacksmith's craft, but also participate in making blacksmith products. Usto Shokir Kamolov, who comes of a family of blacksmiths, is the senior researcher of the museum. The museum-workshop has swords, knives, arrow-heads, and craftsmen's instruments. The exhibits of major interest are "Risola," blacksmiths' rules (19th c.), chain- mail (17th c.), a warrior's outfit (17th c.), and bellows (17th c.).

Minaret Kalyan

 The love and attachment to the city - Minaret Kalyan...

 

The highlight of the Pearl of the East is the construction of the Kalyan Minaret, which binds people with its beauty. 

May 25th. Despite the fact that today is the last bell in all the schools of the city, our students came to the old city for the next location - the Kalyan Minaret.

The most surprising thing is that, today's guide Laura, despite the fact that she, herself from another city, spoke with all love about the Minaret. And she also mentioned several times that she falls in love with this city day by day.

She told us that The minaret, designed by Bako, was built on an earlier existing structure called Kalyan by the Qarakhanid ruler Mohammad Arslan Khan in 1127 to summon Muslims to prayer five times a day. An earlier tower was collapsed before starting this structure which was called Kalyan, meaning welfare, indicating a Buddhist or zoroasterian past. It is made in the form of a circular-pillar baked brick tower, narrowing upwards. It is 45.6 metres high (48 metres including the point), of 9 metres diameter at the bottom and 6 metres  overhead.  I was surprised by the legend about the Minaret that she told. 
It has another name - the Tower of Death, because in the Middle Ages criminals were thrown off the top of the minaret.

One of such legends says that in the ancient times there was a shakh. He was cruel and wilful. He was a bad ruler and spent all his time in pleasures. The shakh had a wife who tried to help people and to improve the situation in the country. But she did it in secret. Once the secret was revealed and angry shakh ordered to throw his wife off the Tower of Death. But his wife was very clever. On the eve of execution she asked to fulfill her last wish. The shakh agreed.

On the day of execution she wore all her dresses and skirts and climbed the top of the minaret, carrying her head high. All people crowded around the minaret to give the last honors to their beloved ruler. A wise woman quietly stood at the edge of the minaret and jumped down. People stood breathless, but at the same moment someone in the crowd shouted: "Oh, wonder!" The woman did not die because when she jumped from the tower, her wide skirts had released as a parachute and resulted in the soft landing without any damages. Paying tribute to the courage and wit of his wife, Shakh forgave the woman and did not execute her.

Kamoliddin Behzod Fine Arts Museum

 our next trip with groupmates

25.05. oh this day was special for us. We, with the whole group and with the teacher, gathered near the lyabi hauz. When everyone had already gathered, we went to the art museum of Kamoliddin Behzod.  And of course our guide Mokhina told us about the history of this museum.

History of museum The building was constructed in 1912 by the local masters Hoji Abdurahim Hayatov and Abdugafur Karaulbegi under the guidance of the Russian engineers Margulis and Sakovich. The first floor of the building housed Savva Morozov's shop. On the second floor there was the branch of the Azov-Donskoy bank. From 1920 up to 1982, this building had placed the department of the State Bank (Gosbank) and other organizations.

 

We saw many paintings and sculptures there. But for me the most interesting and most mysterious seemed the picture of the mood. It seems like all the pictures are ordinary at first sight, and if you look closely, you can see something on it, depending on your mood.

lyabi-hauz comlex

 

Lyabi-hauz complex and our group😁

Today is May 24th. And the next place for practice was Lyabi Hauz. The most beautiful part of Bukhara which everyone wants to see. Beautiful location and cozy atmosphere give a chance to feel enjoyment from city noises. 
And today's guide was Takhmina. She, like all locals, loves to spend time here. And she quite readily talked about Lyabi Hauz. 

 She also told the history of Lyabi Hauz. As she mentioned that the history of this ensemble is closely connected with the name of Nadir Divan-Begi, a great nobleman, vizier, as well as the uncle of the Emir of Bukhara Imam Kuli Khan. It is said that when Nadir Divan-Begi was building a khanka bearing his name, there was a large plot near the construction site that belonged to an old Jewish widow. Nadir Divan-Begi decided that the site would be the perfect spot for a pool, but his widow turned down his offer to buy the property. Then Nadir Divan-Begi brought her to Imam Kuli Khan in the hope that the emir would force her to sell. The emir of Bukhara ordered the congress of the mufti to sort out the issue. However, these specialists in Muslim law decided that there was no legal way to acquire property except with the consent of the widow, since Jews had rights on an equal footing with Muslims if they paid the jizya, or poll tax, on non-Muslims.

So Nadir Divan-Begi had to build a small reservoir next to the house of this stubborn Jew. But he dug a ditch, a ditch, for his new pool so that the water flowed right next to her house, although it was more expensive. Soon the water began to undermine the foundation of the widow's house. When she came to Nadir Diwan-Begi for justice, he confirmed his willingness to buy her house at a fair price. But the widow refused the money, putting forward her own conditions instead. She promised to give up her property if the rulers of Bukhara would give her another plot of land with permission to build a synagogue. In exchange for ownership of the widow, Nadir Divan-Begi gave her a plot of land belonging to him in a residential area, which was later called the Jewish Quarter (Mahalli Kuma).

Soon the first synagogue in Bukhara and a large swimming pool were built. The people began to call him Lab-i Hauz, which in Persian means "at the pool." The date of its construction is about 1620. But another epithet is still preserved in the people's memory - Hauz-i Bazur, "a pool made by force." We learned an amazing story about Lyabi Hauz.

We took pictures with the guys.

 And yes, for the development of our oral speech, we decided to talk with tourists who came from different countries. it was good for us too

mokhi-khossa

Our first trip to Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa with                     groupmates 
Today was an unforgettable day. Because we have the first day of practice and the first tour with classmates in Mokhi Khosa. Despite the windy weather, the day started well. Time 9.13. I arrived a little later than the others. When everyone gathered the teacher started our tour. And so we entered the palace, paid for the entrance and after that our guides began to talk about the history of the palace.

 Our guides were Mukhayo and Sabrina. Mukhayo spoke about the history and buildings of this Emir's summer palace. 

From her story, we learned that the palace was initiated by the third to last Emir of Bukhara, Nasrullah Khan in the 19th century. Nasrullah Khan was a mad and cruel Khan, but he loved his wife sincerly. The palace was designed for the wife of the emir named Sitorabony. Nasrullah Khan sent a delegation of Bukharian architects to St. Peterburg and Yalta, to get familiarized with new forms of architecture to implement it here. However, his wife  died in childbirth nut he still named the palace after her. He compared the beauty of his wife to the moon, therefore it became Sitorai Mokhi Khossa Saroy, the place of a star like a moon.  

And Sabrina told the legend about this palace. According to a legend, the Emir requested the aksakals to recommend a location for his summer residence. They told him to kill a lamb and separate it into four parts and to hang the pieces at the four corners outside the city. The piece that had been hung in the north was still fresh after some days and therefore the site was chosen as being the coolest area not too far from the city.

And so the day went well. We learned a lot about this wonderful place. And in the future we plan to visit this place again.

Результаты 

 Youth life in Uzbekistan today

INTRODUCTION

        The end of the 20th – the beginning of the 21stcentury marked the deepening of globalization, the growing interconnectedness of the countries in the political, economic, social, and cultural fields. Youth is one of the most important priorities of the socio-economic policy in every country of the world.Youth policy considers the interests of young citizens in the social structure of society. Youth policy aims to disclose the skills of the young generation in the interests of the whole society. It is necessary to support youth movements, associations, initiatives. Uzbekistan is on an important demographic frontier. Currently, more than 60 percent of the population of the country is young. Uzbekistan is home to a whole generation of people who have not reached 30 years of age. Current children and young people will become the largest force of Uzbekistan in the coming decades. Youth can bring Uzbekistan to a new level of development with the right investment in them. Young people have always been an active part of society. Care for them in Uzbekistan has always been the priority of state policy. In the first years of independence, the country gave this issue the highest priority despite many social and economic problems. The Law on the Foundations of state youth policy of November 20, 1991, was the first legal document in Uzbekistan. The law raised the issue of the younger generation in the country at the level of state policy. For a long time, this law has been a legal basis for the upbringing of a healthy, harmoniously developed generation in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has been implemented special state programs that proclaimed the social orientation of the years. In particular, 2008 was the Year of Youth, 2010 – The Year of Harmoniously Developed Generation, 2014 – The Year of a Healthy Child, and 2016 – The Year of a Healthy Mother and Child. This fact testifies to the special attention in the country to creating appropriate conditions for the younger generation. It is highly symbolic that the first legislative act Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed as President of the Republic of Uzbekistan was the Law on State Youth Policy of September 14, 2016. This suggests that the country is consistently implementing the state youth policy. Very important for Uzbekistan to bring up young people patriotic and dedicated, with a strong life stance. Because youth is the creators of the future of the country. In this meaning, the youth can help Uzbekistan take a decent place in the world. It is worth mentioning that the Strategy of Action on Five Priority Development Areas of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021 reflects this objective. (strategy.uz, 2019) follows: a departure from paternalism; the attitude of the state towards youth as a partner of social processes; implementation of the principle of subsidiarity, etc.
 
      RESULTS

      International organizations have formed a general approach to the implementation of youth policy at the global level. This approach aimed at actively socializing and uniting youth efforts from different countries and regions in solving global problems of the time. Thus, developed countries recognize youth as an independent resource. Youth policy has become a separate direction of state activity. Countries are aware of the role of the youth factor in solving socioeconomic and political problems. For example, global challenges - population aging, demographic problems, migration, preservation of cultural identity, terrorism, environmental safety, energy security, etc. (rgub.ru, 2018) 

DISCUSSION

Youth is the special socio-demographic group of the population. Young people allocate based on a combination of age characteristics, social status, and socio-psychological properties. These factors determine the social system, culture, and socialization of young people. At present, there are no exact age limits for the youth category. In different countries, not only age limits are important but a set of individual or group characteristics. According to the UN, youth are people aged 10-24. (un.org, 2019) Many countries do not allocate youth to a separate group but unite them with people from 0 to 25 years (UK, Netherlands). Youth (or young citizens) in Uzbekistan are people between the ages of 14 to 30 years. In general, modern age boundaries of the concept of youth in most European countries, the USA and Japan, determines in the range from 13-14 (the age at which physical maturity sets in) to 29-30 (the age of economically independent life). Although the upper limit sometimes may push back (for example, for young scientists in Uzbekistan and some European countries – to 33-35 years old, or young farmers in Spain – up to 39-40 years old). (rgub.ru, 2018)

 
International approach for youth issue

Today it is impossible to solve modern challenges and threats without the active participation of the younger generation. They need to have modern skills, get encouragement for their initiatives from society. This issue has always been one of the UN priorities. The UN has adopted several conceptual and normative documents on the youth issue in different years. They are as follows:– Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); – Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples(Proclaimed by the General Assembly, resolution 2037 (XX), A/RES/20/2037, 7 December 1965) – Channels of communication between the United Nations and youth and youth organizations (General Assembly Resolution 36/17, A/RES/36/17, 13 Nov. 1981); – UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (The Riyadh Guidelines, 1990); – UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules, 1985); – The Braga Youth Action Plan (1999). (Tarsan, 2010: 325-326) In 1999, in its resolution 54/120, the General Assembly endorsed the recommendation of the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth. 12 August be declared International Youth Day. Since 2004 the UN Secretary-General annually has been addressing the youth of the world on August 12. In particular, the Address of 2018 devotes itself to the UN Youth 2030 Strategy (Secretary-General, 2018). In 2019, the UN Secretary-General raised questions about the education system to increase its inclusiveness, accessibility, and relevance in modern conditions. (Secretary-General, 2019) In the context of dynamic economic growth and the development of information technology, in 2018, the UN launched a new Youth 2030 Strategy entitled Working with and for young people. The Strategy aims to facilitate increased impact and expanded global, regional, and country-level action to address the needs, build the agency and advance the rights of young people in all their diversity around the world, and to ensure their engagement and participation in the implementation review and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as other relevant global agendas and frameworks. (UN Strategy, 2018) Due to its global position, the United Nations is a platform for discussing and solving pressing problems of youth and strengthening its potential for the benefit of the whole world. As the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted: Ensuring peace, active economic growth, social justice, tolerance – all this and much more depends on the use of opportunities of youth. (unicef.org, 2018) The world today is home to an unprecedented number of young people (1.8 billion). They are still facing many obstacles. About 90 percent of them live in developing countries. More than 70 million of them are unemployed. Unemployment and the difficult life in many countries have led to the rise of violent extremism and radicalism among the younger generation. Moreover, this phenomenon requires joint efforts of the international community. As President Sh. Mirziyoyev noted in his speech at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in September 2017, ensuring conditions for the youth self-realization will create a barrier to the spread of the virus of the ideology of violence. The Uzbek leader put forward the initiative on the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Youth, which aimed to develop multilateral cooperation for social support of the younger generation, protection of their rights and interests. (Mirziyoyev, 2017) This initiative aims at forming bases for the effective implementation of a large-scale international mechanism to combat the propaganda of terrorism in the context of globalization. International organizations have formed a general approach to the implementation of youth policy at the global level. This approach aimed at actively socializing and uniting youth efforts from different countries and regions in solving global problems of the time. (Saydaliyeva, Nazirov, 2020: 104-105) Many developed countries from the late 50s – early 60s of the last centuries began to pursue a consistent and focused policy on youth. Now youth policy is one of the objective rules of world development. It associates with the constant strengthening of the youth factor in socio-economic and political processes. More than 130 countries have adopted special legislative acts on the development and social protection of young people. About 90 of them have top-level state structures for youth affairs that directly develop and coordinate youth policies. Speaking about youth policy in developed countries, there are different approaches to its development and implementation. Some countries limit the state control in youth socialization and delegate these functions to the non-state and commercial sectors. Other countries strictly regulate the state responsibility for youth, integration into the socio-political and economic life of society. (Tarsan, 2010: 325-326) In the way the state organizes youth policy, two models stand out – the European and Anglo-Saxon. The European model implies the leading role of the state in the field of youth policy. This model clearly defines priorities, goals, objectives, and expected results. The Anglo-Saxon model characterizes an approach to exclusive support volunteer activities and youth organizations. But government agencies have not to take systematic participation in the implementation of youth policy. (Saydaliyeva, Nazirov, 2019: 136-137) In this regard, the development experience of Asian countries on youth policy is also of particular interest.