Аждодлардан мерос қолган дўмбирам

Normurod Norkobilov


TRACES OF CIVILIZATION

Tashkent 2019

OLD OBSERVATORY

Usually, the joy and excitement of exploring ancient monuments with historians and archaeologists and talking about them is entirely fragmentary. During this unique creative dialogue, the ancient monuments, which are standing in front of you like a rock or lying on the ground, gradually show their secrets and lead the human consciousness to the distant past. And at some point you start living in the distant past, not in this world. During the Kyzylkum Expedition, Samandar Ismailov, a fifty-year-old historian, and I observed the same thing in the process of studying and filming the history of the ancient observatory, Koykirganqala. The Khorezm state appeared before our eyes, and from its vast bosom the Koykilgankala fortress, which had shown all its majesty, slowly rose and shook. After all, we did not stop at this monument in vain. After all, this three-thousand-year-old monument was not only an observatory, but also a training center where sciences such as mathematics, geometry, trigonometry, physics, astronomy, astrology and geodesy developed. But we are primarily interested in the name of the monument. Why is it called the "Castle of Destruction"? Samandar aka explains this question as follows: “If we start from a little distance, the main reason why it is so named, or rather, it is mentioned in science, is that an archaeologist who came in the thirty-seventh century to identify and register historical monuments on the right bank of the Amudarya. S. P. Tolstov photographer E A. Polyakov and Sansizboy Urumov, a Kazakh camel driver living in the village of Saxon Bir in the Beruni district, roamed the desert on camels, photographed all the existing monuments one by one and added them to the list. That is why I am personally grateful to the members of the expedition led by archaeologist Sergiy Tolstov to the last breath. At that time, the real names of most ancient castles and fortresses were forgotten, some were called differently by the locals, and some were completely unnamed. S. Because Urumov pronounced the names of monuments in his own language, the names of many castles and fortresses were recorded in Kazakh in science, such as Jonboshqala. ” So, dozens of monuments, such as Bozorqala, Qoyqilganqala, Qizilqala, Teshikqala, Dumonqala, Qavatqala, Burgutqal'a, are on the page of history with the same name as they were called by the locals.

In addition, the old man used to name some unnamed castles according to their appearance. This custom was peculiar to the natives, who paid more attention to its appearance when naming the monuments. For example, Teshikkala is named after a large hole in one of its surviving walls, Burgutkala is named after an eagle that lands on one wall, and Qizilqala is so named because of the reddening of the castle walls at sunrise and sunset. As for the castle, it is said that at one time a flock of sheep grazing at the foot of the castle was killed by an unexpected attack of wolves, and the name of the castle came from this.
So what is the ancient real name of this castle?
The ancient real name of the fortress is "Khadarkat".
As we take a closer look at the past of the monument, which in ancient times was called Hadarkat, and now Koykirilganqala, we see it in our eyes and begin to feel a sense of wonder in our hearts. Nevertheless, it is not easy to understand that three thousand years ago, our wise ancestors observed the place and condition of the celestial lights and the laws of motion from this point. But this is exactly the fact - in the fifties of the last century, a group of archaeologists conducted excavations in the castle with S. P. Tolstoy was able to determine that this monument is not only an observatory, but also the oldest fortress in Central Asia in terms of architecture. S., who had been in contact with archaeologists all his life and was directly involved in some excavations. Ismailov adds the following information about the fortress: “Koykirqanqala is the oldest monument not only in ancient Khorezm, but also in the world, built of clay, cotton and raw bricks on the basis of a specific project, architecture. The castle was surrounded by three rows of cylindrical circular high walls, the central part of which consisted of a two-story ruler's palace and an observatory. To be more precise, the inner circumference of the fortress was 42 meters, the outer circumference was 87.5 meters, and the height was 8 meters, and these buildings in the center of the monument are surrounded by a circle of nine tower walls built for defensive purposes. Needless to say, it was not easy to illuminate such complex structures, and this required a great deal of ingenuity on the part of the architects. To illuminate the interior of the building, special windows are installed in the corner parts of the walls of the buildings on the ground floor. Since the wall of the tower on the upper floor, where the observatory is located, is seven meters thick, the depth of the window sills has also been increased. During the excavations, the remains of astronomical equipment and other rare artifacts were found in the observatory. During the lively conversation, he spoke about an interesting fact: "I must say that, as I said earlier, the castle, like other monuments, was excavated during the former Soviet era, and it is constantly reported to Moscow. During that scientific report, archaeologists were strongly urged to show that some monuments, including the Castle, were also several centuries younger. Archaeologists were forced to obey this instruction unconditionally. By this I mean that this ancient observatory was built much earlier than in other parts of the world, that is, not in the IV century BC, but in the VIII century BC. This means that sciences such as arithmetic, mathematics, geometry, trigonometry, physics have developed in our country much earlier. If we compare this situation with historical and spiritual development, and consider that the great scientists of antiquity, Plato and Aristotle, who lived in the fourth century BC, did great work in the development of secular sciences, we have no difficulty in realizing that this effort began much earlier. I want to say that the period of construction of the observatory and the development of secular sciences in our homeland is almost a thousand years ahead of what is written in the history books. "
Conversations about knowledge are always controversial. Of course, there were those who opposed this idea. Then Samandar aka took a handful of the soil of the castle and thoughtfully remembered the ancient city of Arkaim. Since I know the history of this ancient city of Kamina, I will briefly dwell on it: in the last century, a group of archaeologists encountered a 17th-century BC monument on the southern slopes of the Ural Mountains - a monument similar to the Castle in the city center. The monument also had a solar temple, an observatory for studying celestial bodies, as well as a fireplace that was ablaze day and night. So what do the similarities in these two monuments mean? At that time, this puzzle made all archaeologists think deeply, and as a result of further research, it was concluded that these two castles functioned at the same time in connection with each other. This opinion of archeologists suggests that the Castle was built not in the IV century BC, but in the earlier period, and that our ancient ancestors were seriously engaged in science. This idea is fully confirmed by the historian Tahir Karim in his book "In the Footsteps of the Holy Avesto" (pp. 118-124): "Hadarkat (Koykirilganqala) on the right bank of the Akchadarya became the center of faith of the whole Khorezm, as well as all Zoroastrian peoples.
It was inhabited by high-ranking coxswain, hotel servants, mainly serving pilgrims, including servants in the central fire built in honor of the goddess Amudarya (Dahya in the Avesto) Ardvi Sura Anaxita, built in the center of the city. The hospital adjacent to the fireplace is home to doctors, while the campus on the other side is home to students studying religious and secular knowledge, and the observatory at the center is home to dozens of scientists and astrologers. But by the time of the Farazman dynasty, Hadarkat would face a crisis and the country's capital would be moved to Nuzkat. ”
We did not give this information in vain, because when Alexander the Great invaded Central Asia in the IV century BC, in fact, the king of Khorezm was Farazman, and his reign coincided with the decline of Hadarkat, which flourished for centuries. From this point of view, another information is that Koykirilganqala was not only a center of astronomical observations, but also the cradle of the first Khorezmian inscription. According to archaeologists, the oldest specimens of Central Asian inscriptions were found in this fortress. These inscriptions are written in the Khorezmian alphabet based on the Aramaic script, and scholars have been able to determine that this unique work dates back to the III century BC. The Khorezmian script appeared at the same time as the world's first scripts - the Persian cuneiform, the Phoenician and Aramaic alphabets. S. Ismailov added: "If we consider that the Avesto was written in the VIII century BC, the Khorezmian script appeared much earlier."
Then he talks about another artifact found in the Castle. It's a mathematical formula on a castle wall. S. When Ismailov approached the eastern wall of one of the castles, the formulas of mathematical and trigonometric theorems were found on the wall. emphasizes with deep regret that these formulas are a unique finding for the history of our science. By the way, a person unaware of the work of archeology can look with suspicion at the long preservation of ancient artifacts on the surface of the wall. But someone more or less familiar with the field, like us, knows very well that ancient inscriptions and paintings sealed on the walls can be stored for thousands of years in the depths of the soil, free from air and moisture. We have encountered such processes several times on expeditions along the ancient monuments and have told about them with interest.Now, going back to the formulas found on the castle walls in the fifties of the last century and photographed by Moscow scientists, Samardan Ismailov did not sit idly by, that is, he did not ignore the issue. So what motivates him to do this? We hear this from the scientist himself: “The question of whether the formulas of the cosine theorem inscribed on the castle wall were in the science of that time, or whether they were later introduced into science, did not calm me down and I began to study the history of trigonometry. I soon learned the following about it. The term sine was first used in the writings of the Greek scholars Hipparchus and Ptolemy, who lived in the second century BC, and the term cosine was also used in the works of Indian scholars in the fifth and thirteenth centuries. In Central Asia, Abul Vafo Buzjani was the first to compile a table of sinuses. Nasriddin At-Tusi, who lived in the 13th century, gave information about these terms in his work On the Full Rectangle. In the works of Abu Rayhan Beruni, Ulugbek, Kashi, the terms of the trigonometric theorem are further enriched. During the Renaissance in Europe, these terms were first used in the work of the English scholar Broadward (1290-1349). Later, the science was further developed in the works of the fifteenth-century German scientist Johann Müller, the Polish scientist Copernicus and Lobachevsky, and rose to the level of modern science. So what does that mean? This means that the formulas of the theorem found in the Castle Wall, as well as the formula of the cosine theorem, were created in our country about 900 years ago in relation to other parts of the earth. As for the preservation of these unique artifacts on the walls, we must not forget that the observatory also taught students. "
By the way, in recent years, some scientists have been very interested in the design of such a complex castle and what measuring equipment was used in its construction. After all, it is not so clear that creating a project of such a complex size is impossible. However, on the contrary, no information about the measuring equipment was left by the archaeologists who excavated the castle. This has led to the emergence of different views among scientists. The archaeologist M. S. In one of his scientific articles, Lapirov-Skoblo tried to put forward the following idea: "In the construction of the castle, a rope was used as a measuring device, ie one knot in the rope was a means of determining the width of the room, the other knot was the length of the room, other knots were the thickness, height and so on." S. Ismailov strongly opposes this idea: “The idea that a simple rope was used as a measure of length in the construction of a complex fortress built on the basis of scientific achievements is absolutely unfounded. If the scholar had known about the Avesta, he would have refrained from saying it.
Because the solution to this problem is clearly stated in the holy Avesto. The person who did not want to agree with this opinion was M., a well-known scientist of the Avesto. Translated by Ishakov - "Videvdod" and "Yasht" can be easily viewed. " If we turn the pages of these books, we can see the following information: "Khatra" - a distance of one kilometer, "Ashtar" - the width of a joint or finger, "Ashti" - the width of four fingers, and "Vetosiy" - the length of twelve fingers. , "Frabazu" is a measure of the length of the wrist, "vaybazu" is an incomplete measure, that is, a measure of length. So, let's take a look at the fact that our ancient ancestors, who read the Avesto and fully benefited from its knowledge, used a rope as a measuring tool. Aslo! The ancients have always made effective use of various units and equipment in all kinds of construction work, astronomical observations, land and distance measurements, and this is reflected in the living inscriptions. S. In Ismailov's words, various statues found in the heart of the fortress tell about the development of science and culture at that time. The goddess of the fire-worshiping religion - Anaxita, the goddess of mothers - Khorezm madonna, the goddess Mina and other similar works did not appear spontaneously. Examples like this can be cited as you wish.
We do not know how time passed during the weekly expedition across the Kyzylkum. This is because each of the ancient monuments, one of which stretches across the desert, is a unique history - a rare page of a huge book called "Ancient Khorezm". Naturally, reading the rare pages, looking at the distant past of our ancestors, you want to bring the period to life in your imagination. But these pages are not easy to read and it is not for everyone. To do this, you need to have industry experts on your floor. Accordingly, while this time on the expedition we are content with the Castle, at the end of our story we will dwell for a moment on the reasons for the appearance of the observatories. Of course, one of the main arguments for its emergence is necessity. As the great sage Herodotus said, nothing emerges in this universe without necessity. And because of that necessity, mankind has long known that there is an inextricable link between the laws of the universe and the laws of nature on earth, that the sun, moon, and stars are the main and basic natural means of calculating time - year, month, day, and that mankind needs a calendar . To create a calendar, an observatory was needed to determine the motion and position of the Sun, Moon, and stars. The ruined castle and other observatories around the world were formed for this reason.
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WITH THE GREAT CHINESE WALL ALONG - KANPIRAK

I am not mistaken in saying that most of our compatriots were "obsessed" with the Great Wall of China, completely unaware that similar defenses existed in our country in ancient times and its remains have survived to this day, as well as the indifference of some of our compatriots to this monument. And I repeat this question again:

Did we have a defense system like the Great Wall of China?
Of course it was!
It is well known that sunny Uzbekistan is the homeland of world civilization, one of the ancient centers. The fact that the people of Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, have created a rich and unique culture is a fact known to all mankind today. In particular, the perfection and character of the rebuilt defense structures, intended to protect the ancient settlements between the two rivers from external attacks, is always mentioned as an important indicator of the level of social development. It would be very difficult to meet a child of a man who did not know the ancient Chinese wall and did not have a certain idea about it in this world of life, if, at this point, the goal-oriented village came to him. I have met many Chinese tourists on the Kamina service, and I have personally witnessed them take great pride in their values ​​and antiquities. However, one helpless aspect is that most of them think that the ancient wall system is unique to China. Naturally, then everyone wants to brag, or rather, be proud of the history of their homeland, its ancient monuments and the system of walls. Then a legitimate question arises: "Well, did we have ancient walls that stretched as far as the Great Wall of China?" If you, to try, ask people with the same question, most do not go beyond the shoulder joint, or the old Khiva walls. We are not referring to the walls of the ancient city, but to a system of walls that define the defenses of a particular oasis or country.
As someone who has traveled the country step by step, I have come across the ancient defensive walls of the ancient land of Khorezm many times, and I have told many and many stories about their history and uniqueness through the blue screen. I was very interested in the walls of the ancient oasis at that time, that is, their existence and history. One day, about nine years ago, Rahim aka Maksudov, a well-known journalist from Navoi, called me and said calmly: “I hear that you are very interested in the walls of the old oasis. So, if you find time, come to our Kyzyltepa district. ”
The first thing we did during our next trip to Navoi region was to find Rahim Maksudov. Without saying a word to us, he led us to an ancient wall that stretched far and wide, low and high, in a majestic way in the neighborhoods of the northeast and southwest of the district. He wrote with his hands wide and proudly said, “This is the antiquity that interests you! This antiquity is called "Kanpirak wall" by our historians and "Kampirdevol" by the locals. The difference of this fortification is that it stretches for hundreds of kilometers, not tens ... ”
We miraculously explored the low-rise remnants of the ancient wall, which stretched for hundreds of miles, with great interest and began to photograph it with great passion. After reviewing the castles and fortresses in the ancient Khorezm region in collaboration with historians and archeologists, we have come to the conclusion that with the help of Rahim Maksudov and we were able to determine that some of the seats were raised from large raw bricks of a rectangular shape. "It is natural that the wall, which is thirteen meters wide, should be fifteen to twenty meters high," Rahim Maksudov said in response to questions. This structure is also called "oasis wall" by our archeologists. "
Voha walls.
So what does this term mean?
This means that the Kanpirak wall served not for the defense of a particular city or fortress, but for the defense of the whole oasis, and in turn became one of the unique architectural monuments, resembling the world-famous Chinese wall in terms of its architectural style. Now let's look at the history of its emergence, this structure was built to protect the oases inhabited by settled peoples from the attacks of nomadic tribes. And why is it called the “Kanpirak Wall”? Rahim Maksudov explains this question as follows: The phrase "Kanpirak wall" means "dug well". However, in the pronunciation there is an exchange of "n" and "m". The word "pir" means an ancient pierya - circle, wrap. The word "cannabis" itself means "trench wall." The word "wall" was added later, when the word "kanpir" lost its original meaning. Kanpirak wall! ”
The Kanpirak wall is not the only one in the country, according to our archeologists and historians, there were five of them in the early Middle Ages. The first is this Kanpirak wall, which encompasses all the towns and villages of the ancient Bukhara oasis. But it is also possible to come across conflicting information at this point. If we look at the work of historian Narshahi "History of Bukhara", it is said that this fortress was built in 782-831. However, the tenth-century Arab historian and traveler Masudi denied this idea, saying that the building was built during the reign of Sughd, ie in the V-VI centuries. Accordingly, our historians, assuming that many ancient structures have undergone several stages of restoration, reinforce their views with the research of archaeologists, arguing that the information given by Narshahi refers to the period of restoration of the fortification. For example, the first ancient wall mentioned in Masudi's account occupied a smaller area than the Kanpirak wall written by Narshahi. The length of this wall was 336 km. Rahim Maksudov says: “The Bukhara oasis is surrounded by this defensive wall from Karmana in the Bukhara Sughd region to the center of the present-day Kagan district, as well as from the north-west, north and northeast. This wall crossed the borders of Varakhsha (Jondor district) in the north-west, then Subuktepa, Borontepa (Romiton), Khojakultepa (Peshko), along the left bank of the Shafirkan canal and connected to Abu Muslimtepa. And also another raised wall along the Hazara gorge crossed the Konimex oasis and led to Karatov in the center of Karmana district. Looking at this scheme, imagine for yourself how many hundred miles this Kanpirak wall stretches ... ”
The Kanpirak wall is not just a wall system, along its direction, every fort (6-8 km) away, cities or villages, including rabats, were built. "It is natural that the question arises as to why these settlements were built," said Rahim Maksudov. - It is clear that our ancient ancestors not only built a wall, but also used every stone, brick and clay according to the plan, and as a result, these settlements, which are part of the defensive wall, served as both residential and border fortifications. In addition, special gates were built for each fort and territory surrounded by a wall, as well as military towers at every mile of the distance between the fortifications. The guards were not tired of the towers day and night. It shows that the Kanpirak wall, like the Chinese wall, served as a multi-faceted, powerful defensive fortification. ”
At this point, if we talk about the constellations, the constellations are one of the most important elements of defensive structures, a device that is pushed out along the perimeter of the defensive walls, usually higher than the wall. Accordingly, the constellations were never of the same type, depending on the history of the location, they were of different shapes: right-angled, square, and oval in shape.
Historically, semi-oval constellations are among the oldest types. The shape of the constellations on the Kanpirak wall, it seems, has not yet been fully studied by our scientists. But our scientists, according to the results of archeological research, have fully proved that Kanpirak is associated with the first stage of the wall - the end of the V century and the first half of the VI century. This, of course, raises the following question: what was the historical process at the time of the construction of this fortification, because such fortifications do not occur without a reason, and reality always plays an important role in their construction.
The answer to this question is given by our historians Q. Rajabov, B. Qandov, I. Shaymardonov and O. We are looking for it in the book "Important dates in world history" by Normatov. On pages 47-48 of this book, it is stated that in the 5th century AD, a powerful Hephthalite state was formed in Central Asia, East Turkestan, Afghanistan, and much of northern India. This state is referred to in some sources as the State of the White Huns. According to many researchers, the Hephthalites lived in the Syrdarya valley, first as a nomadic pastoral tribe, and later moved south. This state formed the union of the Hephthalite tribes, which were called by various names, such as the Hephthalites, the Hephthalites, the Hittites, the Abdals, and the Ye-da. The capital of the Hephthalite Turkic state, which functioned in 420-579, was first the cities of Poykend and Varakhsha near Bukhara, and then the city of Shakala (now Sialkat) in India. In the early and mid-sixth century, the greatest threat to the Hephthalite state was posed by the Sassanid state of Iran and the Great Turkish Khanate. Eventually, between 563 and 567 AD, the Hephthalites were defeated in a battle between the Turks and the Hephthalites on the threshold of Bukhara. The state of the Hephthalites was fully enjoyed in 579. Such historical processes, of course, have played an important role in the emergence of defensive structures.
Another important historical aspect of the Kanpirak wall is that it is invaluable as the only structure that fully defines the boundaries of Bukhara in the V-VI centuries. In the words of historians, this vast region functioned in its time as a large cultural region with the most traditional, classical state buds. Also, the Kanpirak wall was not unique, as noted in the book "Important dates in world history", there were several of them in our country. Taking the opportunity, we will list them one by one: the second Kanpirak wall was rebuilt in the VIII-IX centuries, its length was 120 km, and it was built in the ancient land of Sughd. The third Kanpirak wall was erected in the ancient Usrushona oasis, which now includes Uratepa, Zaamin, and Jizzakh. The fourth Kanpirak wall was built in the west of the Fergana Valley in the late VIII and early IX centuries. The Fifth Kanpirak wall, built on the northern side of the Tashkent oasis, stretches from Khojakent to the Syrdarya. Thus, in the VIII-IX centuries, ie during the Arab rule in Central Asia, all the walls of Kanpirak around the oases of Bukhara, Sughd and Usrushona were connected to each other, creating a single defense system. It will be recalled that the ancient Kanpirak walls were built to prevent the invasion and looting of nomadic tribes and ethnic groups in the settled agricultural oases, and the lines of this defense system passed through Bukhara, Central Sughd, Usrushona, Tashkent and Western Fergana oases. In short, imagine for yourself how long the Kanpirak wall, which in ancient times surrounded our country and provided its defense, is here.
Remains of these ancient walls are still present in places.
Certain parts of this fortress can be found in Kyzyltepa district of Navoi region, as well as in other areas. It is in some places an old wall, and in some places in the form of a hill still hanging blue. However, it is very unfortunate that there are almost no people interested in this unique historical monument. Rahim Maksudov lamented: “We know not only the existence of the Great Wall of China, but also its history, who built it, when and for what reason, but we do not know the historical value and significance of the Kanpirak wall, or rather its historical significance. we are very indifferent to the monument. In my case, they must have said that the water that flowed before was worthless. On the contrary, we must always look around with a deep gaze. To do this, we need to read a lot of books. This is because the book not only develops the mind, but also sharpens the intellect. Then we will look at the monuments around us not as an old wall or a simple hill, but as a golden page in the history of our country and completely get rid of the vices of indifference ... ”Another thing is that Mother Nature is not alone - it works from the ground. He has been working hard for centuries, turning ordinary rain into rain, people into storms, night dew into snow, in the hope of re-turning antiquity into dust. However, it seems that our architects, who lived more than a millennium ago and took part in the restoration of this historic building, really became masters of their craft, and no matter how hard nature tries, some parts of the Kanpirak wall are still standing.
If it was not left alone in the footsteps of nature, another golden page in the history of our country would have revealed its secret.
Now let’s get back to the maze and continue our story. Usually, just as existing objects lose their status and significance from time to time, so did ancient monuments. This historical phenomenon is no stranger to the Kanpirak wall either, it lost its status for the first time in the Middle Ages. The reason for this is the historian A. We are looking for it in Otakhodjaev's book "Turkish-Sughd relations in the early medieval Central Asian civilization." The historian explains this situation as follows: although some of the nobility of the Hakanate lived in the desert during the Turkish Hakanate, the Hakanate was very interested in establishing peace, solidarity and trade between the local Sogdian population and the nomads. During the Turkish khanate, the independence of about fifteen large and small states in present-day Uzbekistan and Central Asia was limited, they were officially subordinated to the khanate and annual duties were paid. These states, large and small, ie the kingdom of the Bukhara gods, the kingdom of the Vardon gods, Samarkand Sughd and others were organized as the Sughd confederation and were part of the Great Turan Khanate. Due to the fact that the Haqqanis benefited greatly from trade, especially from the silk trade, great opportunities were created for Sogdian traders, who were provided with trading posts even in the most remote countries of the world. During this historical process, of course, the need for the Kanpirak wall was not felt, and it temporarily lost its significance until the Arab invasion.
Thus, in the quarter of the VII century and the beginning of the VIII century, the wheel of history turned in vain, and the invasion of the territory of Turan by another political force - the Arab invaders began. After the first attempts of the Khurasan viceroy Qutayba ibn Muslim (660-715), in the early eighth century, Movarounnahr, including Bukhara, was conquered and the Islamization of the city's population began. During this period, the confrontation between the inhabitants of the cultural oasis who converted to Islam and the desert nomads who did not convert to Islam intensified, and the need for the Kanpirak wall arose again, and it was restored. However, when the Samanid dynasty came to power in Movarounnahr and Khorasan in the early ninth century, the structure remained in the shadows and completely lost its significance.
The contribution of the story is that the ancient archeological monuments of our country, as a silent witness of our history, tell about the rich past of our people, how sacred this land is and how this country was the homeland of ancient civilization. This imposes on all of us the honorable task of further study and restoration of this sacred land, the history of this radiant Uzbekistan, as well as the unraveling of the mysterious pages of the museum. We must perpetuate the Kanpirak wall not in the pages of history, but as a sacred historical monument in the bosom of the mother earth.

KHOMONKULI

Before heading to Lake Khamkon, one of the highest points of the Kohitog ridge, members of the Khamkon Lake Expedition will spend the first night in the Kyzyrik district of Surkhandarya region, in the house of the People's Bakhshi of Uzbekistan Abdunazar Poyonov. When we wake up to the crowing of a rooster perched on a wooden wall of the black, there is a revival in the mother earth, which is illuminated by the morning light, that is, in the village, which is silent at night, the pleasant sound of dawn reigns. But we greet the morning with excitement, haste, and a little anxiety. Because we had a few days of hard work ahead of us, and to what extent our expedition plan would be realized - it was still dark for us. After all, mountain trips were always full of unexpected coincidences, and we could encounter unpleasant situations at any time that seriously hampered our work. Accordingly, as soon as we get up, we begin to re-examine the equipment of the journey from beginning to end. First of all, we check the condition of the power supply equipment, put fuel in steel containers, and re-tighten the ropes. In short, we re-inspect all equipment, assuming that the lack of any necessary equipment at the right time will seriously interfere with our work. Abdunazar Bakhshi, who took part in such an expedition for the first time, and more precisely, because he spent his childhood in Hamkon, agreed to become a leader at our request, was very surprised by our behavior and wondered what they were doing. Bakhshi's situation is understandable, for he does not yet know that there are peculiar subtleties of the expedition, that a little coldness can kick the case. If he had gone through dozens of expeditionary processes, just like us, he would not have laughed in his head at us, realizing why we were scrutinizing the necessary equipment so carefully. Unless, at this point, there is a place for analogy, we could not start an expedition without the necessary equipment, just as we could not go out to the people without a drum. That was our vitality.
After a busy preparation, we drive through the Kyzyryk and Sherabad districts, which were once a thriving oasis, once a deserted steppe, in a powerful car that can move comfortably on the rocks. Then in our hearts that familiar passion rises - the desire to get to the destination faster.After a busy preparation, we drive through the Kyzyryk and Sherabad districts, which were once a thriving oasis, once a deserted steppe, in a powerful car that can move comfortably on the rocks. Then in our hearts that familiar passion rises - the desire to get to the destination faster. From time immemorial, at the beginning of the journey, for some reason, a person is always in a hurry. However, our destination was still far away, and in order to reach it, we had to go through Tanggidara, which is still told in epic tales. Bakhshi offered to cross the gorge as a guide, saying that if we walked along this route, we could save more than half a day compared to the main road.
Bakhshi said that if we walk, even if we walk a lot, we will meet Tanggidara on the same day - the road that will not come. Interestingly, although we all know that "don't go" is just a myth, we still feel anxiety in our hearts. In fact, it is not a myth, but the cold raptor of the tree that aroused this feeling of hatred in us.Usually, the mountain gorges are different - one is a warm welcome, and the other is like pushing from the chest, saying, disappear. The whims of these cold-blooded ravines do not end there; But no matter how unpleasant the nature of the gorge we encounter on our way, the expedition will always be in motion. We take a bold step into the tree - the heart of Kohitag.
If we talk a little about Kohitag, this mountain was one of the hundreds of ridges of the average height of Gissar, and its nature was as colorful and beautiful as Mount Gissar. The mountain was also covered with thick pine forests, mixed forests, green meadows, in Bakhshi's words. But the same could not be said of Tanggidara, who reluctantly greeted us. Because on both sides of the ravine there were bare rocks and boulders, and this unpleasant rapture of them was annoying from the first mile. But soon we began to feel like we had fallen into the realm of legendary stones. Then the following shouts were heard:
"Look, that rock is like a bear ..."
"Manovu has the image of an old woman on the rock ..."
"Oh, I'm sorry, this is the same munis mother who is imagining a rock ..."
Looking around, I was immediately convinced that these shouts were not in vain, that some rocks and boulders really embodied the shape of man and various animals. Here, on the brown rock between the two rocks, is a woman covered in jelly. The rock below looks like a bear with its head bowed. If a person has not much, but a lot of attention, I look around carefully, realizing that incredible things can be caught in the valley, and then I feel as if I see a fire burning on one of the rocks. Indeed, the surface of the rocks was full of fragments of flames, both narcissistic and narcissistic. We have come across such colors a lot in caves, that is, how many different colors there are in the world, all on the walls of caves. The color of the stones here was much closer to the walls of the cave. As soon as I turned the boys' attention to the colors, Abdunazar Bakhshi immediately knitted the following quartet:

Is the color of the earth the same?

Is the color of the mountain different?
These colors on the stone,
A cold fire?

This quartet of Bakhshi is a source of inspiration for the gurung about the emergence of mountains. Whether we all have some knowledge of this natural process, we talk and argue without talking to each other. Not wanting to be left out, Bakhshi says the next four:

E, guys, let me tell you,
The ground was on fire.
These rocks, which look at the sky,
As long as it was an uneasy depth

In the meantime, I find a monument from the Tethys Sea - a foraminifera, that is, a bowl of fossilized animals, on the top of one of the rocks frozen in fire. By the way, why the fossilized bodies of this species of creatures belonging to the ancient oceans and seas are exactly in the rocks, unfortunately, not everyone is interested, and most people do not even know what they are. If you ask for this oil, we first came across such ancient sea artifacts - stone shells, which range from the thumb to the average porcelain bowl - during the "Gissar Expedition" in various parts of the Gissar Mountains, including its 4350 meters altitude. Now, we come across these ancient artifacts in Kohitog. As for antiquity, these works are really very old. Because all the natural phenomena associated with the Tethys Sea occurred in the Mesozoic era, which spanned a period of 250 million to 65 million years. Thus, in the Mesozoic era, as a result of the displacement of the continents of Gandwana and Lavrasia in two directions, a huge Tethys Sea appeared between them. At that time, the land where we lived was also on the edge of the sea. As for the rise of seabed animals to the top of the mountains, tectonic processes on the surface and underground have resulted in the growth of mountains from the bottom of the Tethys Sea, and as a result, sea creatures have spontaneously climbed into the mountains, becoming ancient artifacts. The Tethys Sea itself retreated from the south to the present-day Indian Ocean.

After this information from Kamina, the attitude of our comrades towards the tree changed dramatically. Someone is slowly kicking the ground, as if this place was the bottom of the sea! Someone looks at the shell in his hand and tries to imagine the natural changes that have taken place in the distant past. Only Abdunazar, with a smirk, tried to say something, and at last I said, “I don't know if there is a Tethys Sea in this area, but it is true that Babur passed through this gorge. After a battle with Shaybanikhan, he and his army marched through this gorge to the east. We have read about it in books and have written epics. As Babur's shrines, we cherish every stone of this tree. Secondly, there are two opposing views on the name of this dara, one of which says that the dara is called "Tanggidara" because Babur was in a state of crisis after the battle; in the second source, it is said that the narrowness of the tree is implied. But it is not the name of the tree that matters to us, but its footsteps, where Bobur passed. ”
Abdunazar Bakhshi took his drum from the car and told the team. This is the habit of most bakhshis - at the end of their speech they do not calm down without reciting a passage from the poem or epic.
At this point, we notice an important feature of the nature of the gorge, that is, steep cliffs and rocky surfaces are beautifully decorated by Mother Nature with drought-resistant plants, but they are not visible because the huge majesty of the rock "swallowed" the greenery. We continue on the road again, the mountain where we silently watched the kingdom of stones.
Soon we notice that the greenery is starting to thicken. Bakhshi says we will soon reach the only tree in the area. In fact, after a while we see a tree on the left, as tall as a poplar, with strange leaves. According to Bakhshi, the name of this tree is “Shung” and it is very rich in various plants around it during the warm season. Although Bakhshi could not explain the meaning of the word "shung", what he said about this tree was true - the bottom of the rocky gorge was bare, and various green plants were growing around the tree. The plants were thick. But one aspect of the trouble was that there were a lot of strange animals among them, including snakes. We have never seen such a tree anywhere before, and as Bakhshi said, its uniqueness in Surkhandarya seems to be true.
In the evening we go out into the dark green valley at the head of the nargi of the Dara, and then we reach a small village on the side of the dark arched pass - Kamchibulak.
When we reach the village, we are amazed.
The village was deserted.
We could not believe our eyes as we looked at the courtyards with big and small locks on the gates, the empty streets. After all, in none of the dozens of expeditions across the country have we encountered such a deserted, empty village. We ask the careless bakhshi on the sidelines what it is. Bakhshi says the villagers moved to the pasture between the mountains a month ago and that we can stay in the village late if we wish. I gesture to the locks on the gate. Then the bakhshi pushes us towards one of the gates. He was the one who inspected the lock, took a piece of paper stuck in a crack in the wall, and handed it to me to read. I read the note on the paper. It had the following sentence written in large and crooked letters: "The key is under the stone on the left." From the bottom of the headstone on the left, we find a long key that has begun to rust. Bakhshi gladly leads us to the next gate. From the paper found there, we read the inscription that the key is under the tree on the threshold. In amazement, we look at the bakhshi and hear the following answer from him: “These letters on paper are for guests like us. If you want to stay the night, please feel free to enter any room you want. As for the lock, it hangs in the way. After all, a gate looks ugly without a lock ... ”We enter the yard, open the door with a hook, and head inside. Look at it, the appliances are in place - the beds are full of blankets, the table, the pots and pans ... the wood at the top of the stove ... you can relax. We go out into the street and look at the bot village - no one; we will be the ones who shout in a loud voice, "Is there a living soul?" No, no one will shout. Then we walk towards the neighboring courtyard door. Unfortunately, no paper was found on this gate stating where the key was. He was embarrassed and explained that the five hands were no longer equal. But when a piece of paper was found in the doorway in the distance, his face shone again like the sun: "These are the people of the village!" Someone among us could not hide his surprise and said, "Isn't there a thief here?" The bakhshi's answer to this question was: "Did the mountain cook a thief among the stones ..."
Still, we decided not to stay in the village, but to cross the pass and reach the pasture. After all, what to do to spend the night on the grass.
Our car is energetic and our driver is experienced, so we don’t suffer much on the mountain roads and reach the pasture in the middle of the night. Dogs are the first to greet us in the middle of the night. Then the lights came on in the meadows, which were faintly white in the desert, and the people of the pasture began to shout: "A visitor has come, make room inside immediately!" - deb. However, the members of the expedition did not have time to be guests, rolled on the blankets they faced as they entered the grass, and immediately fell asleep.
Waking up in the morning, we witness a wonderful view. The plain was surrounded by lush green meadows, and in the very center of it lay ten grasses, not on the ground, but on a thick, green carpet. Not to mention the bare rocks that stretch here and there, everything on the ground is green, the flowers of different colors give this greenery a special charm, and in the cool morning air the smell of various grasses wafted through the air. And this summer chill, we feel the chirping, as if it had fallen into the early spring air. The dogs on the grass were no longer strangers to us, and the stray mother cat would carefully bite her cubs, which were trying to get out, but until one of them was brought in, the other would come out, and a large yellow snake was crawling a little farther away from the grass. In short, this land was dominated by Mother Nature.
After a while, it became clear that it was still a long way to Lake Hamkonko, which could only be reached on foot. After the morning tea, we carry all our equipment and set off along a wide gorge with thick pine trees on both sides. In the valley of the river, in contrast to the archazor hills, the various giant trees were very abundant. Trees such as apricots, mulberries, willows, apples, pines, walnuts, and poplars took on the appearance of forests. Walnut forests in particular were overcrowded.
Then we learn that all the trees, except the walnuts, were deliberately planted by the shepherds who had moved to the pasture in the early spring, and that this good deed had become a habit and had already become a custom. As for the walnut groves, it was the work of the wolverines, who tossed the walnuts in the fall and scattered them all over the mountain rock. Other fruits are eaten by bears and other species of animals.
After a few miles, all of a sudden, out of a loud excitement of “wah-h,” our butterfly flies and we turn in that direction. Dilorom Karimova, the only female member of the expedition, is standing on a path on the left bank, staring straight ahead. No matter what we said, the sister put her thumb down and said, "Look, look." We climbed the path, looked in the direction he was talking, and our mouths opened wide at the strange sight that unfolded before our eyes. In front of us, at a great depth on the shores of the Red Sea, lay Lake Hamkonkoo in the sunlight. This area, where the lake is located, was one of the highest points of Kohitag, and at such a high altitude, it was unthinkable that a lake of eighty to ninety hectares would swell.
Impatient, we immediately grab the binoculars. Interestingly, there was no stream or stream flowing into the lake around it. Where and how did so much water come from? According to Bakhshi, there are springs at the bottom of the lake, the depth of which is more than a hundred meters. But this fact is unclear, because the depth of the lake has not yet been measured by anyone. And we intend to try this work. But first let's talk about the formation of the lake. Because there is a legend among the mountain people about this. According to legend, the lake appeared on the site of one of the celestial bodies that fell to the top of the mountain two hundred and fifty years ago. During this emergency process, pieces of spruce, rock, and salt are said to have fallen several tens of miles away. If this myth is true, it is understandable that pieces of spruce and stone are scattered on each side. But the whole point is, what are the pieces of salt doing between them? It was these pieces of salt that gave rise to the second hypothesis. It is said that the salt deposit, which was once on the site of the lake, melted under the influence of groundwater and gave way to the lake. If we consider the term "hamkon" here, it is like a soul in this narration, because the term "hamkon" means "uncooked mine". It turned out that the salt deposit had melted under the influence of spring water before it reached its rhythm.
Anyone who hears this saying will make the assumption that it originated from natural, lake streams or streams. However, the expedition spent several hours surveying the area around the lake and did not find a small ravine. On the way back, the lake water was flowing into the river at the bottom of the eastern gorge.
Surprisingly, the water is not entering the lake, on the contrary, it is coming out. From this it can be seen that there are really large springs under the lake. Because the water flowing into the tree was not retail, it could easily move more than a dozen mills, that is, ten mills flowed.
Once we are sure that no water is pouring into the lake from anywhere, we proceed to examine the large and small cracks at the top of the shore. Not only that, with the help of a rope we get to the bottom of them. As we headed in this direction, the bakhshi nodded in surprise, saying, "What do you need a rope for? What do you need these lights for? The lake is not a cave, it looks like it's in the palm of your hand." The depth of the existing cracks varied, from fifteen to twenty feet, and the bottom of the bar was covered with water. This meant that the lake was expanding its area, and over time, these shores would be submerged. As a result of the rising water of the lake, we look with pity on the spruce trees on the shore, which are half-submerged in water and begin to dry up. But we could do nothing.
We couldn’t even measure the depth of the lake that day. However, we have been carefully preparing for this work. Unfortunately, our two-seater rubber boat was punctured, as if someone had deliberately punctured it on the way. Still, deciding to use it as long as we can, we head down to the lake from the south shore and sail a hundred and fifty yards, lowering a long chilvir, marked by two meters by the boys and tied with an iron rod, to the bottom of the lake.
The gauge showed twenty meters.
We sail the pizza again and do the same thing again.
The gauge showed twenty-two meters.
It was very, very far to the center of the lake. It was foolish to swim ahead in a rubber boat with his hands outstretched. We’ll be back, very soon, very soon. Without anyone, there was no way to find a remedy on this mountain rock. Well, if you come across a dead tree, make a tree and keep working, unfortunately, it was an unattainable dream.
By the way, when it comes to the fact that everything that seems insignificant in the expedition has its place and important aspect, our work is failing because of the forgetfulness of the glue. If we don't forget my glue ... We go back to the beach, not knowing who to spray our poison on. The legendary giant lake, on the other hand, had nothing to do with our mood, it was blue, and it was agitated when it got stronger.
Before we reach the shore, we look around again. The lake was blue, the shores were red, and the green plains and pine forests in the distance blended with the blue sky. The scenery was beautiful and unique ...
A large fox was staring at us calmly, as if sensing our innocence. If you hold binoculars in your hand and don’t get tired of looking around for hours, you can see many species of animals. Instead, we observe a lake that is a miracle of nature. The more we observe, the more we cannot believe that such a lake exists at the highest point of the mountain.
We will spend the night on the beach.
The next day, according to the plan, we will go to the "Kingdom of Sariqtollar". Not in vain, because the grass stalks are made only of yellow. And this willow does not grow everywhere, but in certain foothills of the mountain, without bringing other trees closer to them, filling this space and address, growing like loving brothers embracing each other. No one plants them, they grow themselves. No one knows when this type of tree appeared on the mountain, only that grass clippings are made of it and that worms do not get into these weeds.
We walk through the pine forest.
No matter which hill and which hill, everyone is a spruce. Archali does not want to believe in the growth of any yellows in this space. Accordingly, we doubt the bakhshi who is going at the beginning of the line, whether he is joking or not. So we climb up the hill through the blue spruces, go down, and all of a sudden in the gorge where the spruces run on all sides, to the yellow willows, no, no, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, we are confronted with a mysterious and frightening place full of thick tree trunks, which is often and often mentioned in folk tales. One person is afraid to come to such a place, two people are scared, and many do not like the way he looks - one wants to leave as soon as possible and dive into the beautiful spruce groves on the hill. Another interesting sight was that the spruces above surrounded the ravine, as if they were afraid to go down. And we feel like we have fallen into the world of fairy tales. There is no sound, no wind, not even the chirping of birds. No, as we wandered here like demons, sensing our scent, the birds, which had fallen into silence, began to chirp, after a while, first slowly, then slowly. It was clear from the way the animals behaved and the behavior of the animals that this was a place where human beings could hardly walk. On the tops of the tall and thick willows, there were almost no twigs suitable for weeding. But in the next decade, no one seemed to get any trash out of here. There are several such places where yellow willows grow among the mountains, and the mountain people use the willow near their villages. When we say willow or willow, we usually mean willows whose branches touch the ground.
The strings at this address were the exact opposite, as if to say, "If you hit, I'll hit, if you kick, I'll kick." Dozens of young willows grew out of the thick, decaying trunks of the trees that had grown old and stretched out on the ground, giving a more legendary look to the willow, which looked strange. As soon as we noticed our sharp, the owner of the corner on the left, the brown bear, which was smaller than average, did not move away, but watched us through the spruce branches. Surprisingly, we weren’t afraid of him, and he wasn’t afraid of us either. We behaved very politely, as if he had just retreated.
We did not see any dead trees standing in the field. As the old tree fell to the ground and young saplings sprouted from its trunk, the rotten trunk of the tree that had lived its life fed the young shoots. Bakhshi led us in this direction in order to show the natural evolution, that is, the wisdom and wisdom of Mother Nature, and forced us to walk long distances in order to get acquainted with the nature of the mountains. Bakhshi explains his actions in the following way: “Mountain stones cannot be studied and observed by riding, especially by car. It is necessary to walk in his bosom to learn and to awaken in the heart a lifelong love for him. Only then will you get acquainted with the nature of the mountain and feel it from the heart. As for Tolzor, it is one of the most sacred places in the mountains. Its sanctity is that for centuries it has provided the people of the mountains with hay. Anyone who knows this and makes his way to Hamkon will not leave without visiting Tolzar. ”
We walk through the woods. We feel like we have fallen into the world of fairy tales among the wandering threads. But after a while we feel that we have fallen into the world of reptile venomous creatures, not a fairy tale. The members of the expedition, who have never encountered so many snakes in their lives, are in a hurry. In this case, the bakhshi's butterfly flies, which was not the case before, and then multiplied, he says. We leave the old forest like mountains and return to the trail from the thin path laid by the wild beasts. We say goodbye to ourselves by shaking hands with the bear, which is no longer visible among the spruce branches.
The next day we travel through the mountains to the next cave, where the next industry is. The location is long, the road is heavy, so not everyone participates in this walk. Arriving three hours later, our destination was a rocky beach between the rocks. But the behavior of Saikhan was so ugly that the rocks in his bosom were the same as the boiling and hardened rock. To get to the cave, we had to go through these "rocks" and walk towards the high rock, which stands at the foot of the blue pine tree on the opposite side.

After taking a moment to catch our breath, we continue to move forward, increasing the bags of tools we need to carry in the cave.

As we approached the rock, Bakhshi pointed to a small platform under his feet and said, "Here is the oil cave." But there was nothing on the platform except a few large and small flat stones. Bakhshi smiled and forcibly pushed away one of those flat stones. In front of our eyes, a man opens his face like a cow. Before we can wonder what it is, he grabs one of the bench lights and begins to descend from the tunnel.
The cave we fell into was three and a half feet wide, four feet high, and more than thirty feet long. Unlike the caves we studied, this cave preserves the abdomen. At this point, it should be noted that not all caves in the mountains store fat. To do this, the cave must have an indestructible constant temperature. Stable temperature caves are rare and rare. So, this cave we visited is one of the rare caves.
The first thing we encountered in a freezing cold cave was a shelf-like defect in the left wall, with knots of almost the same size piled up - sheepskins fastened with chilvir. It is natural for a stranger to wonder what it is, but a person who is well versed in the field will immediately realize that there is a sheep's belly filled with butter between these knots. Let's go to the shelf. It turned out that each knot had a piece of paper with the owner's name on it, and some had a piece of white cloth attached to it. First we count the nodes, ten. Then, curiously, we try to lift one, which weighs more than 20 pounds, the second 10 pounds, and the third about 18 pounds. Then we follow the light of the lamp and look at the left wing of the cave. Fifteen knots were tastefully piled up on the rocky outcrop that had fallen from the cave wall.
After the rock, the cave narrowed and then widened again. In the enlarged part of the cave the knots were more abundant. They were collected along the caves and wall tags. All the knots in the cave were arranged separately in balls, some as ten, some as twenty. Balls of three and four knots were also encountered. At the bottom of the cave, more than forty knots were piled up like a witness. We calculate the approximate number of nodes, above one hundred. So there are about two tons of oil in the cave.
So how do you prepare this ingredient, which is stored in a cave for six months from May to the last days of October and is called “belly” by the locals?
If we give a brief account of this, the point is that the belly, which stores fat in the head, is prepared, that is, the stomach of a slaughtered sheep or goat is cleaned, washed and thoroughly dried. Then the kadi is cooked in a bowl full of yoghurt, the fat is removed, and the resulting fat is slightly salted and put in the stomach. When the belly is full, the mouth is sewn, and salt and salted sour cream, in the vernacular, are pushed thickly and wrapped tightly in sheepskin. It is then placed in a cave by the head of the family. An interesting aspect of this tradition, which has been going on for centuries, is that no one touches the oils stored in the cave.
So why?
Are such caves where the abdomen is kept secret, or are there any arguments for it?
When we asked Bakhshi this question, his answer was: “The existence of caves where the abdomen is preserved has long been known to the people of the mountains. Some caves "serve" one, while others "serve" several auls (laughs). As for the abundance of knots in it, not one, but several villagers put their products in this cave. No one touches anyone’s knot, nor do strangers head into the cave with bad intentions. This custom has long been an indestructible guide. Those who violate this directive will not prosper in either world. Ancestors, who have seen many, say that a slave who steps into a cave in an unpleasant mood, when entering or leaving the cave, involuntarily sticks his hand or fingers into the stone. It is this insignificant wound that becomes an incurable wound, leaving a person helpless. Another punishment is that the oil thief will not be left without an accident. I am well aware of the fact that these events took place. Although such an unpleasant situation occurs once or twice a hundred years, it affects everyone badly. Again, only a slave who is hungry on a mountain rock has a partial right to cling to his stomach in a cave, or rather to taste a little of it. Allah will forgive him for the slightest taste in his stomach, but he will not forgive the one who steals ... ”
We ask the bakhshi to reveal one of the nodes. Bakhshi takes one of the knots aside and begins to untie the knots at the waist of the knot, and soon we see a belly full of butter that has hardened to a white tinge on the surface of the specially pushed salt and cream. After a period of watching, the baxshi wraps the abdomen back around the skin, secures it with a chilvir, and puts it back in place. When we get out, he carefully closes the mouth of the cave with a brown flat stone in the same way. Then, while straightening up, pointing to the mountains on the south side, he says that this cave belongs to the aul between the mountains.
The expedition continues on its way in search of new mysteries.

THE FIRST AMIR TEMUR CAVE

We set off on another journey through the cave of Timur, where our great-grandfather Sahibkiran lived during certain periods of his life, and the shrines before him. On the way, we stop for a moment at the Temur Gate in Jizzakh region and think involuntarily. There are many places associated with the name of Amir Temur in our country, and each has its own history. It is, of course, our children’s duty to read and study this history. So, what is Timur's cave and its adjoining shrines telling us this time? In the pursuit of this desire, we continue to pull the strings.
This time we determined the direction of the expedition via Langarota road in Kamashi district. After all, the next distance to the tomb of Langar ota and the cave is one of the shrines of Amir Temur. The legends that have lived in the language and heart of the people for centuries contain as many examples as they want about the past and the activities of the Sahibkiran in connection with this place. As we turned to this great place, which our grandfather Timur had visited many times, an unmistakable splendor enveloped the hearts of all of us. It is said that the mausoleum was built by the owner. True, over time, the shrine has not been repaired. It is not important, the important thing is that the mausoleum in the shrine was founded by our grandfather Timur. It is known from history that his attention to the spirit of the saints was extremely high. We also heard that there is a mosque in this village named after Sahibkiran. However, we did not turn to the mosque because of the long distance in front of the members of the expedition to the destination - the cave of Timur. After all, the wonders of the mysterious cave in the distance were attracting everyone from the halit like a melodious melody. If only they could fly to the cave without dreaming, and see the legendary Timur's cave in the depths of the deep cliffs with their own eyes. Of course, this was a dream come true for those who took part in the expedition for the first time. The participants of the previous expedition did not even think of rushing, because they knew very well what difficulties lay ahead.
That is why we are not in a hurry on the road - we continue on the road, where six and a half centuries ago, His Majesty rode a horse, and watched with great excitement the mountains and rocks where his feet touched. Then a question inevitably arises. Why did the great warrior choose the mountains for the military exercises of his army? Naturally, the answer to this question is not insignificant, including the fact that this question can be partially clarified - according to historical sources, the Mongol armies, which were the main enemy of the master, were quite reluctant to fight in the mountains.The enemy, who received the story of the battle in the steppes and deserts, could not move as he wished on the rocks of the mountains, and, despite his numerical superiority, could not use his full potential. The owner, who had a small army, used stunning strikes against the enemy based on military tactics.
But the surroundings were so enchanting that they would never allow us to reflect on the struggles of the past. As we made our way along the fast-flowing mountain river, we soon found ourselves in some swamp, surrounded on all sides by lush green spruce and surrounded by large rocks - neither the name of the address nor our whereabouts. But the surroundings were so beautiful that we wanted to spend the night in this place. But knowing that spending the night in an unfamiliar place is nothing but madness, we try to find a way, trying not to allow too much emotion, and after a while the destination road is left aside and we realize that we have fallen in a completely different direction. Wandering in the mountains, we come across a meadow that lands alone in a green meadow by the river. The grass belonged to one of the mountain shepherds, who was not at home, and his wife was sitting in the grass with her little girl, spinning. He was overjoyed at our visit. The guest came from the door - the food came from the hole, - he said, watering one of the lambs. Then, hanging the meat in a cauldron, Amir Temur narrated several legends about the military activity of our ancestor in these mountains. The mountaineers praised the owner as "Temur Bobo", and the road to the cave was called "Boboyoli". And the surrounding centuries-old spruces are revered as "spruces that saw Bobo", and the huge sandstone on the trail is called "Timur's instantaneous rock". When we hear these legends, we feel like we have fallen into the world of fairy tales. In fact, the place was a fairy tale - spring water flowing through the rocks, flowers, various butterflies, sparrows crawling in the distance, a red fox crawling among the rocks in hopes of catching one of them, a herd of dogs behind the arch, here we are. the occasional whisper, the meat boiling in a cauldron, the eagle's majestic movements flying in the sky in search of something in the sky, the rocks adorned with spruce trees, the green grass like a carpet ... By the way, this is the chill of summer. below the air the temperature was over forty, and here the same spring smell and breath wafted. The shepherdess says she can't imagine the heat below, don't lie, we'll freeze at night. We say, we are saying the following heat from the mountain. He says there is, but he can't feel the heat of cancer. After all, how can a woman who spends her life in the mountains know the hot air of the steppe!
On the way back, he told us that they were dressed in a robe, and when he showed us our warm and thick clothes in the car, he said: We say goodbye to the woman, not believing that there is snow on the hill, and pull the strings of the road. In order not to get lost, we walk along the river as he has appointed.
By this time, we had covered two-thirds of the way. Yet in front of us lay a long mountain road that stretched and stretched. And we hurried to the cave before it got dark - as ridiculous as we think it is now. But the mountain nature would never allow us to be so scared, it would pass its judgment at every step. We were moving at an altitude of 2,200 meters above sea level, while the sun was setting on the horizon, first from sunset and then from the northwest in the cold afternoon. Eventually, we all went looking for warm clothes to take off during the day. The heavy geologists' machine was moving harder and harder. In this case, on the eve of sunset, we came to the terrace at the top of the gorge, where Timur's cave is located.
Fortunately, a shepherd from Dehkanabad moved to the pasture that day. He planted not one, but two broad grasses in the thick grass, and gladly gave one to us. He slaughtered a sheep and made a guest. Interestingly, he spent every summer on this pasture at the top of the cave, but never visited the cave. Then he justified himself in this way: “I once rode a donkey and saw a cave. But when there was plenty of water in the stream, I spilled my donkey and was left without a horse. I’ve hated the cave tree ever since. Don't ask me for an animal again tomorrow, there is plenty of water in the river, I won't give it anyway ... ” We spent the night clinging to each other in the grass. We heard from a shepherdess on the road that the cold night air would be close to noon tomorrow, so we piled up firewood on the way, and she was very upset.
But we, the previous participants of the expedition, knew very well that the hardest, most difficult moments of the trip would start early in the morning, so we stretched our arms and legs and tried to rest. In turn, due to the expedition, we were pleased to spend the night in front of the cave. After all, it’s not just the width, it’s one of the master training areas. Historical sources state that the expanses around the cave, ravines and rugged hunting grounds were training grounds for Timur's troops, and this was repeated in the folk legends. We stare at a star-filled sky, not forgetting that myths and legends are actually nourished. When we imagine that six and a half centuries ago, our grandfather Timur also thought about the plans for the future, staring at the stars, we are proud to be in Timur's tombs, not in ordinary pastures.The cold wind blowing from the sunset also makes it less affected. The shepherd had forgotten the grass in the village where we were lying, and the wind was coming in and out of the grass. When all our attempts to block the path of the cold elvis are in vain, someone takes a seat outside the burning bonfire outside, and the sleepy ones fall asleep like rocks.
Kamina, I have reviewed again and again all the equipment that had to be hung in the cave with the help of a torch, whether a serious pand was eaten during the previous expedition. In the distance, a current-carrying device, one of the motors, was busy preparing electrical equipment, which was supposed to be installed in the cave. We were going to pull a wire from head to toe into the cave and install a socket every ten to fifteen feet. Since there was no wiring and installation of equipment in the cave, which was more than six hundred feet long, we prepared them until midnight.
In the morning we see the road ready.
Although we rode to the top of the gorge where the cave was located, the main difficulty was inside the gorge. We had to walk along the gorge under a heavy load, crossing very fast streams. We needed a horse and a donkey to move through the ravine. However, the farmer did not even want to hear our request: “If you want, I can bake a sheep in the oven and bake a bag of bread, but I will not give my donkey. Now the mountain is soluble, there is plenty of water in the stream, it's like being left on a mountain without a donkey, without arms and legs. My advice to you is not to get too excited, but to return to your tracks in silence, in the fall, when the water recedes. Have a good rest in the mountains for two or three days ... ”Yes, the fast river at the bottom of the gorge was a serious and dangerous obstacle. But only I knew it, and of course, I didn't want to talk about it. During previous expeditions, I realized that whatever you were afraid of, then the same thing would definitely become a serious obstacle. Pre-panic, on the other hand, breaks a person’s spirit, increasing their sense of insecurity. In order to silence the shepherd's voice, I say aloud: “Remember that we are not standing in an ordinary place, but in the footsteps of our grandfather Timur! Never forget that the cave below is not a place to walk, but a place to live! ” This thing doesn’t go unnoticed. And we are on our way to the destination. High spirits and enthusiasm are crucial on these difficult journeys. As we move forward, we all feel like Timur’s troops. In short, we were in a mood to crush any obstacle we encountered on our way.Whether it was the helpful spirit of our grandfather, or the glorious beauty of the surroundings, there was no trace of the morning's laziness and longing.
Soon snowy fields began to open up in front of us. It would be so much fun to set foot in the snow in the same cancer chill. But the snow underfoot was not soft, but cold and hard. It was also not white, but a little dirty - the face of the snow was covered with dust and dust clinging to the wings of the wind that blew incessantly from the west. Still, the snowy field was beautiful, it was a miracle in itself. The guys who miss the snow try to chew it, suck it and chew it like sugar. Not wanting to believe that they were walking on it in the snow this summer, they rolled in the snow. This mood was much needed for the expedition. It was necessary to maintain this happy state for a long time in order to overcome the difficulties that lay ahead.
We stare at the high cliffs and ridges dressed in snow-white beds. Let's take a look at the blue tree below. In the middle of summer, we stare around, not knowing whether it's winter or early spring. After all, it was only yesterday that we were looking for shade in the forty-degree heat below.
It was difficult for us to understand the difference between today and yesterday's weather. That is why we try to forget yesterday and become aware of the scene before us. So, let's get rid of today's worries and go back to the time of our grandfather Timur. There were knowledgeable young men among us who knew the history of the Sahibkiran, and a pleasant scientific debate began on a snowy mountain. We will continue to descend to the bottom of the ravine in the midst of this debate. Expeditionary corpses - a mountain carrying heavy loads on our shoulders, narrow and crooked paths that only mountain animals can walk on. Then someone involuntarily cries out: "Yes, it was not easy for our grandfather Timur!"
Yes, our grandfather was not easy to master!
Everyone confirms this by default.
The surroundings were beautiful.
But it was not uncommon to fly into the abyss, obsessed with beauty. The flowers around us were abundant and varied. However, some flowers have a biting effect. Along the way, despite the warnings from the mountaineers, we manage to taste their venom in curiosity.
The only concern of the fireplace was the fast-flowing stream that was about to appear in front of us. But for now I kept it a secret that I had found a way to cross the river safely. The only part I didn't enjoy was the weeding and cultivating. At this point, we can not pass without giving a crazy reminder to tourists who want to visit the cave of Timur.If you want to travel to this ancient place, do not rush to the cave and ignore the view of the gorge. You should pay close attention to the high cliffs on both sides first. After all, Amir Temur's navkars, who inhabited the cave, threw ropes on the rocks and spent most of the military exercises in this gorge. In other words, one of the historical monuments that passed the first stage in the formation of the Sahibkiran as a commander, in his maturity in life, is the territory of Timur Cave. There are dozens of legends and myths among the people about the cave, which hides some secrets in its bosom, but little is known about it in scientific sources. In order to get a certain idea about the cave and the area and the place where the owner spent his life and years, it is necessary to look at the period of Timur's life. In particular, in "Temur's Statutes" it is written: "I was puzzled when some vile people revealed this secret. What if a war breaks out in Samarkand, but the people of Movarounnahr stop fighting? What will happen then ?! Therefore, it is better to leave the city and settle in the mountains of Samarkand, so that those who want to join me may come to me. Then I will gather a large army and start fighting against the enemy. " The Samarkand Mountains are the western branches of the Gissar mountain range, in which Timur Cave is located. It should be noted that Temur Cave belongs to Yakkabag district of Kashkadarya region. We would also like to take a look at the period before Timur occupied the cave. It would have been clearer how old Sahibkiran was at that time, and what events played a role in the location of this large and very majestic mountain.
We think about this on the basis of the great historians of his time - Nizamiddin Shami's "Zafarnoma", Sharafiddin Ali Yazdi's work of the same name and Sahibkiran's pamphlet "Temur's Statutes": he was twenty years old. Thus, the civil wars between the khans of the Chigatay nation of the Mongols, who ruled Movarounnahr, escalated and Kazankhan, who came to the throne as a result of fierce battles, was killed by his opponent Amir Qazaghan. and the relentless fighting intensified. Temurbek, the son of Turgay Bahodir, a descendant of Barlos, also took part in these battles and became known for his military potential and bravery. At that time, Amir Kazakhan was also killed by the agents of the Mongol khan Tughluq Temur.
Taking advantage of this situation, Amir Temur's uncle Amir Hoja Barlos formed an alliance with the Mongol emir Bayon Suldus in 1358, defeated his successor Abdullah, who succeeded the emir Qazaqan, and took control of the Kesh (Shahrisabz) province. Fearing this, the Mongol Hakan Tughluq Temur quickly began to march on Movarounnahr in 1360. In the words of Amir Temur, in his own Tuzuk, Amir Temur said: He sent a letter addressed to (the ruler of Khojand) and demanded that we go to him. ” Both Haji Barlos and Boyazid Jaloyir were horrified by this "demand" of Tughluq Temurkhan and found it necessary to flee to Khorasan. Only Timur did not panic and asked the great Shaykh al-Islam Abu Bakr Taybodi for advice, and he advised him: "If you want to run away, run to Tughluq Temurkhan and take his bow and arrow from his hand." Subsequent events are described in Temur's Statutes as follows: “Tughluq Temurkhan formed 3 fajj (military units) from Bekchik, Hojibek, Ulug Tuqtemur and other emirs and sent them to plunder the country of Movarounnahr, that army was called Huzar (Guzar). the news that he had landed reached my ears. Then, before visiting Tughluq Temurkhan, I decided to deceive these greedy emirs with wealth and save the Movaronnahr region from slaughter. ” Due to his ability to understand the course of events and draw the necessary and necessary conclusions, his unique far-sightedness and great patriotism, such as saving his people from the clutches of the enemy, he was forced to go to the "service" of the young Mongol khan. It was not a sign of defeat or weakness, but a way of acting according to the situation. Tughluq Temurkhan took Timur's visit for granted, took him close to him and asked him for advice in governing the kingdom. Timur gained the confidence of the Mongol khan to such an extent that Tughluq Temurkhan, who listened to his advice on all fronts, put an end to the plundering, torture and extortion of the local people by his soldiers, and severely punished his emirs who did not want to obey. There are many historical examples of this. Meanwhile, the rulers of the region from Dashti Kipchak, that is, from Lake Balkhash to the Dnieper River, raised the banner of rebellion against Tughluq Temurkhan. In this case, the Mongol Haqq, who was very worried, summoned Amir Temur to the council and received the necessary advice from him. This historical situation is described in "Temur's Statutes" as follows: "He asked me for advice and went to Jete.
He left Movarounnahr to me and wrote a label and a treaty on the matter. I ruled over the whole province of Movarounnahr, from the banks of the river Jaihun. ” So, when Amir Temur ascended the throne of Movarounnahr, he was only 25 years old. In the same year, he lost his father, Amir Turgay Bahodur, and in 1360-61, Tughluq Temurkhan invaded Movarounnahr for the second time. offers the position. Thus, the first contradictions between Amir Temur and Tughluq Temurkhan arise.
It is known from history that Elijah was extremely incompetent in the field of state and politics. During his reign, oppression intensified in the country. In particular, the violence of the Dashti Kipchak amirs is exaggerated. Eventually, as a sipohsolor, Timur overcame them with his majesty and majesty and freed the oppressed from the oppression of the oppressors. Fearful of his greatness and prestige, more precisely, of the throne on which he sat, Elijah went on a path of deceit and jealousy, and wrote a letter to his father, Tughluq Temurkhan, slandering him that Temur had raised the banner of rebellion against the kingdom. The khan believed this lie and signed a decree executing Amir Temur. This label, fortunately, falls into the hands of Timur, not Elijah. The reason for this label was that Temur Sahibkiran gathered his colleagues and patriotic heroes around him and began to make serious preparations for the seizure of power. But the vile and treacherous will report his efforts to the enemy. And then, as mentioned above, Amir Temur took refuge in the "Samarkand Mountains", ie the western branch of the Gissar ridge. The next days of Timur will be even more intense. The future Jahangir finds a place in the cave and begins to gather strength. Two months later, the ranks of the forty warriors in the cave reached one and a half thousand. The owner divides them into groups and subdivisions. They undergo mental and physical training before future battles. When all the work is done, an army of one and a half thousand with very high military training will crush the armies of Genghis Khan's generation of twenty thousand. Elijah barely escaped. This historic event takes place around 1363.
But even then it was not easy for Amir Temur - after he cleared Movarounnahr of enemies, some of the nation’s emirs did not want to obey him. Some have taken the path of open competition. One such fierce rival was Amir Hussein. He was the grandson of the slain Emir of the Chigatay nation, Qazaghan, and was one of the main contenders for the governorship of Movarounnahr.Historical records state that Timur and Hussein initially befriended, vowed to fight together against enemies and never betray each other, but Amir Hussein betrayed his oath more than once. In particular, it is written in the "Statutes of Timur": "When Amir Hussein saw the greatness and glory of my kingdom, his jealousy began to grow. He broke the covenant he had made with his oath and raised the banner of rebellion against me. "
Amir Hussein did not use any attempts or tricks to overthrow his opponent Amir Temur. This man, who broke his oath, did not shy away from deceit, and did not hesitate to do things unworthy of his name. An example of this is the meeting in the Chakchak gorge: Amir Hussein invites Temur to come to the gorge alone in order to capture him. However, Amir Temur, who foresaw the danger, came to the place with two hundred warriors, not alone. As expected, Amir Hussein meets him with a thousand cavalry and an unequal battle begins in the middle and Timur's army wins again. After that, in the spring of 1370, in a battle near the city of Balkh, Amir Hussein was captured and soon executed.
We did not narrate these events in full in vain. Because the above-mentioned "Chakchak gorge" is one of the places near the cave of Timur. If we think about it on the basis of historical data, our great-grandfather settled among the rocks several times between 1364-1370 and used this cave as both a shelter and a military camp.
But it was still there until the historic cave. We were ahead of the barefoot trail at the bottom of the ravine. Because of the heavy load on our shoulders, the road was difficult to climb. And all around was the same charming color - the grass was clapping and the flowers were singing. But the beauty of nature seems to fade once we encounter the fast-moving shadow. Because the difficulty of crossing the gushing water was as clear as day. If a person crossing a stream slipped or fell without being able to withstand the force of the current, no one could enter his soul - the current would hit him with stones, instantly knocking him unconscious and then his life.
So drowning in the river was death.
The flow rate was too fast.
He was dangerous because of his speed.
Those of us who wished to return to the trail from the stream were immediately found. In fact, this is a typical situation of the expedition - there are always those who stumble in a difficult situation and prefer to return to the trail in silence.
That’s when I start implementing a pre-thought plan. I ask one of the young men on the floor, who is staring fearfully at the stream, for a long, long rope, and I fasten one end to a tree on the shore, and then slowly descend into the stream, twisting the rope so that if the space leaks, you can pull it out.The soles of the feet are slippery, and the cold of the water hits the brain. Below, the rocks are waiting for time, like a beast staring at its prey. If the current of agony hits those rocks, it's hard not to survive.
That is why the local shepherds do not approach these sides during the meltdown, and do not give their cattle when you beg a thousand times. So, the plan we have in mind works, and we cross the river one by one, holding on to the rope tied to the two shores. Then we heard that most of the tourists did not dare to cross the river, and from there they turned their tracks. What can we say, it is impossible to joke with such violent streams. In general, this is the nature of the mountain - he does not like indifference and indifference to himself. If you exaggerate a little, he will immediately remind you that you are just a ghost, demonstrating his incomparable power.

* * *
We came to the cave, with a heavy load on our shoulders, and in a voice that seemed to fall from our noses. After catching the wide and high porch of the cave and taking a few breaths, everyone got to work - the lonely mantle guys who accompanied us, by agreement, were going to pull a wire into the cave, and we were going to take a picture of the huge historical stone pedestal at the mouth of the cave. Let's talk about the beginning of the cave - the fact is that this stone platform, specially built by Timur, is located at the mouth of two caves and connects them. The stone platform is about twenty meters high, ten meters wide, and four meters high, and is climbed by a stone staircase. By the way, the stone pedestal was not far away, but spruce trees were laid between the stones and it was restored to be strong enough to last for thousands of years. Here, centuries later, it is still untouched, not even a stone has moved.

The eye of the man ascending the rock first falls at the mouth of the main cave. It will be a little harder for you to get to the second cave, which is mysteriously darkened by the first cave. Because the majesty of the main cave will confuse you for a while. Only when you have passed the adaptation mode will you notice that another cave mouth is darkening on the left. A small cave. This cave is 191 meters long and is called "Sayisxona". In it are kept the horses of the lord and his army. The ceiling of the cave is high, the air is very clear - a living soul can live comfortably. Interestingly, as you step into the cave, the smell of manure hits your breath. Then you will be amazed by a work of nature, that is, the cave was built in the form of a stable. But this is not the specific industry of the cave, on the other side.
To do this, you will not have to wrap yourself in the cave valley much and walk on its net. Then you come to a narrow gorge at the end of the cave. If you choose to climb out of it, you will come across a brown rock. To the west, you will descend a narrow path in the form of a snake's footprint and slide down the same rocky slope to reach the first watchtower above. The stranger hits the rock on the forehead and returns to the trail. The first watchtower is a narrow corner surrounded by rocks, and the whole gorge is visible from the narrow gorge to the west. At the top is another observation point on the rock surface, which we’ll talk about later.
Meanwhile, the solitary mantles began to wire the cave. They pulled a 620-meter wire and installed one socket every 20-25 steps. While this was a time-consuming task, we had no choice but to explore the inside of the cave and get a full picture. Also, there was no difference between day and night in the cave, it was irrelevant when to enter it. We decide to explore the main guard tower at the top of the cave until the mantle guys finish the manta work. Unfortunately, it is impossible to climb to the top of the ravine, let alone climb with the camera - the narrow passage of time has already thrown the narrow path to the depths of nothingness, leaving only imperceptible traces. According to historical sources, the caravan routes leading to Shakhrisabz, Karshi and Bukhara were visible from this guard tower, which we did not capture.
We go downstairs and start getting ready to enter the cave, leaving the excess load at the mouth of the cave and starting the engine, which has been lifted with a thousand hardships. The quiet gorge is caught by the sound of the engine, and the mountain creatures, sheltered by the pine forest that stretches along the gorge below, begin to disturb. Someone saw a bear leaving a pine tree on the corner, and someone didn't have time to catch it.

* * *
Towards evening we began to walk to the main cave - Amir Temur's cave, where the great warrior and his comrades lived. As we passed a huge rock that fell from the ceiling, the dark winter embraced us. Here the ceiling is about eight to ten meters high, the pieces of stone underfoot, the smell of damp air hits the air. The sound of water droplets ringing in the ears. Cave corridors are in the form of a "maze", which can confuse anyone. That is why there is a legend among the mountaineers that the rare manuscripts of Amir Temur's grandson, scholar Mirza Ulugbek, and the treasure left by his grandfather are hidden in the depths of this cave. There were many corridors in the cavern that stretched in different directions, and over time, due to a natural process, most of them were blocked.We come across an ostrich-like spring in one of the right-hand ledges of the corridor.

Spring in the cave!
The fountain adorns the cave. The water is sweet, and the more you drink, the more you want to drink. The spring water flows through a narrow ravine and disappears under a thick rock in the distance. And from the ceiling, as if to say that we are here, there was a relentless chakki. We come to the second spring on the ridge on the left. The water of this spring was abundant, and its boiling was quite tumultuous. Its water crossed the cave corridor and was placed in a circular pit between two rocks facing each other.
After the springs, the cave corridor turns sharply to the right and we encounter the first cave hall. Feeling we have 'Run out of gas' emotionally. The ceiling of the hall is high, the air is dry, the ground is bare. Nowhere in the hall is a stone falling from a hill visible. It is as if he had been deliberately cleansed and shaved. A person who is hungry for the desire to adjust his breathing for a while by throwing a mat under his feet. By the way, the air temperature in the cave is the same in winter and summer - plus fluctuates around six degrees. The walls of the first hall are colorful, as in nature, all reflected on the walls of the cave, that is, on the face of the rocks. These colors shimmered strangely in the light of the lamp, and the landscape changed, faded, and varied step by step. It should be noted here that the Timur Cave consists of several long halls, which are connected by long and short, narrow and wide, dangerous and safe corridors, ending with a huge lake hall of legendary appearance. According to the Safarnoma of Mirza Salimbek, the prince of the Emirate of Bukhara in Shakhrisabz, even before the beginning of the twentieth century, there were amazing artifacts in the cave. For example, the stone walls of the cave halls were decorated with embossed flowers, large and small shelves, shelves, and even stone bars were made on these shelves. The cave halls were lit by candles in stone candlesticks. There were also sandboxes where food was stored, food prepared, and weapons made. As an explanation, not far from Timur's cave there is still a village called Dukonkhana. Even during the reign of Amir Temur, and even earlier, the people of this village were well aware of the secret of extracting iron from rocks. We think it is natural that a man of great potential like Amir Temur used this generosity of Mount Gissar effectively. According to the elders, until the beginning of the last century, various weapons and ancient household items were found in the cave.
We pass a long corridor between the first and second halls. This corridor can be called the kingdom of the Sumalaks. In general, this phrase can be used from head to toe in a cave. It was these sumalaks that, over time, obscured the artifacts of the Timurid period, which in turn contributed to the strength of the cave walls. So what are sumalaks? In scientific parlance, sumalaks, which are formed by the melting of rocks from the walls of the ceiling of a cave, are called stalactites, and those that grow from the bottom are called stalagmites. Depending on the shape, we called them sumalaks. The sumacs are diverse, one reminiscent of embossed building columns in the light of a lamp, while the other gives a completely different image. Depending on their diversity and beauty, one can involuntarily praise the beauty of nature. As you grab a broken piece of sumalak and look at it, you are amazed at how amazing it is, that is, how incredibly beautiful it is. Surprise, on the other hand, raises the inner cry to the surface, and the noise in the cave fills with noise. Then, ten paces away, we hear a box of stone ears from the ceiling. The cave seriously warns us not to overdo it, i.e. not to make any noise. Timur Cave does not like noise like other caves. If you want to travel in a cave, do not forget this advice. Cave nature doesn’t like exciting echoes at all. In short, sas - causes unexpected disasters in the cave. In this respect, we did not like the second hall, which is rich in stones, that is, the ceiling. We continue to move forward as we stare at the giant rocks on the ceiling of the hall. By the way, two of our local companions immediately turned to the trail when a stone fell from the ceiling.
Our ranks began to thin on their own.
The corridor of the third hall was more full of wonders. Here, too, there are too many marble columns - sumalaks, and their shapes were so diverse that we feel as if we have fallen into the world of legends. What's worse is that we couldn't make a sound, that is, we couldn't express our excitement. It was then that we realized for the first time that there was nothing worse in the world than the thrill of excitement inside, and we were limited to stroking the cold surface of sumalaks of various shapes. But soon the dangerous condition of the third hall was sprinkled with excitement.
The third hall was not inferior to the other halls in terms of majesty. Tall, wide, high ceiling - any sound echoes. The sound of a drop falling from the ceiling does not stop for a moment. The source of water at the top of the cave, which caused the same drops, created a very dangerous situation - rocks hanging from the ceiling, large and small boulders below.Roof stones can fall at any time, and no one can guarantee when they will fall or not. They could fall off the ceiling at any second. It was this danger that caused the expedition to stumble on the threshold of the hall, and another member of our ranks slowly turned to the trail. By the way, the table made of ruby-colored marble mentioned in Mirza Salimbek's "Safarnoma" may have been left under this pile of stones.
We continue to move forward as the water seeps from the ceiling and, as if it had dried up another time, we set ourselves on an expedition to the cave during the same thaw. The rocks on the top, which can fall at any moment, are slippery, and from the far corner of this rare cave you can hear the sound of a stone falling from the ceiling. We try to get through the danger zone faster. By this time we had covered a distance of more than four hundred feet. In front of us lay a mysterious cavernous corridor.
As the road got heavier, the landscape of the cave changed step by step. The path of the cave widened and narrowed. In the light of the lamp, in different directions, the lost corridors are visible, absorbed into the unknown corners of the cave. We continue to move along the main core of the cave without getting distracted by the sidewalks we encounter. Because if we pay attention to each corridor, we have to walk in the cave for at least a week. Still, some aisles attract us. We want to go down the aisle and immerse ourselves in the mysterious bosom of the cave. This is because we have witnessed such passages several times during subsequent expeditions to other caves, usually to the adjacent caves of the cave, or, if available, to a neighboring cave. In this case, in one hundred and ninety-nine percent of cases, the end of the corridor will be closed, or it will turn around and return to the main valley of the cave.
We will continue to move forward. The path of the cave is sometimes wide and sometimes narrow. In short, the structure of the cave was quite complex, the shape of the stones, the color of the walls and even the appearance of sumacs were colorful. For example, if the color of the stones at the entrance to the cave was close to gray, the color of the stones in this area could be red, brown, and even light green. The color and appearance of the cave changed step by step, and the eternal silence was broken, as usual, by the sound of chakki coming from the ceiling. And somewhere we come across sumalaks lined up like soldiers. They were lined up on a hill on the left side of the cave corridor, in a position reminiscent of a gallery of marble columns created by a very skilled architect. We called it the "Sumalak Empire". It should be noted that although the cave is simply called a "cave", it has ridges, corridors, "valleys", ie plains, sumac fields, springs and lakes.When you enter, there are confusing paths that are difficult to return to, and there are specific unwritten laws that you must obey. The nature of the cave is very serious - it does not like bad attitudes, inappropriate jokes. A person who comes out of the cave will not be left without a catastrophe in the cave. Therefore, as we continue to move forward with "decency", after a while we suddenly come out on a flat surface like a palm. The field was so clean and smooth that it was as if someone had deliberately washed it away. The ceiling of the cave was dry and brown, and the air was similar, that is, there was no sign of a foul odor.
We reached the heaviest part of the cave - the lahm area. The first visitor to the wall, who suddenly appeared in front of him, stopped with his forehead, thinking that he had reached the net of the cave. Because the narrow hole at the bottom of the wall, like a fox's nest, doesn't attract his attention. If you say that the cave will continue after this flood, it will be very difficult for him to believe. During the first expedition, we also had a hard time believing. We thought that the fox would not fit into this hole, let alone the human child. At that time, the words of one of the mountaineers were annoying: “Everyone who enters the cave goes back to the tracks from the mouth of the lahm. The duration of the cave and the presence of a lake hall in its net are beyond the imagination of many. That's it, they say we've done to the bottom of the cave. The hole is deceptive, it fits snugly as it looks narrow. When you shrug your shoulders, your body can fit. ” This time, too, we plunge headlong into the hole, not believing that the shoulder will fit into the hole, and involuntarily fall into a pipe-long and narrow lahm. We will continue to move forward. After crawling about seven meters across Lahm, we come across a very narrow area. After a few breaths on the field, we crawl towards the second lahm on the left. The length of this lahm is more than eight meters. In short, moving through the lahm is a horror - no one knows what awaits you ahead. The second lahm led us to the domed hall in front of the lake hall. The height of this hall is 15-20 meters, the ceiling is "decorated" with holes of different sizes. Apparently, these big and small holes in the ceiling were once waterways. But now the dome ceiling was dry, and the air was suitable for it. But we weren’t in a position to think about it, we were walking on our feet for hours, stretching out on the ground one by one. Usually, the members of the expedition are fed up with the work of filming. We stay for hours at trivial points while filming. The sound of a waterfall from a dark cave - the sound of water pouring into the lake. Although there is no difference between night and day in a dark cave, since it is three o'clock at night, everyone starts to fall asleep.But as soon as we stop moving, the cool air begins to show its effects. As a result, we continue to move, pulling out the sleeping net that has begun to hang on our lids. In turn, we notice that there is no one else in our ranks. So, some people have turned their backs on Lahm. Yes, it's different to be interested in a cave, it's different to endure its hardships, because not everyone is a caveman. We all started shivering from the cold because we were in a naked shirt - we took off the thick, warm clothes we were wearing before we hit the lahm because it interfered with the knot. I wish we could light a smaller fire and warm up a little. But what does the wood in the cave do. Therefore, everyone starts his work as he knows how - someone jumps on the ground, someone strokes his body, someone seems to run the lamp, someone thinks to return to the trail as soon as possible, but no one dives into the lahm alone. Plus, would it be the same as walking through a cave without lights. We later heard what suffering had befallen those who had left our ranks in silence, in a dark cave without lights.
We continue on our way to the lake listening to the lake salt in the cave net. In this way, we try to reach the destination by pressing a few of the narrow and wide, flat and uneven corridors we encounter on our way. As the water in the lake intensifies, fatigue leaves our bodies and the sense of curiosity begins to re-emerge. After all, will it be the same to face the lake in eternal darkness. After a while, we began to feel his breath and majesty with our whole body.

* * *

As we made our way to the next cave corridor, we were stunned by the view that unfolded in front of us.
What is this !?
What is this ?!
All of us had no other question in our minds.
Our consciousness was powerless to comprehend the majestic landscape before us. In the huge marble pool, the rocks under the lake could be easily seen due to the clarity of the water.
We were standing on the threshold of the last stop of Timur's cave, the "Lake Hall".
Why the last stop?
It is said that the cave continued even after the lake. But so far no one has crossed the lake.
I head along the raging lake at first, then cross the cold water, cross the cave net, and descend in search of its continuing stream. Others set out to capture a strange lake scene.It is four o'clock at night.
But we could not comprehend it, and it seemed to us that a sunny day was waiting for us outside. The inside of the cave was cool, and our bodies were longing for sunlight. No matter how beautiful and mysterious the view of the lake hall was, we wanted to leave the dark depths as soon as possible after completing the temporary filming in this place. The lake hall did not raise too much noise. Danger seemed to peek out of his dark corners. We felt this danger on the doorstep. In fact, the lake hall itself had warned of this. With his mysterious demeanor, he knew that this area was the most dangerous part of the cave, and he knew how to be very aware of the high ceiling decorated with rocks.
Even though we were all busy, we were still amazed at the sight of the landscape. The lake hall was so enchanted by the light of the bright lamp that the power of the word was insufficient to describe it. The water particles flowing from the ceiling, the colorful cave walls, and the lodge lake below were just legends. As the lights moved, the landscape in front of us changed, the colors of the walls - red, blue, green, bell, dark, purple - mixed and took on an unnatural appearance, and in the heart there was a mixture of fear and amazement. We, the members of the expedition, moving under a huge dome, were a speck in the face of this majesty.
A fireplace, a lighter in my hand, on the other side of the lake - one by one I start to climb the lahms in the deepest part of the cave. The length of the first encountered lahm did not exceed four meters. I took ten steps along the second lahm. I turned away from him, reluctant. The third lahm suddenly expanded, and I found myself in a stone-clad room. It was as if the room had been dug on purpose, with a domed ceiling, and on the left side there was a very fine stone slab, two cubits wide and three cubits high. After Toshsupa, the lahm shrank again. As I walked about twenty meters along the narrow and dark corridor, where the hearts of so many people did not dare, I began to rejoice that I had found a continuous stream of the cave. At this point, I realized that I had made a serious mistake - exploring unknown corridors alone was dangerous for anyone. But since everyone is busy with a certain task, I continue to wander down the dark corridors where no human foot has set foot since I was created, consuming to get someone to my floor. But when the end of the third corridor came out, I bit my lip in pain. I return to myself, feeling the damp walls. I’ll be looking at guys who are busy with filming.Occasionally I stare sadly at the mouths of the lahm at the top of the cave wall. It seems to me that the continuous core of the cave starts from one of those corridors. However, it is never possible to climb over a very cave wall. Therefore, we did not know whether Timur's cave would continue or end in this lake hall.
In the meantime, the filming is complete, and the members of the expedition, who are very hungry and tired, and who are so cold as to die, slowly begin to leave the lake hall. From this point of view, the expedition had completed its work - the cave of Timur was completely occupied.
We leave the cave near dawn.
We miss Bobo's sunny taffeta.
Unfortunately, it was just dawn. But even so, we immediately feel the taffeta of the stones, the smell of the earth, the warmth of life, heated by the heat of the sun during the day. In turn, severe fatigue ... Someone hugs the rock, someone tries to snooze and warm up by crawling on the rocks. No one was disappointed to light a fire. In the place where the expedition set foot, on the porch of the cave, we can see once again how difficult and difficult our grandfather Timur was in his time.

* * *

In the morning, according to the plan, the young men from Tashkent come out from below on horseback. The purpose of this was to continue the expedition through the tombs of our ancestor Timur. In addition to completing the expedition at the Lions' Fortress, it was planned to photograph dinosaur footprints along the way.
We load all the heavy loads on horses and set off along the path that our grandfather Timur walked. Not far from the cave we come across Hokizburun waterfall. It is said that the water of the lake in the cave network flowed out through this waterfall. But this view is not yet fully understood, it is just speculation. By the way, no matter how much water is poured from the top, the lake is always flowing. Excess water is forced out through invisible cracks.
As we walk along the narrow path at the bottom of the deep ravine, one is involuntarily imagining. From this narrow corner of a thousand-year-old history, from this narrow path, the great master has not played his bedouin many times, sometimes happily, sometimes carelessly, sometimes proudly, sometimes happily. Only the age-old rocks that surround us know this. But they do not speak, by default we observe human behavior ...
In about ten miles we will reach the Lions' Fortress. The gorge was surrounded by high cliffs. Behind the surrounding rock, among the spruce and bushes, it looks like lions are really roaring. If you ask the locals why this place is called "Lions Canyon", you will hear the answer that once this place was inhabited by lions. Did lions really live in this corner?
Let’s first clarify this puzzle.
It should be noted about this gorge, in fact, the lexical meaning of the term "fortress" gives the concept of "fortress". As for the Lions' Fortress, there are two interpretations of it among the locals. The first is that the fauna and flora of the area, especially most of the animals listed in the Red Book, have been preserved, and the lion's fortress, once surrounded by lions, is home to lions. The second hypothesis is directly related to our ancestor Amir Temur. When the future warrior and his men occupied these mountains, the people loved them and likened them to "lions", and the stone tree was described as "a fortress inhabited by fearless and brave heroes."
At the end of the expedition at the Lions' Fortress, we volunteered to look at the dinosaur footprints on the side of the neighboring pass, so that anyone could go and return to Tashkurgan. As we expected, there were very few people willing to go and see the dinosaur footprints. The young men, who had not slept through the night, refused to climb the neighboring pass, and more than ten miles to the destination. Would it be the same to walk that far on foot. If the road is flat, will it be possible to climb up and down? Therefore, the expedition was divided into two groups. One group was returning to the landing with heavy loads leading the loaded animals, and the second group, i.e. us - the illustrator and a local guy - was walking towards the dinosaur footprints. After all, we can leave without seeing or photographing the footprints of these creatures, whose form we see in scientific books and movies. We could never forgive ourselves if we continued on the road, avoiding excessive hardship. Following the first group, the weary caravan, we turn to the neighboring pass. We rolled through the pines, rolled on the rocky slopes several times, rubbed our elbows and knees, and finally reached our destination. We came across dinosaur footprints on a huge rock surface. There were a total of 23 of them, each measuring half a meter in size, and the track spacing being more than one and a half meters. From the tracks, it was as if the beast had climbed up and then descended. In fact, the animal did not move up and down, the boiling ground was flat, the animal went around the boiling plane. The plain later took the form of a slope during the formation of the mountain. These ancient traces on the rock surface were first discovered by geologist V. Discovered by Kurbatov. We, fortunately, saw with our own eyes these works, which at the time caused a great stir among scientists. Therefore, we photographed them without melting.
On that day, our trip to the cemetery of Amir Temur ended in the village of Tashkurgan. We have organized not one, but two expeditions to this hunting ground in the Gissar mountain range, and this great story tells about a certain part of the life of our great-grandfather.
SECOND TEMUR CAVE

After the expedition to the Amur Temur Cave, one of the historical sites in the heart of the majestic Gissar mountain range, the expedition to the second cemetery, popularly known as the "Second Temur Cave" or "Temur's Second Cave" we decided to organize.

The second month of winter.
The expedition will spend the first night in a cozy hotel in the center of Chirakchi district, get ready in the morning and arrive in the afternoon in the village of Taragay, located on the Kalkama mountain. Our goal was to get ready at this address and climb to the cave of Timur, which is located at the top of the Kalkama mountain in the middle of the night. But as the saying goes that the house does not fit the street, we began to face initial resistance at this address. Our movement seemed to the villagers very melting. They said, “Only he who is sane at this time of the year will climb a mountain. The top of the cave looks calm only from below. If you go upstairs, the winter weather is such that you can't find a place to escape. "" If you don't want to get lost in the fog and freeze to death in the mountains, it's better to be a late visitor and return to your tracks the next day. " they play. ” In response to this, we begin to cut branches from the thick willow along the stream. To the amazement of the villagers, we make dozens of torches out of them. In turn, we did not forget to look at the distant peak, where the mist was falling. Because even though the villagers didn't say it, we knew it wasn't right to play with the winter weather. Realizing the seriousness of our agreement, the owner of the house, Asad Normatov, hoped that Zora would change his mind: “Guys, the snow is thick and the day is cold. In this village there is an eighty-year-old man named Musakul ota Butaev, who entered the cave of Temur under the guidance of a scientist named academician Vinogradov. He knows all the secrets of the cave. I can accompany you if your parents allow it. If they say no, don’t be offended by us - I can’t guide you. After all, this cave is one of the most dangerous caves. I heard that there were deep wells and steep cliffs in the cave. Although I was a hero myself, I did not go beyond digging into the mouth of the cave. Don't expect more from others ... ”
When Musakul heard our goal, he stopped to think. He glanced at the fireplace from head to toe and thought of something. Then, without changing his position, he said: “If your intention is true, I can tell you that this is the footprint of Timur on the rocks, and the cave at the top was his residence.
Vinogradov told me that in this house he had many guests. But beware, the cave has many abysses, steep cliffs, and crevices that are difficult to cross. The length of the cave is more than fifteen miles. Maybe more than that. We barely made it to the eleventh mile when we said four nights and four days. Then we ran out of food, our lights went out, and we barely made it back by candlelight. But you get the job done right. Someone has to study Timur's cave and tell about it! I have no strength in my waist, but I have led you into the cave! ” Assad, who did not expect this from Atakhan, had no choice but to accompany us, and the expedition set out at midnight. Because the weather was so bad, we intended to reach the cave before it started to rain. We walked a long way until dawn, as if we were going to climb a moving mountain. But the higher we went, the colder it got. Assad, a mountaineer, advised to pitch a tent on the ridge in front of the peak, which is a few hours drive to the village, and there is still a long way to the cave, and if it starts to rain, we have no place to escape. Since there was no need for a tent in the cave, we decided to follow this advice.The process of setting up a tent on an expedition is always a special ceremony. Everyone goes to work at once - someone clears the snow on the ground, someone spreads the tent, someone piles up the piles, someone sorts the luggage to be left, someone throws stones on the windward side of the tent, and someone ... in short, no one is sitting hand in hand. "It's clear that wolves will attack the tent after us," Assad said. "So get everything you need." At the moment we were at an altitude of 1800 meters. The situation was no better than Assad's annoyed look at the sky from time to time. Indeed, it was not long before the direction of the qibla was first bitter, then windy. From the cold, our lashes froze, and we began to slowly climb the mountain, carrying a heavy load on everyone's shoulders. The snow, which is below the ankle, begins to rise above the knee when it reaches halfway up the pass. Due to the wind, the thickness of snow accumulated in the ravines exceeds two meters. At one point, one of the guys carrying the heavy engine fell, and the engine, which had fallen to the ground, slid to the side and plunged into the thick snow in the desert. Now, look at the spectacle - we're digging in the snow and looking for the engine. It’s rare that one of the guys falls back. Slowly I looked around, the situation was very sad - our cameraman Rustam was moving the camera, he was shivering from the cold at the foot of a gray rock, our bearded man Tahir was jumping on the ground and trying to warm himself. . Assad tries to keep himself alert and says, "Who are you from here, Amir Temur is walking? Be strong, guys!" "We're struggling with a slight cold," someone said.
But the cold was not a trivial cold. Our eyebrows were freezing from the cold. Then we remember yesterday's words: "In such weather, a wolf does not come out of its den, but cooks for you in the mountains." How they want to climb to the top with so much load on this winter’s cold day. Why don't you just sit quietly for God's sake! ” After all, when we saw the preparations in the village yesterday, it was as if he had never imagined so much hardship. But in any case, there was no going back. We would laugh. So, just go ahead! Moving forward was very difficult. We were suffering more from the thickness of the snow under our feet than from the cold. In this situation, it is difficult to carry your body on the mountain. And we seem to be carrying heavy burdens that are hard for a human being to bear. What's worse is that in this thick snow we couldn't use the services of a horse or a donkey.So we packed up our belongings, which were scarce, a mattress engine designed to charge lamp and camera batteries, a few gas cans, and a pile of firewood intended to burn in the cave. The guys were pretty busy until they found the engine under the snow. Another worst aspect of climbing in the winter is that one sweats profusely. Now imagine that your outer garments were frozen from the cold and your underwear was sweaty. As soon as you stop moving, it freezes and your whole body begins to tremble. Only relentless effort can save you from this unpleasant situation. However, being on the move all the time is not an easy task, and due to severe fatigue, the snow under your feet feels like a thick blanket and you are comfortable on the ground. Instantly the sleep elite starts you. This process is the first sign of freezing to death - a person may not notice that they are frozen in their sleep. Knowing this, Assad would not give peace to anyone. “Stopping is death! Said the lone man. "If it's foggy in the area, we won't be able to climb to the top, and we won't know again." This mountain was lost in the rocks in the district, and a few souls were not killed. The sooner we get to the cave, the better! ”
Below, we stare sadly at our tent, staring sadly at the misty peak. O God, when will we reach Him? We will take every step with a thousand difficulties and continue to ascend to the heights. As we ascend, the surrounding mountains begin to stand out as clearly as the palms of our hands. Soon they will remain at our feet. So we are moving at the highest point of the mountain. The following mountains are called by the local people by various terms, including “Kalkama”, “Langartog”, “Aktov”, “Karatov”, “Taragay” and others. The mountaineers hold these ridges in high esteem and consider them to be the most beautiful mountains in the world. However, these mountains are the lowest ridges of the Gissar mountain range. There are no spruces in these mountains, all alone, but almond species as much as you want. It is impossible to walk close to the sharp thorny almonds, it bites hard.
Finally, we reach a small peak near the large peak where Timur Cave is located. The wind was blowing harder here. Due to the wind, the peak is free of snow, but the surrounding terrain is full of snow. Luckily, the wind suddenly seemed to subside. However, this did not please our leader at all. He stared anxiously at the dark sky, wondering if, for some reason, the end would be a happy one. We will witness later that he was not disturbed in vain. On the way back from the cave to the village, we were left in a heavy snow-mixed rain, and our photographer Rustam, who had lost both his legs due to the cold, took turns kissing and descending. This is something that the members of the expedition still remember.But there is still so far, so far we have thought of nothing more than to leave the first peak behind and get to the main peak as soon as possible. It is well known that even a trivial distance seems too long for a tired person. Only someone who has experienced the hardships of the mountains can feel it. Just like the nomadic peoples of the past, we climb to the foot of the great peak by raising all our corpses and dragging them on flatter lands. The first thing we do is light a fire and gather some strength. Then we will be convinced once again how difficult it was for our grandfather Timur and his associates, who fought tirelessly for the freedom of the country and the homeland. Looking down at the neighboring mountains left behind, we wonder if we’ve been able to cross so many roads with so much load. Honestly, one doesn’t want to believe it. It must be said that there is no limit to human endurance.
In these kinds of expeditions, the essence and importance of food usually changes dramatically - the food is eaten not for pleasure, but for the purpose of gaining strength, not slipping. Canned fish is opened, bread is baked, pick-and-take, and there is no place for other such services, like wild people, everyone is hungry to their liking. It's not about eating at all - it's a necessity, yes, it's a necessity that makes you chew something. The snowy peaks in the distance, the cold snorts of the cold, the bitter winds of the northwest, as if they were confirming a candle, pinched his face mercilessly, his fingers snapped, and the food froze without being taken to his mouth. the one who touches the mattress. Then we will remember Sahibkiran Amir Temur again, as if we felt the hardships he endured. Interestingly, this feeling gives us strength again. Assad is an eloquent young man, his lips trembling from the cold, and he tells one of the legends of our ancestor Timur's moments on these mountains.
We walk towards the big peak that rises at the top of the pass. By the way, on this peak there are not one, but several caves, all of which are called by various terms associated with the name of Timur. Taragaylik Musaqul ota academician E. E.. They studied the main cave with Vinogradov. We decide to start the work, according to the plan, in one of the small caves, which is almost inaccessible to human beings - "Guards Cave". Unfortunately, it was not on the side of the peak facing us, but on the south side of it, on the edge of a steep and shallow cliff. It is crossed by a long open cave, popularly known as the "Porch". By the way, this cave is the smallest of the existing caves on the rock. Passing its narrow and dark passage, we ascend to the steep cliff part of the rock. The cliff is so deep, a slippery soul will not survive.Although Musakul advised us not to go that way, we did our own thing - we tied one end of one of the long ropes to a strong resin tree on the edge of the cliff, and with the help of a rope we began to descend from a very narrow path covered with thick snow. One thing to note here is that there is nothing more enjoyable for an expedition than to explore an unexplored object first. It's no secret that we are not afraid to face death at such a time. After all, death was a deep abyss, and our mouths were wide open at our feet. If you don't hold on to the rope or get distracted, you can slip and fly down like a rock. On the downside - such dangerous processes are not always filmed, that is, it is impossible - the camera and other necessary equipment were attached to our shoulders with a chilvir. Catching a camera in such a dangerous place was usually nothing more than insanity.
As we hold on to the ropes of the climbers, we begin to descend to the mouth of the cave, which is darkened to the side below, as we think of each step a thousand times.
Luckily, at the mouth of the cave, there was a deeper space, as if it had been created on purpose. Breathing lightly in the sanctuary, we begin to prepare to enter the cave as we place our heavy loads on the ground. "The air in the cave is relatively warm," said Assad, who entered the cave, which is more than a meter and a half from the entrance. Such warm caves are home to wildlife during the winter. I mean, what do we do if a bear wrestler is hibernating inside, huh? Let me tell you, such unexpected clashes have taken place in these mountains several times before, and the result ... well, you know. ” Assad is a talkative young man by nature. But this time it looked so bad to my eyes that you could put it down. While others are wondering how and where to escape from this cramped place, I pick up a long knife, which is the only weapon hanging on the waist of Tahir, the master of the lamp, who is swaying on the floor. Follow me, clean and ripe, with bears on the rocks, without fear of anything, ”and I walk forward, holding one of the lanterns in the snow. But in my heart I could clearly feel that there was some kind of soul inside. But at the same time, submitting to the trail of fear and going back was nothing but stupidity. After all, if we set out in the middle of the night in the bitter cold, crushed under heavy loads, and barely reached our destination in nine or ten hours, why should we give in to any fear and anxiety? Wouldn't it be better if that bear wrestler, who was sleeping inside, tore us to pieces!The innumerable hardships of the expedition sometimes make a man so stubborn, I repeat, not fearless, but extremely stubborn. I think this is probably the secret of the fear of death for climbers who conquer the peaks of the world.
After a five-meter narrow corridor in front of us opens a wide embrace of the cave - the stage. The ceiling of the cave is high and the walls are colorful. It is as if Mother Nature created him at a very pleasant time. It was warm inside, while the cold outside was around twenty degrees. Assad is right - such caves are home to wild animals. Such caves, which serve as shelters for snakes in summer and other species of wild animals in winter, are characterized by coolness on hot days and warmth on cold days. The narrow mouth of the cave serves to keep the temperature inside at a constant level. A human child can easily overwinter with a slight fire. After all, primitive people lived mainly in caves. Once again, in a corner, we look at the corners of the cave with the hadik and vigilance, so that the bear is not really sleeping. In the light of the lamp, the walls of the cave glow red, blue, yellow and brown. There are no signs of erosion on the surface of the stones. They are also completely free of stalactites and stalagmites, which are formed due to the dissolution of rocks in water. Only the entrance to the cave is wet and the inside is dry. And the mind begins to feel more deeply that there is a kind of soul in the same restless - dark space. What is it? Bear, pig, wolf or fox? Maybe it’s a jay that’s already annoyed by planting its thorns? Usually, in such cases, the human consciousness begins to work with extraordinary sharpness, and often it does not deceive. But so far there was no sign of the impending danger.
We continue to infiltrate. After a while, apparently fascinated by the majesty of the fifteen-meter-high ceiling, we notice late the steep cliff underfoot. The light of the lamp in the cave distracts and deceives. Had Assad not caught on time, it would have been clear that the fireplace would have fallen into the abyss. We had to go down the cliff now to move forward. We hang on to one of the ropes in stock and start descending to the bottom of the jar one by one. A narrow corridor stretched from the jar to the bottom of the cave, and the rocks on either side of it were as flat as if they had been picked by hand. It turned out to be a huge rock that we thought was the bottom of a cave. Here the corridor turned sharply to the right. As we walk around the rock, after a while we find ourselves in a spacious hall with high ceilings. The narrow ceiling, like the mouth of the oven on the ceiling of the hall, naturally did not escape our attention. According to the legend, at the top of the gorge there was a special guard station where Timur's guards were stationed. If we were to unravel a mystery at this point, in fact, we would have visited this cave to find out if there was such a hole. Here's a really satisfying one. The guard on the toy tray was discovered later, during a summer expedition. Located in the center of the peak, and over time, the stones have faded, leaving only the guardhouse, and the city, including the city of Samarkand, is clearly visible. We met another guardhouse location on the east side of the summit. Now, going back to the gorge, the same legend says that this cave was the shelter of the guards, who were going up and down the gorge through a special rope.
It is known from historical sources that between 1348 and 1370 the great Sahibkiran Amir Temur found several settlements in the mountains and used the existing caves both as a shelter and a military camp. Some of the artifacts built at that time are still preserved in these natural tombs, which are now named after him. For example, a 20-meter-long, 4-meter-wide, 5-meter-high stone platform at the mouth of the first Temur Cave in Yakkabag district, stone steps extending from the platform to the main cave corridor, and the guard posts in the second Temur Cave and the so-called "Sayisxona". some artifacts in the cave can be cited as examples. Today, only a few specimens of these ancient artifacts have survived. In short, the ancient artifacts that gave the caves their unique splendor have disappeared not only because of the sura of the past, but also because of looting by different people in different years. It is here that we quote this information, which is mentioned in the "Journey" of Shahrsabz begi Mirza Salimbek. Even before 1910, Safarnoma contained many astonishing artifacts in the first cave of Timur. For example, on the stone walls of the rooms inside the cave there are embossed flowers, large and small shelves, shelves. These fences are made of stone bars. In the corridors of the halls of the cave, stone candlesticks and food storage, cooking and
there were other types of rooms and many necessary appliances. But today there is no trace of them in the cave. In the words of Musaqul ota, all the artifacts were completely lost on the border of nothingness because of the helpless tourists who entered the cave. He says: “Long before Vinogradov, when I entered the cave alone, it was as if I saw some of the things created by human beings. Apparently they were stone candlesticks. Some were lying on a stone wall, and some were broken underfoot. Then when I went back into the cave with that scientist friend, I didn’t meet them. Telling Vinogradov about it, my clean head was in trouble.I'm very upset about why you didn't save them. If I were an uncle, how could I know they were so important. If I knew, I would pick up everything and put it in a box. I did not leave Vinogradov dry either, I gave him a stone from a hollow cave, a horseshoe found in a hole in the Sayisxona cave, and three bow arrows. Vinogradov's action was interesting, as the ancient mountains where the traces of Timur remained, they revered our Kalkama mountain a lot. He talked a lot about Timur. He was a good man, though! ” I think it is appropriate to quote the famous historian Poyon Ravshanov. He writes in his book “History of Kashkadar”: “There is no place in Kashkadarya, no village, if it is not connected with Amir Temur in any way. Most of the mountains, rocks, deserts, rivers and streams in this valley have benefited from his footsteps ... ”In turn, there are so many myths and legends about these caves associated with the name of Timur that if they are collected, they will be written in books.
As we continue to move forward, we suddenly come across a creature that is disturbing us - a big fox squeezing in one of the corners of the cave. She was so beautiful, so helpless at the same time, that she stared at him, unable to find a way to escape. We decide to return to our tracks here so as not to disturb the peace of the animal. He is left alone at the bottom of a dark cave as we watch our uninvited guests with eyes full of fear.
As long as our friend Boya Assad does not stare at the dark sky in vain - as soon as we come out of the cave, we see the whole creature in the white mist. The fog was so thick that the resin tree tied to the rope at the top of the trail was no longer visible, and only the twisted end of the rope protruded through the fog. We pull all the equipment back onto our shoulders and begin to climb up one by one with the help of a rope. The trail was so dangerous that the abyss was silently pulling the snow-covered rocks beneath its feet.
All our attempts to climb to the next cave at the foot of the rock - "Sayisxona" - this time in vain. In fact, when the main cave was standing on this side, no one was wasting their time crawling towards some small cave on the hill. By the way, there are two views among the people about the cave "Sayisxona" - for some it is a special stable of Timur, and for others it is a stable of horsemen. During the summer trip, we were convinced that the cave "Sayisxona" was more like a stable for horsemen than a stable. This is because an ancient kiln trace found in the corner of the cave, a piece of ore found in a hole in a stone wall, and other artifacts indicate that people lived in this corner.As we began to walk to the main cave, it was no longer cold for us. We had a fire to burn, a shelter in the beginning - a cave, a sack full of food - and we were worried about something. Moreover, there is no difference between day and night in a cave. As Assad said, night and day lose their significance. And again, we know that, as noted above, Academician E.J. E.. Vinogradov and his companion, Musaqul ota, could not reach the bottom of the cave after walking for four days and nights - they ran out of food and lamp batteries and had to return to their tracks after the eleventh kilometer. Measuring the cave took a lot of their time. Since then, the distance to the bottom of the cave has not yet been studied by anyone.
From the first step, we are immediately convinced that Sahibkiran did not choose this corner in vain. The caveway is wide and smooth - as if created by a master architect. The air is warm and clear, moreover, warm. In the first half of the long corridor, we drop the loads on our shoulders and hands on the ground, lie down on the ground, and take a deep breath. Feeling like we were in Timur's time, we gazed with pleasure at the colorful walls of the cave and the innumerable bats hanging from the ceiling. Interestingly, outside there is a thick white mist, the winter cold chirping. And in the cave there is a strange peace. We light a fire and make tea. As our body and stomach heat up, our spirit spreads. We feel like we are sitting in a warm and cozy hotel, not in a cave lit by the light of a campfire. How much time has passed - this thing doesn’t interest us at all. We open the cans and line up around the campfire. The food is hot and the cave smells of fragrant food. If you remember, during the day we were like chewing on a rock, not meat, and now we are enjoying a hot bite. Anxiety and tiredness leave our souls and when we look at it, we completely forget that the hardest part of the journey is ahead of us - we feel like we are sitting as a guest. Musaqul ota said: “The beginning of the cave, where Timur landed, is comfortable and beautiful. It is possible to spend the winter there. But when you go beyond that, be very careful, in the valley of the cave there are a lot of steep cliffs and ravines, deep wells ... ”
As we begin our journey through the mysterious cave, we plan to leave a couple of torches every hundred meters without lighting a torch. This time we will try to act wisely, as we have tried many times in previous expeditions that these torches, which were left in reserve on the way back from the cave, will be of great help. At the hundredth meter we encounter the first steep cliff. As we descend with the help of a rope, we suddenly see a second deep ravine along the cave valley on the left. We continue to advance along a very narrow path at the edge of a fifteen-foot steep cliff that runs along the cave valley. The trail was wet and slippery because of the cracks in the ceiling. Passing through this dangerous area easily, we come across a large area with high ceilings.Wow, that's amazing!
At first glance, the cave seemed to end in this area. After all, right in front of us stood a tall yellow wall. A person who is unaware of the nature and mysteries of the cave is bound to return to his footsteps on this wall, and it has always been so. After all, Musaqul did not give all the information about the cave to anyone who came across it. At first, he didn't want a toothpick for us either. Only when he realized the seriousness of our purpose did he present a sketch map of the cave to the fireplace. I glance at the map in the flashlight. In the western part of the wide area I see a small dot marked with a pencil. I walk in that direction. It is as narrow as a fox's nest, more precisely, more than five meters narrow. So the continuation of the cave begins with this lahm. We hang on to the rope, go downstairs, and suddenly find ourselves in a spacious domed hall. The legend itself. The walls of the warm and dry hall are colorful, and as much as there are colors in nature, everything seems to be reflected in the walls of this hall. The ceiling of the cave is free of life-threatening rocks, that is, slippery. To the east, there is a thick rock that looks like a pavilion, and on the side of the rock, the mouth of the corridor is black. Leaving a pair of handmade torches on that rock, we continue on our way down the aisle. The corridor stretches from side to side, leading us to the realm of sumacs. A flat-skinned sumac column shines like gold in the light of a lamp. To be honest, words and language are powerless to describe this beauty in the depths of the cave. Moreover, spider mites like us have a disease - extreme curiosity and impatience, and then we try to move on to what is and what is not, and, as a result, go unnoticed by some of the miracles created by Mother Nature. For example, it is not surprising that the glossy sumac columns are arranged in a straight line, as if typed by hand, and the distance between them is almost the same size. It can be compared to a beautiful monument built on a high architectural solution. However, most of our companions do not pay attention to the "monument", but to the spring that gushes from the foot of the pillars. Some try to quench their thirst. If at this point someone is reminded of a bitter winter outside, one cannot believe it at once. Because we were already accustomed to the warm world of the cave, and we almost forgot about the winter air that reigned outside. We had already taken off our winter clothes, that is, in the first hall.
The cave is a mysterious world!
We pass through the columns and continue walking along the wide corridor. The soles of the feet are flat, as if decorated.
The ceiling of the cave rises and falls. At the end of the corridor, we stop by tapping our foreheads on the wall, which is a mixture of red and blue. The road is blocked, and at the top there is a man with a cow's mouth. The corridor itself is made of rough stones. You can easily climb up by stepping on the stones. We climb up the corridor and after a few ten meters we reach a thicker width. The scenery here was very ugly. The black stones absorb the light of the lamp and make the heart tingle without realizing it. For some reason, we begin to feel helpless. This is where our first lamp goes out. It hits a rock and crumbles. We turn on the reserve lamp and move forward, leaving a couple of torches at the mouth of the tunnel, as a precaution. More specifically, we try to avoid this ugly scene that is heartbreaking.
After a while, the cave world shows us mercy. After a sharp turn to the left, we encounter a small corner. The ceiling of the long and wide hall, which narrowed slightly towards the net, was as flat as if cut with a knife. In the very center of the ceiling, a sun-red pattern was scattered on all sides. The ends of the braids joined and harmonized with the other patterns on the wall, creating a strange composition. Light falls from the walls where the light of the lamp falls, and this thing has a serious effect on a person's mood, giving the heart some light and clarity. Here we are once again convinced that nature is a great artist. But we didn’t know one thing - how much we drank across the cave. Speaking of nafsilamri, it was not even possible. After all, how many turns we didn't go through, how many times we climbed up, how many times we didn't go down. If only we could reach the bottom of the cave, as Musaqul Dad dreamed. But it was just a dream. We all knew very well that it was very difficult to get to the bottom of the cave. As if to confirm this, after the next turn, the cave's very confusing streams begin. We had to crawl thirty paces somewhere. In the second area I had to go down fifteen feet, and then move up, then sideways, along a ten-foot narrow lahm. Coming out of it, we come to the abyss on the right. So how deep is this pit? To find the answer to this question, you have to give up one of the torches. The burning torch ignited for about ten seconds and then went out. We understand that this oil needs to be handled with care. On the other hand, the cave of Timur, with its mysterious and intricate riverbed, was paving the way for new industries. As we advanced, the cave landscape became more and more colorful, and we felt as if we had fallen into a strange gallery of the underworld. In fact, it was. We came across all sorts of colors available on cave stones. How many times have we not crossed the underground springs. In turn, we were once again convinced that it would take a lot of time and a very high technical opportunity to fully explore this mysterious world.Academician E. E.. As Vinogradov points out, Timur's cave will never pamper a tourist in its bosom, but will once again face new trials, test his patience, heal and harden him. A tourist who cannot withstand these trials will not return to both worlds and enter this corner.
We, too, wandered for a very long time in the mysterious embrace of the cave, holding on to the skirts of patience and endurance, until all the lights in our hands were exhausted. And when we came back from the cave, it was dawn, the fog was fading, it was raining heavily on the mountain, that is, new hardships awaited us. After all, in this weather, with a heavy load on the shoulders, would it be possible to walk more than ten miles?
We slowly descend the paths that our grandfather Timur walked, and before we reach the tent we had pitched, we are compelled to kiss our young painter, who is completely exhausted and paralyzed by the cold.

PESHIGOR

According to some historical sources, as well as a number of legends, the Peshigor Cave, located on the northern slope of the Morguzar Range, in one of the hunting lodges of the mountain, In turn, it is noted that this cave has long been a home for various peoples. According to the elders, on the wide stage of the cave there are still ancient hearths and the remains of the building, which are a monument to the distant past. We decided to organize a "Peshigor Expedition" in spite of the fact that the winter chill prevailed, albeit partially, and with the intention of clarifying these sources.
Since the direction of this expedition started from the foothills of Morguzar mountain, we will first dwell on this mountain. Mount Morguzar is located in the Zaamin district of Jizzakh region, which means "place of snakes." According to locals, during the warm season of the year, these mountain rocks are overflowing with various venomous snakes, and the name of the mountain is derived from it. But now is not summer, but winter. Early in the morning the snow sparkled, the tops of the mountains were covered with misty white clouds, a cold wind blew from the mouth of the huge gorge in front of us, the old bear's nest was darkening under the rock on the right, We felt inwardly that it was better to sit quietly in a warm corner than to climb mountains and snow in such cold, uncomfortable weather, but we continued to move quietly, trying not to say it. As we step into the Morguzar gorge, the snowfall suddenly increases. However, this situation did not cause us any flax concern. Because we will soon enter the cave. Once we enter the dark cave, time and the external world also lose their significance, and we live in a completely different world, that is, we spend the night in a cave, live in a cave, and work in a cave. After all, in one of the previous "cave expeditions" we spent three and a half days without leaving the cave, doing research and filming. That is why the whims of nature do not blind us, we think only of getting to the destination faster.
Unfortunately, the cave was not at the bottom, but at the top, at the foot of a steep and high rock. The mouth of the cave is never visible from the outside, and the mountain bushes and rocks surround it from the human point of view, as if on purpose. The ground is thick with snow, and the bottom of the snow is covered with solid ice. we begin to lift the intended equipment and other bedding equipment up and down in turn. Naturally, this work is arduous, everyone’s silly builds up, and in some people the desire to continue the expedition is completely extinguished. However, they cannot be blamed for this, because sweat-soaked clothes quickly freeze and start to sink into the body like a cold knife, causing a feeling of laziness in anyone. Trembling from the cold, you long for the corner of the stove, where the fire is squeaking involuntarily. But on mountain expeditions, such dreams are nothing but mirage. The open fire does not heat anything but the palms and fingers. So, you have no choice but to endure all the hardships.
The Peshigor is a cave with a porch, which is probably why it is called the Peshigor, which means "the cave with the porch". The area where it is located is surrounded by high cliffs, and it seems to be true that it was a hideout for the army of the country hero Ahrimaz, who fought against Alexander the Great. Meanwhile, archaeologist Valijon Gaybullayev, who was specially invited to the expedition, and Sundor Karabaev, an employee of the district museum of local lore, suddenly found pieces of ancient pottery among the stones. I wonder how the pieces of ancient pottery came to this hunting corner? We walk towards the narrow tunnel that is darkened in the front porch. And it soon became clear that huge stones had fallen from the top, and the mouth of the cave was closed, leaving only this narrow hole. If a person fits, the camera doesn’t fit, if the camera fits, the person doesn’t fit. This rare, long corridor turned sharply upwards, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, forming narrow twists. Besides, it's a kind of panic to enter an unknown cave ... So, before going to the cave, you can't imagine ...
As the members of the expedition continue to slide down the narrow corridor, suddenly a different world opens up in front of us - a wide section of the cave. Oh, the ceiling was full of bats ... there were more than a few hundred thousand, and the inside of the cave was warm. The creatures on the ceiling, which were hibernating, did not even pay attention to our visit. By the way, since these animals are an important part of the nature of the cave, it is natural that there will be a flaw in our story if we do not dwell on them for a moment.So, there are more than 650 species of these animals on earth, 19 of which live in our land. They are active at night and in the evening and feed mainly on insects. His eyes do not see properly, he perceives his surroundings using ultrasound signals, and he lives up to twenty years. These animals are the youngest group of mammals found in nature, with body lengths ranging from 2.5 centimeters to 14 centimeters, depending on the species. We gently take one of them and measure it. Length 12.5 centimeters. The ear supra is wide. On the heels of their next feet was an uncle pix, to which the later ends of the flight curtain were attached. The teeth are angular and very sharp. These animals give birth once or twice a year. In some caves, their number exceeds 20 million. Here, too, their number is not small. These creatures have no harmful side effects, killing various pests in return and bringing great benefits to agriculture. Nor are their endangered species extinct. Several dozen useful species are protected by law. Including the bats in this cave.When we see the majestic snake's skin lying on the edge of the cave, we are distracted by the animals on the ceiling, involuntarily awake, and look around. Then we feel that we are not just in a cave, but in a world of different colors. In this entrance section of the cave we are sure that Mother Nature acted as a great artist: the right wall is reddish, the same red background is decorated with patterns of various shapes with yellow, purple, semi-green, blue colors, moreover, with great elegance; the macro wall, which is orange from head to toe, is polished with reddish and crimson ornaments; and the ceiling of the cave, which is white, is "equipped with living chandeliers," that is, bats. "
In the next section of the cave, we will see that Mother Nature worked not only as an artist, but also as a master sculptor. At the foot of the right and left walls of the wide and high part there is a system of rocks of different shapes, ie "sculptures". These are a complex of stones formed by water droplets seeping from the ceiling of the cave. One of them looked like a woman with a knot, one of them depicted a wrestler holding his sleeve before a fight, and another reflected the admiration of a teenager staring into the distance. However, the most helpless aspect is that not all members of the expedition realize this strange natural state, and most of them think of nothing but getting to the bottom of the cave faster in a panic and curiosity.
As we watched the statues in the light of the lamp, our young archaeologist, who had been squinting in the middle of the room since the painting, suddenly made an astonishing call and fell to the ground with a sharp tesha in his hand. We direct all the light of the lamp in that direction. Before we knew it, a huge mound of earth was pounding on the ground where he was roaring. I wonder where so much soil came from in the cave? Meanwhile, through the soil, the remnants of a cotton wall began to appear, and various pieces of pottery began to be caught.It was later discovered that the hill that attracted the archaeologist's attention was the remains of a ninth-century building. We were fine, but our young archaeologist could not find a place to put himself out of joy. Because the legends about the cave have come true, Peshagor was not just a natural cave, but one of the ancient settlements of human society, although it was partially confirmed. But why the building was built in the cave, what caused it, these questions remain unanswered. In the midst of these thoughts, we cross a narrow corridor and meet the next wide one.
In the light of the bright lights, the brightness of the colors unfolds before us again. However, this section was completely different from the first and second part in terms of its appearance, structure and width, in which the color of the walls was very different. To be more precise, the colors in it resembled a collection of strange paintings created by rebellious artists with different views, both theoretically and practically. The basis of the complex was the appearance of all available colors and their darkness and hunger, and in some places a unique system of colors that are rare on earth.No matter how much we are obsessed with these strange things, we try not to lose sight of the danger that exists, even for a moment. Unexpected danger lurks at you every step of the way. One of these dangers is the stones on the ceiling, and in some parts of the cave the stones on the top are deposited, and it is possible that they will "wake up" from the slightest noise and fall on you. Another danger is the steep and narrow streams that occur in the cave corridor. Like a well, these streams are deep, with a depth of more than a hundred, sometimes more than a thousand meters. Here the stones in the ceiling are a considerable deposit, and see that even the bats are not to be overlooked. Apparently, these animals are very familiar with the dangerous and safe part of the cave. But it must be admitted that the nature of the cave is very adept at creating miracles. He created such mythical figures simply by means of chakki that one does not even know what to compare them with. Another thing is that if we are distracted by each of them, we probably won’t even reach the bottom of the cave until dawn while standing.
In the next safe part of the cave, we will see a colorful landscape again. The rocks here have a strange color and texture, creating a unique landscape. Then the thought comes to mind, how generous Mother Nature was, not only on the surface, but also in the depths of the dark caves. As we delve deeper into the depths of the cave, it seems as we unravel the mysteries of a new world in an underground kingdom. In fact, every step of the cave is a unique world, which requires not only a keen eye, but also deep knowledge and understanding. Only if you sum up these requirements in your mind will this mysterious world, known as the "cave", gradually open its heart to you. Otherwise, you will be useless except for slipping like a shadow.Now, at this point, we will go into more detail about this cave. Peshigor Cave is one of the largest and almost unexplored caves in Central Asia. If you can imagine for a moment its majesty, this cave consists of several narrow and wide compartments, the average section of which is 15 meters wide, 20 meters high and 65 meters long. The size of the adjacent compartments is no less. We call these compartments "cave halls" and smaller ones "corridors". And as for the total length of the cave, it is still unknown. According to one legend, he was given the status of infinity, while in other legends, the cave itself is said to have passed from mountain to mountain. We intended to reach the bottom of the cave. No one knew whether we would achieve this intention or not.
In the next large section of the cave we come across a completely different landscape. In this part of the cave, Mother Nature was not limited to dry colors, but decorated the top of it with tens of thousands of bats. Interestingly, these creatures were not scattering on the ceiling, but hanging in groups like flat chandeliers. Apparently, every ball is a family, who knows. The right wing wall of the cave, measuring 15 x 20 meters, was completely white and smooth as glass. It looked like a new canvas mounted on an easel by an artist, but not yet drawn. On the opposite wall was the complete opposite - it reflected all the colors of nature. Rarely did the rocks lined up along the wall take on different shapes. We called this safe room a “creative workshop”. After the raft, we were intoxicated by a strange smell. It was the smell of pure earth, saturated in the spring rain, warmed by the cancerous sun. Wondering where this smell came from in the depths of the cave? More interestingly, as soon as we smelled this smell, the longing for a bright world arose in everyone's hearts, and in our bar there was a desire to leave the cave. After all, we had been in the middle of winter for ten hours. However, we have no right to feel at such a time, because the expedition is guided not by emotion, but by intellect and perception. Now as for this pleasant odor, which is by no means peculiar to the nature of the cave, its source was quickly ascertained. The smell was coming from a 15 x 20 meter leaky wall surface. The surface of the wall was covered with a thin layer of clean mud, which was formed by snow and rainwater seeping down from invisible cracks. This natural process seemed to have lasted for many years, and the wide expanse of the compartment was filled with thick mud that had turned to dust. Were it not for the ingenuity and vigilance of our young archaeologist, we would not have imagined that the relics of the distant past were hidden under the blur that covered the room. We ignored the young man, who was digging in the muddy ground, and went down to make tea by the fire, intending to rest for a while in this part of the cave. As we carry firewood from the outside, we try to use it sparingly and, in turn, carefully monitor the direction of the smoke. We knew from the rising smoke rising to the ceiling and then to the cave net, the dark space, that on that side there was another exit.
Once we hear the archaeologist’s excited cry, we completely forget the smoke path. Look at this, he managed to find the place of an ancient furnace among the clumps. Not until we regained consciousness, the second furnace next to the first furnace was also visible. He picked up two stones and a handful of sticks one by one from the floor of the kiln and told them something about the people who had lived there in the distant past. In fact, we didn’t know what he really knew. As far as we know, the remains of a cotton wall found in the first large part of the cave, as well as the ancient hearths found in this part, indicate that this cave was a settlement of some tribes in ancient times. The thrilling moments of the day are over, and suddenly our eyes fall on the ancient inscriptions carved on the north wall of the cave. Some of them were written in Arabic script and the rest in ancient Sogdian. We try to read the Arabic spellings, even though the inscriptions are blurred and some places have been erased. The dot seats are off. Two rounds of man ... one shot
One is a thief ... learning
Apparently it looks like this:
There are two kinds of people,
One is a thief, one is a learner.
After tea, we leave the archaeologist, who has begun to scratch the bot soil, with two lights in reserve, here, and continue on our way again.
In our view, the cave was not over.
Soon we come across a long and narrow corridor full of rocks falling from the ceiling. We learned that this corridor is one of the most dangerous parts of the cave. We put an end to the excess noise, and in silence we continue to move towards the mysterious and dark space, slipping through the huge rocks, sometimes side by side, sometimes leaning on each other's shoulders. By this time it was past midnight, but no one had anything to do with it, we were trying to get to the bottom of the cave as fast as we could.
This narrow corridor led us to be wider, more majestic. Looking at the ceiling, we immediately realized that there was no danger of falling stones from above. The ceiling of the cave is as smooth as the ceiling of an ancient architectural monument. The smooth ceiling surface is “decorated” with bats that hibernate. From the dark tower of the cave came the sound of water, where the humidity was strong, the walls of the cave were sweaty, the face of the stones at the foot of the cave was rugged, and in front of us stood a huge rocky cross. As we slowly walk around the rock, our eyes fall on a steep wall - a rock, apparently more than twenty meters high, in a wide net.
Have we reached the bottom of the cave?
To clarify this question, we cross the section vertically and approach the rock. No, the cave was not finished, and its continuation was wide open, like a dragon's mouth at the top of a cliff. It was necessary to climb a steep and damp rock to reach the mouth of the cave.
So what is the total length of the Peshawar Cave?
Unfortunately, this has not yet been determined.
Then we remember a story we heard from the elders. It is said that this wall, which once crossed the cave, was a long ladder made of spruce wood on the face of a new majestic rock, and it was preserved until the beginning of the last century. According to the second narration, Ahrimaz, the hero of the country, who fought against Alexander the Great's army, mastered this direction and used it effectively when necessary. So there are a lot of myths and legends, but there is no information about its direction after the steep cliff.Returning to our trail, the archaeologist reports that he has found another stone and a piece of pottery. And we, in all likelihood, have amassed about fifteen torches, which have been kept in reserve and are no longer needed, on the walls of the compartments where these ancient furnaces were found, and we light them, that is, we try to embody the life and way of life of ancient peoples in caves. In the light of the torches, the room takes on the appearance of a huge grass.
We were so accustomed to the warm air of the cave that we did not even think that a bitter winter was waiting for us outside, as if we had been living in this cave for a long time, and for some reason we were not in a hurry to leave it.
As we went outside early in the morning, in the words of the mountaineers, the chirping of winter chirping, the sound of wolves howling in the distance, could be heard, and the snow that had fallen all night had now ceased.
We grab the frozen rope and start to climb to the bottom of the ravine ...
TRACE OF CIVILIZATION

Although we had long planned to make a trip to Mount Kalkama, study the ancient Temple of the Sun and rock paintings in detail, but for various reasons, this expedition was constantly delayed. Finally, in one of the spring months, we reached our goal and headed to Chirakchi district of Kashkadarya region. Archaeologist Bahodir Mamadiev, who lives and works in Karshi, was closely involved in this expedition, and we met at the foot of Mount Kalkama.

However, when we said that the house was not suitable for the street, we waited for them at the beginning of Kalkama Mountain. You'd think they were ugly. Aslo. The rocks of various shapes on the sunny side of the mountain did not let us get bored. After all, we unexpectedly came across an open-air museum created by Mother Nature. In front of us was a huge shark lying on the ground. It was as if he had rested for a moment and was still sinking into the endless ocean. And the boulder-like rock in the bush floor, as if in a rage, turned its back on us, and on the rocky lip, which was filled with rain-water, a large number of birds were constantly chirping. The wildlife was completely dominant in the area: on the surface of the rocks, large and small lizards of various colors, as if watching us silently, were swarming; turtles were crawling among the green grass, and hedgehogs were running, and here and there snakes could be seen, and butterflies could be seen. Then someone said, "There's a shortage of wolf and bear wrestlers here." In response, another said, "Look, they're both on the top." In fact, on one of the rocks in the distance, there were two similar rocks, one sinking and the other standing upright. In fact, the resemblance of these standing rocks to something depended more on which side they looked from. We were now watching them from the west. From the east to the north it was clear that they would be seen in a different form. In short, this part of the mountain was full of strangely shaped rocks. Various idols among the rocks adorned the mountain.If the resistance had arrived in time for the archaeologists, we would not have felt this beautiful beauty of the mountain.
At this point, if we take the opportunity to give a little information about this mountain, this mountain, which is called "Kalkama" by the locals, was one of the small ridges of the Gissar Mountains, and its nature was much drier. But we were not interested in the nature of the mountains, but in the temple of the Sun, located in one of its corners. The resistance archaeologists who had arrived in the meantime, as if realizing this, immediately led us in that direction. However, the huge rock on the slope that soon appeared in front of us was one of the majestic rocks that are very common in the mountains, unlike the Temple of the Sun that we imagined. More precisely, it was a natural shelter - a stone dome, capable of accommodating several dozen people in unexpected rains. However, the fact is that it was not just a natural sanctuary, but a "temple of the sun" in scientific sources, and a "shrine of Siypontash" for the locals.
Siypontosh.
First of all, if we go under this word, what does it mean?
The phrase means "slippery stone" in the vernacular. Siypontosh, that is, the rocky surface under the stone dome, is extremely slippery, so people call it by this name and know it as an ancient shrine. But few people are aware that Siipantosh was a Zoroastrian temple in the past. The wide and high stone dome, with its entrance and exit corridors on all four sides, was truly the temple itself. But it is the work of Mother Nature, who, by bringing it into this form, has set it very effectively on the rocky outcrop below, that is, has created a natural temple. We search for man-made artifacts under the stone dome and quickly find them with the help of archaeologist Bahodir Mamadiev. These works were symbols of the Zoroastrian religion, painted on the ceiling of the tombstone in red and light red paint - various forms denoting the sun and the twelve moons. Something else that looked like a calendar was stamped on one side, but it was much harder to tell what it was because the paint was faded. Our archaeologist pointed us out that this place was a temple of the Sun, and after describing the names of the sun, moon, and calendar-like symbol in scientific terms related to Zoroastrianism, led us to the eastern part of the tomb.
Here in ancient times we came across a trail in a fire that was constantly burning at night on the day of the fire. Due to the fact that we often came across such fires and symbols of the Sun God on dozens of expeditions to the ancient fortresses of Khorezm, it is necessary to quote the following lines from the book "Bright Uzbekistan - the homeland of world civilization" by historian Samandar Ismailov (p. 30). : “There is a sun god in all the nations of the world, and this god has been called differently in every nation. It is known from history that in ancient times our ancestors also believed in Zoroastrianism, fire-worship, that is, fire - the Sun. Why did they believe in fire? Because fire was considered a part of the Sun on Earth. By the way, both the sun and fire emit light and heat from themselves. Accordingly, our ancient ancestors believed that the Sun was sacred and deeply understood that it was the main source of life, and regarded fire as a magical power that cleanses from sins. There are still some signs of that. ”
As if to confirm this idea, at that moment a grandmother came out of the village at the bottom of the river, ignored us, lit a lamp on one of the blackened stones in the corner, and went down to recite some prayers while drowning. Blessing the mother’s face and pointing outwards, we asked her why she knew this place was a place of pilgrimage to try. But Grandma didn't like our question, and she stiffened her neck in the sense that you didn't know what it was, and slowly went downstairs.
We wondered why, even though many centuries had passed, the paintings under the tombstone, the fire in the east corner, and other similar artifacts had survived to the present day. "This is because," explains the archaeologist, "humanity has lived here for thousands of years." If there had been intermittent migrations and interruptions, the existence of this temple would not have been obvious to all generations. As for the people of today, most people are absolutely unaware that Siipantash is a temple of the Sun, but according to the ancient principle, they visit it regularly and no one dares to embrace its relics. In turn, the presence of this monument testifies to the fact that this area of ​​the mountain has long been crowded with life. "
We look around for traces of ancient artifacts that indicate that life was crowded here in ancient times. However, our eyes do not see anything but rocks of different shapes. Sensing this, our archaeologist smiles and says: “This area is being studied now. But even so, I find you in such a state that you will be amazed. ” He leads us to the sunset through the rocks. Soon we stop at the foot of a narrow rock about eight to ten meters high. Of course, we don't understand anything at first. Then he points to the belt at the waist of the rock, that is, four meters above. The belt was more than two meters wide and one meter high, and a half-meter cotton wall stood out at the bottom.
The question becomes in everyone's mind - what is it?
This question is not until the language evolves, the following answer is heard:
The hut has a tomb inside!
We are even more amazed. Four feet above the ground, on top of that, what does a tomb do at the very back of a rock? We turn to him in terms of this question, aren’t you kidding? In response, he states that a Zoroastrian, or rather one of the priests working in the following Temple of the Sun, was buried behind a thick cotton wall, and that the hut dates back to the 5th-6th centuries BC and is called "mughi" by the locals.
So what does this phrase mean?
If we clarify this, the word is derived from the word "mug", which means "a person belonging to the Zoroastrian religion", "fire-worshiper", as well as "priest of fire-worshipers". But for now we saw not the tomb, but the laurel wall that surrounded it, and secondly, the peculiar direction of the expedition was that there was no going back without depicting the ancient artifacts. But to do so, he had to climb a cliff and climb a hill. One of the locals, realizing our purpose, finds a ladder and goes down to the village below. We can't wait any longer, so we climb the steep hill behind the rock, tie an iron end to a long rope tied to each other, and throw it over the rock with all our might. Then we tie the other end of the rope to one of the rocks in the mound and climb the rock from this end.
As we ascend the belt, we peek through the wall into the hut, wondering if there really is a grave. As our eyes descend on the tomb in the arched net, we feel that its surface is smoothly plastered with white-yellow mud, and that the cotton wall is meticulously hard. "In ancient times," said the archaeologist, sitting on the edge of the arch, gently stroking the walls of the hut, "serious attention was paid to the solidity of such hut walls." Look, no matter how much time has passed since then, it has not stopped. According to ancient sources, the mud of the hut wall was taken from the mud at the bottom of the river and cooked for several days.
We climb the wall and go down to the grave.
The surface of the tomb was as clean as if it had been plastered recently. Bahodir Mamadiev copied a little from the plaster of the tomb and added the following information: “The tomb was plastered with clay made of animal hair and cloth. We know that the clay holds the clay tightly, but it is not yet known why a cotton fiber woven fabric was added to it. This, in turn, means that textiles were widely developed in the region at that time. ”
Meanwhile, our local companion, who has returned by a long ladder, says that there is a similar bay on the east side of Siipantash, and that there are about ten of them in the area.
We enter the area where the second hut is located, a beautiful settlement surrounded by high rocks on the north and east sides. Stones such as "Davlattosh", "Kelintosh", "Filtosh" created by Mother Nature at this address do not go unnoticed, and for some time we feel like we have fallen into a mythical world. And then we walk to the second hut, the place where Mother Nature sang so skillfully. The hut was located in the middle of two long and short rocks facing each other - a small rock two meters high and a shelter of a large rock. The wall of this hut was quite high, and one side was slightly eroded. But staring into the hut, we encounter the unexpected. There was no trace of the tomb hereEveryone is amazed. When we asked the elders of the village where the grave was, an old man came out from among the spruces and gave the following assumption. "If I'm not mistaken, fifty years ago, three or four scientists, like you, were interested in the huts and circled around them, and they must have been buried in the grave." It was definitely a guess. But it was clear from the pieces of plaster scattered inside the hut that someone had joined the tomb. "The people of the village have nothing to do with this," he said. "Our people don't go to the graves, they are scared." This is clearly the work of those scientists. Because it was as if they were stamping the pictures carved on stone on paper ... ”Atakhan's words show that these works have been of interest to others as well. At the same time, we were interested in something else, why the huts are located in the heart of the rocks, not on the ground? The archaeologist's answer to this question was that the huts in the heart of the rocks belonged to the priests, not to the common people.The priests, as noted above, once functioned in the Temple of the Sun. And the burial of priests in separate huts in the heart of the rocks is a sign of high reverence and respect for them. After all, the history of this region is only now being studied by our scientists. After all, there are also artifacts - rock paintings from more ancient times, including the Late Paleolithic.
In fact, a few rocks with scratches and carvings of wild animals on the surface, as if we were there, were pouring out in front of us. Such "creative works" of the Late Paleolithic period were abundant in the mountains. When we speak of the Paleolithic period here, we cannot, of course, go beyond the past. Well-known journalist Abdulla Kholmirzaev, in his book Zarautsoy Tilsimlari (p. 9), states: the period of primitive human gangs; the period of the seed community (patriarchy and matriarchy); were in times of crisis of the primitive system. It is also accepted to divide this great period on the basis of various techniques of making objects and weapons: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The Stone Age, in turn, is an ancient Stone Age or Paleolithic that spans 12-10 thousand years BC, two million years ago, when man was first thought to have appeared on Earth; Middle Stone Age or Mesolithic, dating from 12-10 thousand years BC to 6-5 thousand years BC; New Stone Age or Neolithic from 6-2 thousand years BC to two thousand years; the Bronze Age from two millennia BC to the beginning of AD; is divided into stages, such as the Iron Age, which dates from the millennium BC to the beginning of AD..The Early Stone Age, or Paleolithic, which is considered to be the earliest and longest in human history, is also an ancient or Lower Paleolithic that spans more than 150,000 years to various stages, i.e., the present day; Middle Paleolithic 150–40–35 thousand years; The 40-35–12–10 millennia are divided into stages such as the Upper or Late Paleolithic. The Late Paleolithic is an important part of our study of Stone Age art. ” In this way, the author argues that the formation of seed in the Paleolithic period, the emergence of human figurative activity and the birth of early religious views, the worship of animate and inanimate objects and animistic imagery, rock paintings and other similar activities are the product of that period. As a proof of this idea, if you look closely at the rock paintings found in the mountains of our country, you can see the diversity in them - both spider-scratched paintings, and skillfully crafted paintings with a special sharp object. This is the case with paintings as well as with stone paintings.This means that the first human child, whose consciousness had just begun to awaken, had drawn the lines on the stone surface with ignorance, and the representatives of the next generation with great skill. However, it is important to remember that between these two situations lie not centuries, but thousands of years.
These two cases were reflected in the photos stamped on the rocks in front of us. The images on the dark rock face were vague, and on the second stone the image of more than a dozen mountain goats was skillfully carved. True, these creatures do not occur now, but they did in the past. Another stone depicts a hunter holding a more elaborate bow. But the picture on the fourth stone was damaged by some iron object. Not in vain, for most of the mountain people are indifferent to antiquity. Not that they don't know antiquity, they know it very well, but the unpleasant flaw of "skill" has left many indifferent. We don't know much about preserving the unique artifact under our noses, as if the water flowing in front of us is worthless, and we don't insist on it. Fortunately, in contrast to this evil, there are many of our compatriots who are not indifferent to antiquity, who are showing an example of diligence in this area. One of them, referring to the rock paintings, said that these paintings are rare pages of the distant past, so we need to take care of them. The "rare pages" he described were scattered across the mountains. We continue to photograph them without melting. Soon we realize that the lines on the stones are not just pictures, we begin to read the meaning behind them. For example, a painting found among the bushes depicts the sun, man, and two deer, with the grandfather sun in the center of the image, the man on the right side of the sun, and the two deer on his left. Our archaeologist, predicting that the painting was sealed in stone five thousand years ago, called it his own “Philosophy of Life” and then added that goodness was already the leading program at that time.
This expedition of ours, as usual, lasted a few days. Over the past few days, we have thoroughly explored the area where the Temple of the Sun is located and have been able to find three more huts and many rock paintings. At the end of the expedition, archaeologists recognized the enchanted area as traces of ancient civilization, describing the effort as the first attempt to read one of the undiscovered pages of a remote museum, and said they intended to continue the work. We were troubled by another thought, that in the corners of our motherland there are many traces of such unstudied or poorly studied civilizations, but the question is, are they being preserved as they please?
Let it be rubbed and cared for.
After all, these are the traces of civilization!
THROUGH THE NUROTA MOUNTAIN

Although this time the expedition included the highest peak of the southern Nurata Mountain, Parandoz, the plan did not eliminate the five adjacent peaks, namely Beshbarmak Peak and the legendary Beshbarmak Cave behind the huge pass where these peaks are located. It was also clear that we were facing unexpected mysteries along the way. So far, we have studied and photographed a plant species that many consider useless, but without which the foothills cannot be imagined. This plant is not nutritious and is not eaten by sheep or goats. But this plant retains moisture in the soil and contributes greatly to the growth of other species of plants. This plant is a fungus that gives greenery to the steppe in the warm season and turns yellow in the autumn. At this point, we could not help but acknowledge the ingenuity of Mother Nature.

As we continue on our way to the peaks along the Kattakorangiovul gorge with the equipment we need for the trip, we will take the opportunity to give you a brief overview of Mount Nurata. The mountain, which is a northwestern branch of the Turkestan ridge, is located in the Navoi, Samarkand and Jizzakh regions, bordered by the Zarafshan Basin in the south and the Kyzylkum Desert in the north, separated from the Ilonotdi mountain pass on the Sangzor River in the southeast. This mountain consists of two ridges running parallel to each other. It is composed of Paleozoic limestone, sandstone and shale, as well as metamorphic rocks. Rocky rocks are common among them. Neogene and Quaternary deposits are common in the lower and basins of the southern ridges. The highest peak is 2169 meters. It is one of the oldest mountains, the tectonic ridges have a meganticline structure and have reached their current height due to processes known in science as “distortion”.
So what does “distortion” mean?
Deformation is the process of crushing and deformation of rock layers as a result of tectonic deformations. The shape, origin and formation of a complex of folds differ from each other depending on the kinematic conditions, that is, depending on the morphological features are divided into full, long, thin, concave, ring-shaped, separate and scattered layers.The folds vary in age, which means that they appeared at different times. Simply put, the rock is initially horizontal when intact. Later, they break down and become upright. The reason for this process is two - tectonic movements and landslides and landslides. In short, nothing in this universe is insignificant, it does not happen by itself. This great fact of Mother Nature is also reflected in Mount Nurata.
We had to walk a very, very long way to the destination, even though the top of the gorge where we fell was connected to the foot of the pass where the top of Beshbarmak was erected. Mother Nature, on the other hand, adorned the valley with various bushes and plants, so that the human eye would not be blinded by the sight of the bare rocks near and far, and it was impossible not to rejoice. Someone who is fascinated by the environment and doesn’t know how far you’ve walked. Also, the area was overcrowded with various animals. In a word, life in this corner of the hunt goes on in its own way, and there was no one to interfere in the peace of the animals except us.
Once we reach the thick bush, we follow with great interest the behavior of our guide, botanist Kurbanboy Samarov, who is holding a bunch of peanuts. Because the boy had already pointed out that it was possible to determine the norm of groundwater by looking at the fruits of the bush on the way, so we waited for what he would say. Here he slowly let go of the bush branch, raised his thumb, and said the water was great this year. But no one wanted to believe in the abundance of water under the rocky ground, which was heated by the sun. "It's not difficult to find out," he said. - The abundance of the fruit and the amount of water in it tell you how much water lives in the depths of the earth. Know that the finer and drier the namatak fruit, the less water there is. Accordingly, the more abundant we are in the mountains, the more fruitful and bushy the fruit of the bush, the more our breath will go. We see mountains with our eyes, we love them with our bodies, because we are one with the mountain! ” As if to confirm this, the tall bushes and thick green grass around us were swaying with a light breeze.
Soon we come across one of the ancient rocks that is typical of Mount Nurata and is common in some parts of it and rare in others. Reconstructed from colorful rock fragments from head to toe, this fortress was located in the hollow of a tree, and as soon as you cross the corner, you immediately attracted attention. However, such ancient monuments are a common stone for most men, and not everyone is equally interested in the history of the castles.If you ask them which century it belongs to, they will be able to tell you any myths and legends that may or may not be related to this stone. By the way, in spite of the fact that the serunum lands in the middle of the Nurata Mountains are rich in dry straw, most of the forts have been restored in the hunting grounds. Not in vain, they are in some sense defensive. We watch Tashkurgan silently, and no matter how much time has passed since then, the thick stone walls with holes are still there. But it is still unknown who built the monument and when, and legends say so.
Another mystery of the mountain - no matter how close you look, it is always difficult to reach it - the closer you get, the farther you go. This condition lasts for several hours, sometimes from morning to evening. We barely made it to the pass at the foot of Beshbarmak in half a day. As we ascend the gorge to the waist of the pass, we see other saffron-colored mountain ranges lying quietly drowsy under the mist.
Soon we will see the peak of Beshbarmak.
He was standing at the top of a huge pass, five feet high.
These peaks are one of the highest points of the South Nurata Mountains, and there is a legend about them: in ancient times, the people who settled in this place completely forgot about religion and fell into the scourge of lust. They have completely forgotten the concept of honesty and have been instructed to amass wealth. From this came the fierce wrath of the Creator, and one day the mountain first shook the rocks, instantly destroyed the ugly people, and created these peaks as an open claw. The peak of the five fingers was a memory of that unpleasant day. This peak means that you do not give free rein to your nafs, you will leave this fanciful world empty-handed anyway. Because of this wisdom, this peak has a special respect among the people.
At first glance, it seems very easy to climb these peaks. But our guide did not advise it, saying it is easy to get out and very difficult to get down. The small bumps and small poplars on the surface of the peaks were really easy to climb, but not to fall. Because he doesn't notice them when he falls. Accordingly, it is better not to climb to the top without the necessary equipment. In turn, there was no need for that. Because we were more interested in the nature of this place. And what we did know was that the peaks were still full of boulders, surrounded by hot and cold winds blowing from the west, still from the east. Nevertheless, the area had a special charm, and the peaks were visible from afar in the form of five claws, which, in the words of our guide, stood as a symbol of restraint, as if to put five claws in your mouth.The members of the expedition were tired and wanted to return to the bottom of the green world. However, today's plan also includes the Beshbarmak cave behind the pass, so we refrain from doing so. The cave is not overpassed, but bypassed by its south side.
This was not easy.
We will move forward, following the wisdom that the moving mountain will pass. Sometimes we walk through the rocks, sometimes we walk along the plain full of rocks. Although the type of vegetation here was less, but resistant to heat and cold, there was an abundance of myrtle plant, which usually grows in the upper part of the mountains. They clung to the ground as if they were afraid the mountain wind would blow them away, and the surroundings were full of cracked rocks. In the words of the mountaineers, due to the effects of the heat and cold, this part of the mountain aged very early. In fact, the mountain is not old, only the surface is eroded, that is, the rocks are cracked into rocks, the rocks into rocks, and the rocks are crushed and turned into descendants. At the heart of this process was the ancient and eternal law of Mother Nature, who not only covered the mountains with green dust, but also turned the stones into dust, mixing the stone dust with dust particles to form a fertile layer.
By the way, there was another factor in this area that turned the stones into descendants, and that was the small algae that clung to the surface of the rocks. The mountaineers call these algae "tashkurti". From this, you can go on to wonder if the stones are also worm-eaten. No, rocks do not worm in both worlds - algae erode the surface of rocks like worms and form particles. These particles mix with the dust that flies from the steppe to form a peculiar soil.
This is the eternal law of Mother Nature.
Continuing downhill, we finally come across a cave, or rather a cave porch, located at the southeastern foot of a huge pass with legendary peaks in the rain. The narrow mouth of the cave was blackened with terror on the porch, as if to say that if you came closer I would swallow it. Usually, the size of the mouth of the cave does not mean anything, there is a mystery in its depths. And in order to be aware of this industry, we had to go through this loophole. We check the wording of the lamp and other necessary equipment and walk towards the black hole.During the expedition, we entered various caves and gained a lot of experience. As soon as we crossed the gorge, we immediately noticed in the light of sharp lights that this mysterious place is not just a belt, as some say, but a real cave with eternal dark corridors. In turn, we immediately realize that the entrance to the cave is warm and that in such warm places it is destined to meet various creatures, including gurzi snakes. After a while, however, we notice that the bats on the ceiling, frightened by the light of the lamp, are fluttering their wings towards the net, not towards the mouth of the cave. This, of course, meant that there was a second mouth of the cave somewhere.
Distracted by bats, we later notice that the other owners of the cave - two or three squirrels and a pair of hedgehogs - are crawling under our feet. They did not, as we expected, lean out, leaning against the corners of the cave, their eyes wide. We walk along the cave path without paying much attention to them. By the way, it should be noted that these species are not found in all caves. This is because most caves are very cool, making it cold for the animals. There are also various legends among the people that some caves were dug by hand. In fact, caves are not dug, they appear naturally.
So how do caves appear?
If we explain it in scientific language, a cave is a void formed under certain conditions by the dissolution or leaching of easily soluble rocks in water - limestone, dolomite, gypsum, including salts. Caves are also caused by tectonic faults and melting glaciers. The caves vary in size and depth, extending horizontally and vertically from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers. Each of the caves is unique and, by its very nature, requires extreme caution from man. A clear example of this is the falling of stones from the ceiling of the cave due to excessive noise. We have witnessed this ourselves several times. And accordingly, as soon as we stepped into the cave, we first focused on the ceiling. As we entered, the air in the cave was slowly cooling, but there was no trace of the ashes.The walls of the cave were colorful, and in some places there was melted rock.
The main core of the cave stretched to the west-south side, it narrowed and widened. And we continue to move forward, squeezing in narrow spaces and moving freely in wide spaces. There were many legends about this cave, there were wide underground halls, some springs. We were moving forward in the hopes of finding out how true these statements were. Unfortunately, when we reached the next narrow part of the cave, we had to stop. The stone had moved from the ceiling and the corridor was blocked. We try to clear the hallway. But before they have time to pick up a small portion of the stones, another landslide occurs. This oil was now dangerous. The stones were hiding the secrets of the underworld from us and hindering our progress.But from the vibration of the cool air we could feel that the cave was continuous, that somewhere it had another entrance. This was confirmed by the bats that were frightened by the light of the painted lamp. But where is he? After a while, we also discover that the head of the adjacent small corridors is closed. This situation is typical of almost all caves, and the length of adjacent corridors does not go much. It should also be noted that there are several hundred meters of corridors. We were not interested in big and small corridors, but in the main part of the cave. So, when it is impossible to move forward, we will go back at least three hundred meters, including colorful stone walls, closed corridors, silent sumalaks, which are not typical of the nature of this cave, small rocks shining like rubies on the stone walls, including reptiles. we leave the cave in the dark of night, capturing a large number of giant scorpions in the dark.
It was a long, long way to the landing.
We had no choice but to pitch a tent in a more convenient place. What can we say, this is the direction of the expedition - it will be full of hardships. Let's say that today we gather our strength and climb to the top, tomorrow we will restrain our will and go down into the abyss, and in the meantime we will dive into the dark caves ... Because during the expedition we feel the beauty of the country and its boundlessness. This arouses in the heart a sense of pride in one's country. This feeling gives the members of the expedition endless strength and unparalleled endurance.
We will spend the night in a tent.
In the morning we wake up to the sound of the rain beating our tent mercilessly. The air smelled of cool autumn - the smell of rain-soaked hay, grass and damp soil. The reason why today's plan envisages the Parandoz peak is that the first thing that comes to mind is whether it will be rubbed and the rain will stop. But even in the morning, the rain does not stop. We walk to the top of Parandoz under the warm rain.
The road was long, not only long, but very difficult.
Our guide, who was leading the way for a while, said that there were many snakes in the Parandoz area and at the same time they were recovering in the scorching sun. It had been more than five hours since the rain had stopped, and the sun was shining brightly. In fact, soon we begin to encounter snakes lying on the rocks, among the bushes, basking in the sun. The meson sun is so necessary for this species that they go into hibernation once they have sunk in the meson sun and do not show black until the next spring.
In the meantime, we were getting very close to the foot of the pass, where the Parandoz peak was standing.
Once we reach our destination, the first thing we do this time is set up a tent. Because when you sit next to him, you feel refreshed, you can easily do what you plan to do. And most importantly, he doesn't bother to pitch a tent on a dark night, he says, where is the chilvir, where is the pile ...
But a mountain in its own right is a mountain where you encounter unexpected sins at every turn. As we set up the tent, leaving the extra equipment in it, and headed for the top, we came across a strange spring on the way. In fact, it was strange to see leeches and small creatures resembling crabs in a pond made of spring water, not a spring. How did they come to be so high? After all, certain conditions are necessary for this. Our leader, stunned by this industry, did not go beyond saying that these must have been more than the animals brought by the migratory birds. The movement of these creatures, which could be found in the lower waters, in a high-altitude pond, remained abstract to us.In front of us stood one of the highest points of the Southern Nurata Mountain, the Almond Peak, an example of a peacock's nest, a nest of sedentary and transient birds. During the expedition, we visited and photographed hundreds of peaks, but this was the first time we had encountered such a peak, which is home to dozens of species of birds. The top of the peak was occupied by large birds such as eagles and hawks, while the bottom was occupied by birds of other species. Here, with a peculiar peace, the lower part of the rock was occupied by pheasants. Accordingly, this peak is called "Parandoz", which means "Bird's Nest". We watch dozens of species of birds closely, not believing they live peacefully in the same space. No, despite so much observation, there has been no case of birds of prey interfering with small birds. Naturally, this was a very surprising case. In fact, this rock is notable for being a bird's nest, meaning that thousands of different birds live here in peace.
We watched Parandoz Peak closely until the creature was immersed in the curtain of night, and finally we were convinced that this peak was indeed a place for settled and migratory birds. Sedentary birds are the permanent owners of this place, while migratory birds breed here during the warm season of the year and fly to warmer lands before autumn. Another important aspect of the Parandoz peak is that it is shoulder-to-shoulder with neighboring rocks, protecting the following large and small valleys from cold winds, creating the temperate climate necessary for the plant world, and covering the mountains with greenery.
The expedition will spend the night in a tent in the area of ​​Parandoz Peak and return in the morning.

BAKHSHI

He had never thought of being a bakhsh, of holding a drum in his hand one day, of telling astonishing songs and epics. Usually, baxshi means acquaintance with the word in childhood. He also starts his first exercises as a child. In the language of the Bakhshis, he strives for this art without hardening his bones.
Although Abdunazar denounced the twenty-seven-year-old, he had never held a drum in his hand, nor had he recited a national or epic poem. But he was a good listener - he did not stay away from good times. Whether it was because he grew up listening to the bakhshis, the bakhshis could appreciate his words and voice and did not spare his advice when needed. However, he never imagined that one day he would be a benefactor. In his eyes, the door to this industry seemed closed to him. It was as if he had to be born again to be blessed. Moreover, he could not imagine a highly educated engineer like himself playing the drums. Because the people of Surkhandarya do not like amateurs, they only recognize real devotees. Amateur bakhshis, on the other hand, openly laugh and say that it is necessary to practice from childhood, what is the point of this work when the bones are hardened.
He thought about it.
But over the years, sleep has been very disturbing. In his dreams he always saw a stranger sitting on a high hill, playing the drums. Lightning, a cute face ... At that moment, the square was green, and the sky was green ... The sound of the drum began to sound from afar, then from near. Where does this sound come from? As he searched, he caught sight of the stranger on the hill, and felt that the listener was alone. The bakhshi on the hill continued to click as if he did not feel it. Towards this, Abdunazar clung to the wing of the melody and aspired to the best. But no matter how hard he tried, he would not move, something was always seriously interfering. The bakhshi, who was playing the drums, sang in such a way that Abdunazar felt a line of magic, an infinite love. No matter how hard he tried, the unknown force would not allow him to move forward. Then, the melody would be added to the melody, and the lightning bolt would suddenly disappear ...
He was sweating black and waking up, staring into the darkness, deep in thought. What industry is this? Why do I have this dream?
There were no answers to their questions.
One day, heartbroken, he asks his father, Poyon Baba.
"Has it been passed down from generation to generation, father?"
Poyon Bobo falls into a long silence. He sits and thinks, lying on his side. Then he looks at his son testically, as if he sees his son now. For some reason, just saying “yes” or “no” takes a long time.
It is not a question asked by the grandfather of Poyon, but the color of his son is astonishing. He feels some kind of pain. He worries that the color has not come out, but does not rush to answer. The boy, on the other hand, doesn't wait any longer and crashes into the engine of his old car in the distance. He will have forgotten the dream he saw. But the following verses do not leave his mind.

From the blue light of the sun,

I sang at the age of twenty-seven,
My bones clap lightly,
From the shower where the guests came.
I ask everyone,
Inspired by a flying bird,
Let me tell you from the beginning,
Let me start with Alpomish.

Trying not to think about why these verses have become ingrained in his mind, he becomes a man who rubs himself, saying that now there is a living person who sings something. It is natural that he began the epic "Alpomish" with these verses in the circles after he became known as a bakhshi. , unimaginable.

The father, who was reclining on the couch, stared at his son, his black load staring at his hands and laughing inside. Not in vain, he had high hopes for Abdunazar, the only one of his sons. Because when the bakhshis visited his house, he was the son who listened to the bakhshis without leaving the threshold, even though he was still three or four years old. Poyon bobo hoped that he would get better from this death. But the father did not do as he thought - his son did not try to beat the drum, my father did not force him, like some fathers did not force him to bring a drum from the market and click. He waited for his son to speak for himself. There was no sound from the boy, and then he did not hold his hand as his father had hoped, and became an engineer. As he pondered this, the father weighed in and said, “Yes, we have had pastors. Our grandfather Abray Bakhshi was a connoisseur of more than fifty epics. This ancestor, known as "Abray Chot", was flooding people when he sang. So why did you ask that? ” Before his father's question could be answered, his mother, Ashrab, who was sitting on the sidelines, interrupted: “Your great-grandfathers passed by you, my son. They were not bakhshis, but they knew epics no less than bakhshis. Norqobil bobong used to sing "Hu-e" well. Men had such gods. When the mothers were not there, the fathers said shutib alla.Nobody knows now. " Poyon Bobo cleared his throat and said to his wife: “Yes, your father was a master of description, he described the tree he planted for an hour. I'm curious about that man's descriptions, and I'm in love with you, old woman. That's why I gave you a suitor to tell you what a father is like and what a daughter is like. ” Ashrab's grandmother became angry and said, “Is this what you said in front of your son? He is not ashamed to grow a white beard! ”
Abdunazar, on the other hand, ignores their kind of humor. He thinks of the bakhshi he saw in his dream. It can't be said. For some reason he doesn't want to say. One day, the dream seems to find its own solution. The car continues to stall the engine. In the meantime, his father's words came to his ears: “I had high hopes for this old woman. He did not hold a drum in his hand, nor did he run. Not to mention wrestling. After all, neither of us have passed from our ancestors to any wrestlers or wrestlers. And he is as tall as a poplar ... ”The mother protested seriously:“ My son's reputation is no less than that of any young man! There are no knocking on the door every day. What more do you need! ” Abdunazar smiles sadly at this. The following verses begin to ring in his mind:

Let me hold my word,

Let me put my love in the circle,
Let me rejoice,
Please the people,
Say, sitting sages,
Which friend should I start with ...

* * *

Abdunazar's reputation was great! The party of friends would not have passed without him. He didn't squirm in circles, he didn't squirm like some people do. But with the slightest touch of alcohol in his mouth, the sound of a familiar drum rang under his ear. He was awake, looking around, looking for a man holding a drum. But no one is holding a drum, so where did this sound come from? He pushes his partner next to him.
"Did you hear?"
- What?
- Kuyni.
"What tune?"
"It just rang out."
"I hear nothing but the sound of glasses."
"Every time I drink a little, it's as if someone is tapping a drum under my ear." Nobody likes this drink ... Should I quit drinking? Oh, if you don't, if you don't drink, what are you doing living in this world! After all, they say to chew meat when you have teeth, and to swallow while lifting! Don’t you live happily ever after!
"I'm not a horse, squeal!" I’m not an animal, just thinking of eating and drinking! That is to say ... I always want to be a river, a raging river, not a lake that embraces what is flowing!
"Become a poet."
Then the drum sounds in his ear again. It sounds as if it warns of something. Get up, stop getting drunk, says some inner voice. He obeys this inner voice and speaks involuntarily like a bakhshis:

You will be an example

You're smart enough ...

They were cheerful young men, shouting and kicking the strings that were lined up inside them.

"That's good."
"Give him a drum!"
"Let's hear it from Alpmish!"
He ignores his friends ’ridiculous laughter, listens to his heart, and tries to understand himself. Rejects the passed glass. The stubbornness, which is not present in the verb, kicks the floor, knocks the skirt up, surprises everyone, and leaves the door. The sound of drums fills his mind along the way.

* * *

One day he crosses the steppe. He sat for a long time, staring at the horizon. His heart longed for something. But he didn't know what it was. The horizon was mysterious, boundless and boundless. He wanted to think. That's when the gentle breeze brings the sound of drums from somewhere. At first he thinks it is sounding in my mind as usual. But this time the sound of the drum faded and did not cease. Again, it began to escalate. The melody followed the sand dune on the left, sometimes getting stronger and sometimes getting weaker. He got up and headed for the hill. His feet sank into the soft sand, making it difficult to walk. He paused and listened to the music. He wondered if it was in my mind again. The sound of the drums didn't stop.
As he climbed the hill, he saw a meadow in a saxophone sandy valley. He saw a herd near the grass. Forward. He saw a herd of shepherds perched on the grass, and among them a horseman named Khushvaqt. The word drum was playing like a nightingale in his hand. He didn't like the Blessed Sacrament much. Because he was a stubborn, kind-hearted man. He was a friend who knew the right word and an enemy who knew the wrong thing. Accordingly, his tongue was very bitter. He did not embrace everyone, but he played the drums, burned the epics, in the words of the bakhshis, his house.
Abdunazar, who followed the tune, was noticed by someone and not by anyone. Khushvaqt Bakhshi was singing "Alpomish". Closing his eyes, he was still singing this fluttering side-by-side. This time Khushvaqt Bakhshi looked into his eyes. He stared at Bakhshi in admiration. In fact, the two of them worked in the same place, and when they saw each other, they did not go beyond greetings. On top of that, he listened to his bakhshi a lot in rounds, but today was different. As he listened to the bakhshi, he wanted to see the drum in his hand. He stood staring at the drum in the bakhshi's hand, as if he did not want to believe that a mysterious and magical melody, which sometimes aroused in his heart and filled it with silence, was coming from this piece of wood. But it’s awkward to ask a bakhshi for a word - a sour sentence can blacken your heart.
Abdunazar was in a trance, not noticing that the sound of the drum had ceased, and was very surprised to see the word suddenly conveyed to him. And in turn, he could not help but notice a strange warmth on the bakhshi's face. And he spake, saying,
"Abdunazar, let's hear from you."
"I don't know how to click or say," said Abdunazar hurriedly.
"No, you know the click!" Said Khushvaqt Bakhshi in a firm tone this time. "When did I realize you had blood in your veins?" But I didn’t tell you that. If you try a little, not a lot, the hidden talent in you will immediately surface. You just have to stop drinking for that. You don't like to drink, that's why your complexion turns yellow and dull. Take the word in your hand, and suddenly you pull lightly.
"I've cursed thirty, by the way," said Abdunazar, shrugging his shoulders thoughtfully. "What good can it do me?"
"I have dozens of students," said Khushvaqt Bakhshi. - But in the future only one or two of them can be successful. The reason is that this profession is not for everyone. Forgiveness is a lifelong pain and suffering, joy and happiness, hard work and suffering. Not everyone can stand the hard work of this. Take the word! Chert!
"How will it be?"
- It will happen! "The yellow of the happy bakhshi is boiling." "Andisha and her house, take it!"
Abdunazar allanechuk trembled and took the word in his hand. His fingers involuntarily began to crawl over the strings. The first unaccompanied tone sounded slow. He gasped, as if he had now found what he was looking for, and kept clicking. Unfortunately, one of those sitting in the circle saw many of these happy moments: “Return the word to the giver! Go where you came from! ” It was then that Abdunazar felt the power of the word. Oh, it is possible to take a person to heaven with words, to destroy him with words! Just as he understood his father's peculiar attitude in a second, so he knew why the great wrestlers of the country always thought and spoke with Andisha. He realized that silence requires strength and power. And he found that power in himself. He passed the word in his hand to the owner without saying a word to the one who shook it. The happy bakhshi liked his silence and at first caressed him with a melody. Then the team said, and the ball mixed someone in the mud, urging him to be polite and thoughtful. Then he moved on to a friend. This time, however, he began to sing not one of the familiar epics, but one of the old epics that had once been sung and then forgotten and now preserved in the memory of a few. After a pause, he said in a full voice of sorrow: “There are many epics in El, but most of our present poets are not doing anything to restore the lost epics. A few epics he knows, that's enough. Not Bakhshi, as a performer, they say what they know at weddings and gatherings, they are never sought after. If you have a promise one day, try to be a real benefactor, not just a performer! ” Abdunazar was thinking, “I wonder what this is like for a young man like me who has never held a drum in his hand. Why is this man so hopeful that I will be a benefactor? Or does he just not pay attention when you tell him something to do? ” In the same way, Khushvaqt Bakhshi said again: “My God, you have been blessed with Bakhshi! Hadaha learned to click! I can't walk. You know a good wrestler, you can play the drums, but you can't tell. He wants to say, but he can't. Because my god didn't vote for him. "
Abdunazar Sayqal, a master wrestler, knew that there was a great desire in the heart of a drummer. The sculptor always regretted that he could not sing like a bakhshi. He said that his heart was pounding with the sound of words and the creation of new drums. He was well aware of the courage and suppleness of the Saikal wrestler. But he had never argued with her about the word. Because Sayqal hated wrestling. It was like a river. He loved to live, squealing, squealing, and screaming. The appearance and demeanor of this man, who in his time competed in bearmons and rode horses in the fields of Kupkari, made one want to live, to enjoy life, to be alive. I wonder, when there are people like that here, why does he strive for a circle of glassware? A baby walking around with a bunch of expensive junk? If the people who are worthwhile are left aside and eat only those who live with today, then all the flaws are in themselves. The real reason why he sees the bakhshi in his dream, even though he is moving towards it, is that he is unable to move, that is, because of his propensity for vices. After listening to him, Bakhshi said in a thoughtful tone: “When I was young, I used to have the same dreams. But these days my heart is troubled again. It is as if someone inside me says that a young man has come down from the mountain and that nature has given him words and a voice. Are you from Boysun's Hamko? I haven't had much of a curiosity yet. I mean, didn't my god deliberately scatter your food this way, huh? Didn't destiny itself send you to these places so that you could become a disciple of happiness and learn from the Bakhshi on Wednesday? Because I always see bakhshi in your face ... Abdunazar mutters: "I am twenty-seven years old, I wonder if my hand is numb, bakhshi." "If God is infected, a person can be a benefactor at the age of sixty or seventy!" Fall in love with the word like a polished wrestler! Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like BT aint for me either. I feel that he will give you a drum in the desert, at home, or at a gathering. ” Abdunazar had many questions to ask. But the chars of Khushvaqt Bakhshi did not speak much. That day he left the young man alone in the sandy steppe and went on his way. Abdunazar, who was left alone among the rare saxophones, then wondered in one case: why did he come to the steppe? What drew him here? But in this world of life, it has always been difficult to find an answer to every question. You can only feel it. Abdunazar tried to analyze this on his own. However, he did not have time to analyze. The following verses began to flow involuntarily:
Soum-sum gold, sum gold,
Do not immerse the salsa in water.
God-given state,
Don't go for less that your full potential.
Per bed,
Don't let the horse run,
Let the sheep rest,
Let Carson have a tail ...

These were the verses of the epic that had just been recited by the Blessed One. Abdunazar had memorized it as soon as he heard it. He was very surprised by this. He picked up the straw from the ground. He held it in place of the drum and said. In a voice like Bakhshi's, he said with a flurry of excitement and excitement. He said with a sigh of relief. He said he saw the saxophones around him, the low-lying sand dunes in the place of the fans. The example of the sculptor came like a well.

Playing the horse, he filled his face with light and said:
"I gave you a drum, and I brought it, by the way!"
This time Abdunazar did not say, "Bakhshi." Why did he say that? Which one does he give? But Sayqal did not allow the wrestler to be questioned. He galloped off. He said he was in a hurry. It came and went. Stunned, he grabbed the drum in Abdunazar's hand.
The drum was new. Fingers did not move along the curtains. Abdunazar involuntarily looked to the side. When he saw no blackness, he sank into the ditch, watched the word in his hand, then pressed it to his lap, and, ashamed of what he had done, quickly shuddered again. Saikal was not embarrassed by the word "bakhshi" from the wrestler's tongue. He clicked slowly first, then clicked the bar. The tones merged, and something called a melody appeared. This surprised him as well. And forgetting existence, I became obsessed with words. He sang a tune over a tune, a tune over his face. His fingers didn't just hurt, they were stained red with blood. He didn't notice it. He continued to click. Then he started singing.
At first Khushvaqt said from the bakhshi.

Dod means Boy,

He wants a cure for the pain.
Eye contact,
She cries a lot.
There are birds called squirrels,
Invisible cliff.
He suffers from salinity,
The pain increased.
It's something stupid,
Sales fell.
I don't know what I'm doing,
To Boysaribek.

She told the epic from the husband she encountered. He said to test himself. He said that he felt that he was giving seeds to an open voice, that he was not paying much attention to the inner voice. He said feeling that he knew that hard work was ahead of him. He did not like what he said and cried. Then he said to himself:

Tears welled up in his eyes,

The waist is bent like a bow.
The color is dirty,
The willow is bent like a twig.
Grief has fallen from calamity,
The throne is deprived of happiness,
The falcon's wing is turned,
Asked about the stranger,
Are you my grandfather ...
Abdunazar recited the epic "Alpomish", which is loved and sung by all bakhshis. But he said it with his metaphors. Tasbeehs are one of the important signs in baxshi. If the teacher had one of the bakhshis with him at that time, he would have applauded Abdunazar for being able to demonstrate the peculiarities of bakhshi on the first try. But there was no one on the floor. So the more he sang, the more dissatisfied he became - his voice sounded faulty, his melody meaningless. He knew that what he knew was not that of the great Abdunazar, but that of the boy who had once listened to the bakhshis with all his heart, without leaving the door. The memory of the boy Abdunazar was very strong - it was firmly entrenched in the memory of the epics sung by the bakhshis. But the elder Abdunazar did not want to admit it. Because at that moment, the great Abdunazar needed a little praise and attention. Unfortunately ... That day his spirit broke and he didn't want to look back at his drum. Because he was not satisfied with himself ...

* * *

The sculptor was a very clever man.
One day he came to Abdunazar's house. He glanced down at the drum hanging from the nail. Dust settled on the drum. It is unknown at first glance. But Saikal Polvon was sharp and smart. He quickly picked up the dust in the mud, the dust in Abdunazar's soul. He picked up the drum in the mix and dusted it with a bar. He then handed it to Abdunazar, who was sitting in a coma.
"Call, good!"
Abdunazar looked at the ground as if he had not heard it. But Sayqal Polvon is not one of those people, he can guide any person by looking like a wolf. Abdunazar did not know that he had taken the word. That day he went down to play the melody he had created in the desert. From time to time Saikal wrestler inspired him. Eventually, he lost his sense of worth and became inspired. Just like the master bakhshis, he squeaked and squeaked and squeaked.
"I've never heard that song before," said Saikal. "Did they create it themselves?" But very friendly. You just click a little faster. Weight loss ...
"Does it sound like a tune?"
"It looks like that!"
"Praise."
"You know, I hate false praise!" The wrestler's eyebrows twitched. "That's the way it is now." Why did you think that man had thrown a drum at me? Is that so? That is to say, one day I met Khushvaqt in the sand. He said in a dream that he had given Abdunazar a drum. I said, give it to your right. This generous people have always been stingy. When I look, he is chewing gum. I left the drum I got from Hussein's grandfather to you so that you wouldn't have to die. The wrestlers will be a little more arrogant, - said Abdunazar jokingly. "Is there another reason?"
- Wrestlers are not loafers, they are critics! Said Sayqal in a serious tone. - I felt that the spirit of the bakhshi lived in the heart of the young horseman Abdunazar, whom I knew before. At first I waited, you didn’t want to show your blackness. I brought the soggy drum myself. After all, there are those who are good at the age of fifty. From the age of ten, there are those who hold a word in their hands and do not goram. Please tell, whats the story of them big puppys .....
"My voice is muffled ..."
"When was Bakhshi's voice open?" The sculptor took the word in his hand, tapped it, and said, "I hung an oven in the house." I put salt in the mouth of a lamb and put it in the oven. Come on, let's go to ours. We swallow the tandoor kebab, tap the drum and sing. We don’t put anyone out the door, we sing and break ourselves.
The master wrestler was not only a drummer, but also a flower cook. He caught Abdunazar's heart with the meat cooked in the oven that day. He played the drum and tried to sing his own epic. Unspeakably, he was deliberately annoyed by Abdunazar. It was then that he did not know that Saikal had snatched the drum from the wrestler's hand. Then he sang, sang long. The boy Abdunazar, who listened to the bakhshis with all his heart, sang what the elder Abdunazar knew, just like the bakhshis. He sang, Saikal praised the wrestler. He broke down, and Saikal Polvon "cried." Then he threw a blanket over his shoulder and applauded. The word immediately spread throughout the district. He is now Abdunazar Bakhshi.
He was proud of it. Being proud, he did not notice how much burden he had carried on his shoulders. Then he realized, but now he was much more advanced - he was beginning to say in large and small circles. But he had less to say, and his fans were starting to demand more. Now their demand could not be satisfied with the epics known to the boy Abdunazar. Elder Abdunazar had to know more epics. That's when Khushvaqt came to the rescue. You are a student, I am a teacher, he said. He wholeheartedly agreed. After all, he could no longer move forward without the help of teachers. The wrestler had already warned about this.

* * *

One day he had another dream. In his dream he saw that bakhshi on the hill. As always, as the tone called to him again, this time he felt the weight on his legs drop considerably, even taking a few steps up the hill. But from it he did not pass to the fat. Bakhshi is up, and he is down, he woke up in pain ... In front of him, Khushvaqt Bakhshi first cursed and then burned.
"You're relying on a few tunes!" Go and hold on to Saikal's skirt!
The sculptor greeted him at the door with the same smile.
"Come on, do you need a tune?"
Abdunazar Bakhshi was stunned.
"How did you know that?"
"We wrestlers are so knowledgeable," said Saikal. "The bakhshis, who come to my door only when they need to, come not to miss me, but to sing." We have the name "Bakhshi composer".
"Yes, we're in trouble."
"It's been a long time ..."
"When he's a teacher, he bites."
"Hey, there's going to be a tune," said the wrestler, as he led him inside. It is the mine of epics. On the Kashkadarya side there is another great bakhshi named Qodir Rahim ogli. Don't be lazy to go ahead. These are three great rivers. Enjoy all three. It was a word I learned from arguing with them, creating a melody for the bakhshis. But God forbid, I went out into the sand for three weeks and roared as clean as a dragon! I just tried to tune my voice! The bar was canceled. Hey, do you need a friend or a team?
"Both ..."
- I have created a lot of melodies ...
- Chaling.
"Well, the dry mouth didn't like the melody," said Saikal, smiling again. "Let me tell the old woman to put some meat in the pot." If the meat is not boiling in the pot, inspiration is not a cure.
The sculptor shouts at the courtyard net. His voice was sharp, enviably sharp. Look at this, this sharp voice was not suitable for singing an epic, it did not shine, it did not change ... Abdunazar Bakhshi must have felt his harmony. He wants to comfort her on his own. But Sayqal doesn't force the wrestler to console, he sings an excerpt from "Alpomish" in an open voice. Then he starts playing the tunes he created. In the meantime, the pot throws the corner of the eye to the side of the boiling furnace. He has a great demeanor, he doesn't send a black man through the door without a guest. A man other than him would have demanded a sheep for a tune. After all, there are very few people in the world who are enslaved to their desires ... But a polished wrestler does not do that, he gives the melody to the person who asks, and if not, he creates. It satisfies the stomach of the meat and makes it soft. There is a saying: "Let there be more bakhshi in the hand!" He loved the humility of Abdunazar Bakhshi and his ability to sing quickly. Later, he adopted the best melodies for him and did not hesitate to emphasize the following: “Well, in addition to singing all the epics, consider creating new epics. However, the melodies created by Sayqal do not go to these epics. If the epic came out of you, let the melody come out of your heart. So learn to create music ... ”
That day, until the bowl was full of meat, Saikal Polvon sang one song after another. Abdunazar Bakhshi made them fall into an industry while listening to them like a flood. The melody of the steppe, the sound of horses' hooves, the shouts of wrestlers. They had no mourning, only a wild cry. There was a tone that encouraged living and creating. They had Saikal wrestler himself and his identity.
Abdunazar Bakhshi chose one of the melodies and recited the following lines of the epic to that melody:

Black fog that does not block the road,

An enemy I cannot face,
I promise to leave,
Evil cannot come to me,
If they swear, I won't let them live,
Loneliness is very bad,
I intend to leave today,
Don't take me back, father,
I'm coming, I'm fine ...

The wrestler was very happy and a little sad.

He did not hide his burning:
- Why do you notice the melodies I have created for days and weeks at a click? When it dries, shake it a little, strain it a little, without making a sound. What's more, like Grandpa Hussein's tape recorder, you can immediately nail it to what you hear.
"After a teacher like you is sitting next to me, I'm scared."
"Is that so?"
"Is it easy to stand next to a drummer?"
"Don't call me a drummer. We're known as wrestlers and riders." It is better to hold one of these two. The drummer is Khushvaqt, Chorshanbi and Qadir. When they speak, the dead are resurrected. I'm the kind of person who can't bear to be a drummer! Squeezing the drum's belly, I couldn't help but go hunting.
"A wrestler doesn't deserve humility ..."
"Pride is not good either ..."
In the middle of the speech, Umir Bakhshi remembered his son Safar, described his incomparable generosity and praised the beautiful melodies. On that day, Abdunazar Bakhshi Saikal stayed at the wrestler's house until dawn. The man who went for an hour recited the epic until dawn. The spacious hotel was crowded. He didn't know what fatigue was. In the morning he saw the same bakhsh in his dream. Bakhshi gave him a tune. He jumped up and clung to the drum. He returned the melody he had heard in his dream. Hearing the tune, Sayqal wrestler stood in awe.
"That's great!" He said later. "It's not the sound of the world, it's different!" Mysterious and magical! Make it a friend as soon as possible!
"Which story should I tell?"
- Ask it from your heart. Abdunazar Bakhshi thought for a moment. He closed his eyes and clicked the word dreamily. Then he began to boil like a spring: God forbid, he went on a dangerous path, may he return to my happiness! He told his son not to go alone, but to take a couple with him, so Alpomish said, “Father! May the Lord, the One and Only, protect you. I will go alone and bring back the healthy Barchin half of the Kalmyk Alps, bleeding, biting the ground, showing my violence. I don't need a satellite. I repel the balloon from Kalmykia. If he vows, I will give him back all of them. Don't worry, don't worry, ”he said as he set off, climbing over the rocks.

Rejoicing in his horse,

To the zeal of the flood force,
To the land of intention,
To the descendants of Boysariday,
Boychibor shaking his head,
He jumped to the top of the hill.
Sometimes rising to the sky,
It flies like a bird,
Shaking and sliding,
The lands rise.

As Abdunazar Bakhshi began to sing again in the new wave of melody, the verse was joined to the melody, the melody to the melody, and said for a long time. The spacious hotel was full of people again. The polished wrestler slowly slipped out. He took a lamb from the flock, slaughtered it, and hung it in the oven. Abdunazar Bakhshi was still singing without knowing it. He knew that the day was over when a young man appeared at the door carrying a bowl full of meat.

"What is this?" - he was surprised.
"It's a tandoor," said Saikal. - There is no leaving without an oven.
"No, I mean the day," said Bakhshi. "I came to a place and stayed the night." It's a shame ...
"There's no shame," said the Saikal wrestler seriously. - Bakhshi's destiny is that today at home, tomorrow at the wedding, and now at another meeting, you can walk around with this oil. If you don't like this lifestyle, hang the drum on the nail now, okay.
"Well, I didn't cut ..."
Tandoor kebab was not just a dish, it was a treat. Bakhshi knew this well. He followed the procedure. After the meal, the fans said, "Tell me a story, told me a story, told me a story, told me a story," and as a result, the boy became convinced that he had inherited a good "legacy" from Abdunazar. He was no longer the listener Abdunazar, but the singer Abdunazar.
That day, Saikal became a lifelong lover of wrestling and returned home in the evening. His wife, Aisha, heard something from her aunt. His wife went to his wife, accusing him of being naughty. She did not realize that a great change had taken place in her husband's psyche, that she had stepped completely to the frontier of benevolence. Bakhshi Aisha took the word in her hand in response to Bibi's interrogation. The sculptor began to play one of his favorite tunes. Hearing the music, the people walking in the yard entered. And those who passed by stood up. A miracle happened in front of Aisha Bibi's eyes - her poor husband, whom she knew, was singing in an impressive tone. Aisha knew that her husband was playing the drums, but she did not know that she would sing. Because Abdunazar Bakhshi was not at home, he was always in the fields. In the heat of the day, the hunting ground is not thick, on one side is a wide steppe, on the other side is a sandy beach - even if you practice for a month, no one will notice. On the same day, Abdunazar Bakhshi came to his wife and shed tears. Oybarchin said with a sigh, Swallow said with a sigh. As a result, Aisha Bibi found out that her husband had become an engineer ...

* * *

As he sang, for some reason Rakhmatillaev ran away on Wednesday. Black, Chori, and Khushvaqt sang without hesitation in circles. But Wednesday was not the time for the bakhshi, who was always reluctant to sing in front of him. Otherwise, what he called Chorshanbi Bakhshi was as majestic as Saykal Polvon, not as sarcastic as Khushvaqt Bakhshi. But there was no equal in Surkhandarya. The number of epics he knew exceeded seventy, and his ensembles were innumerable. He clicked the word very nicely. He didn't blame her, he just laughed. He was frightened by this laughter of the Wednesday bakhshi, for he considered himself a bakhshi who knew little epic.
The long-awaited meeting of Abdunazar Bakhshi happened by chance. He was singing at a gathering. He closed his eyes and sang, influenced by the events and happenings in the epic. He dropped Alpomish into the pit and "broke" his stomach. That's when he noticed that his throat was dry. He paused for a moment, wanted to drink two or three sips of tea, and when he reached for the cup, he saw Wednesday Bakhshi sitting on the edge of the circle. As the candle froze, Wednesday waited for the bakhshi's sarcastic smile. No, Wednesday didn't make Bakhshi smile. "Tell me," he said. He continued to say. The next Wednesday he visited Bakhshi's house. There was gurung on the food, but Wednesday bakhshi neither recited epics nor picked up the drum. He also neither praised nor criticized him. As he was leaving, he said, “I like your metaphors. That's it ... you find time to go to Kashkadarya. In Dehkanabad there is a bakhshi named Qadir. If you listened to him and then came to me, we would talk ... ”
At that time, Abdunazar Bakhshi had memorized a number of epics, and although he looked sipo on the outside, he felt great Bakhshi on the inside. The slave who drank the raw milk had his own flaws. Although Chorshanbi Bakhshi's proposal was not very popular, he decided to go to Qadir Bakhshi: “Chorshanbi Bakhshi did not say that in vain, so there is something here. Let's go and see what the Almighty is capable of! ”
Here Abdunazar was a little petty, revealing his intentions to Sayqal Polvon. Haytovur, mud-soaked people do not pay much attention to such details. Noticing the ugliness of the bakhshi, he said that it would be typical of wrestlers: “The man of the powerful bakhshis! Whenever you say, we’ll be on our way right away. If you say so now. ” Abdunazar, looking at the setting sun, usually nodded and said vaguely, "We will spend an early day." The wrestler became angry: "Tomorrow, let's go!" Abdunazar Bakhshi had no choice but to agree, and in it he insulted the wrestler Sayqal as "Sayqal tentak". The sculptor was not a fool, he was brave, he was always ready for anything for his friends. Throwing his cloak over his shoulder, he led Abdunazar towards Dehkanabad.

* * *

Before reaching Dehkanabad, they encountered a "river" at night. The river was so flooded that they could not cross it without stopping. This "river" was first felt by Sayqal Polvon. From the car window, they stared into the dark night sky, picked up the light in front of them, and aimed it at a large wedding party on the side of the road. Abdunazar was a bakhsh, but he had never encountered such a voice before. It was not the voice of a human being, but the roar of a mighty river. The wrestler involuntarily shouted: "The Almighty is singing!"
The wedding was crowded. In the melodious voice of the bakhshi who sits like a harem in the net. His forehead was sweating and he was singing with such pleasure that Abdunazar Bakhshi became famous. He thought that he was a bakhshi, that he was a bakhshi, and he was very ashamed that he considered himself a great bakhshi. The drum in his hand felt heavy. The sculptor took the word from his hand as if he felt it. Bakhshi started towards. They went and sank to the place vacated in honor of the guest. The food arrived on the tray. Abdunazar did not look at the bakhshi's food, he was as stiff as a frog as he fell in love with the singing bakhshi. The so-called Almighty Bakhshi used to pick up the word like a bead and sing the word like a nightingale. The sculptor was a very cheerful man by nature, shouting at every turn. He listened to Bakhshi swaying and clapping his hands on his knees. The rest was the same - Almighty Bakhshi enchanted everyone ... Suddenly the sound of the drum stopped, and the momentary silence was broken by the voice of Kadir Bakhshi.
"Now, folks, let's hear from the guest."
Abdunazar Bakhshi felt some kindness towards himself in this speech. The face, eyes, and whole body of the Almighty Bakhshi were radiant with warmth. He looked at the man with confidence, as if he were a thousand-year-old darling. But Abdunazar did not say bakhshi, could not say. When the great bakhshi was drowsy and his throat was dry, Kadir bakhshi himself came in and sang to the guests to look at the tea. Then back it didn't bother him. Abdunazar Kadir acknowledged the wisdom of the bakhshi and loved him dearly. Sayqal said slowly to the wrestler:
"It's a river!" In front of this man we are a gushing stream! Kadir was once as thin as you, - said Sayqal, a wrestler who likes to tell the truth. "Then there was the river, then the river." If you work patiently, you will be a river too. Sogin Malik Murad and Abduolim Ergashev have been questioning you about the fact that a great bakhshi came from Surkhandarya. As you acknowledge the Almighty, so will you.
That night the people listened and the Almighty did not tire of singing.
When he had finished speaking, he put his hand in his pocket and said:
"Say, I see a great look on the face of the young man on your floor." You know, we are bakhshis, we are true when it comes to words, if you insist on leaving, we are as vindictive as a building. Stay today, let me hear the voice and voice of this young man, and give you an oven as an excuse. I used to take care of a lamb for my brother Abduolim, look, it happened to you ...
After that, Almighty Bakhshi came and Saikal embraced the wrestler.
It was early in the morning, and the people did not want to let go.
The native land of the Almighty was as wide as a hill, and it was connected to the mountains on all sides. The sculptor was busy hanging the fat lamb in the oven. Abdunazar smiled from the right side of Qadir Bakhshi. Qadir Bakhshi told from Gorogly. Then suddenly he handed him the drum and told him to continue where he came from. Abdunazar knew this epic and recited it without hesitation. The Almighty listened to him dryly, lying on his side, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Then he looked out of the window at the courtyard and said:
"Saikal, fill your house with wheat Saikal!" You're a real spit fire! It's innate! What are you doing looking for me when you have such a gift in your hand? Honestly, did you miss me, my word?
In response, Sayqal Polvon said:
"That's why I came to see you." He said that it is impossible not to see the Almighty. You don’t praise it, you say it’s flawed.
"If Bakhshi is born, he will correct his shortcomings along the way." As smart as it was, he took what he would get from me yesterday and today. He didn’t say teach it — teach it, just listen. They learn by listening. Look, as he picks up the word, clicks the word knowingly.
That day the word drum passed from hand to hand. The bakhshis forgot day and night, recited epics, and tried to dull each other with the terms.

* * *

Wednesday Bakhshi's first question was, "Well, how is the Almighty?" Abdunazar Bakhshi was about to speak. But his strength was only in the word "excellent." That word was enough for Wednesday's bakhshi, and he said, "Look, you have heard the three 'excellents' that the people have acknowledged." Happy, Almighty and I ... The three of us are three different. In fact, this is where our violence lies, in the uniqueness of our voice and style. Now, don't imitate us, just be yourself. You imitated Khushvaqt first, then me. If I don’t keep quiet, you want to sing like Almighty. No, you be Abdunazar Bakhshi. Admit to the Almighty, Bow to the Blessed One, to me ... So be yourself! You’re on a big road. Now don't bother looking for a teacher, El will be a great teacher for you ... ”Abdunazar Bakhshi was stunned:“ What kind of teacher can El be? ” On Wednesday, Bakhshi laughed and said, "El is watching you for now, and soon he will start demanding you."
Soon he was right. At a wedding, he received a request from a friend he did not know. Abdunazar was sweating profusely. Like some bakhshis, he said he didn’t know how to order. He returned home and searched for that epic. But he was not in the epic book, but in the memory of Wednesday Bakhshi, and in two days he fell asleep and studied the epic. But at another meeting, another unknown friend was in demand. It was then that Abdunazar learned that there were many epics in Bakhshi's hand. He ran to his teacher and began to study the epic. The number of epics he knew increased. El was limited to these epics for now, leaving him alone for a while. However, this situation was temporary, and soon the demands began to fall again. The old men, in particular, were very troubled - they longed for the epics they had once heard. However, some of the epics they narrated were unknown even to their teachers. Eventually, he begged the old man, "Tell me the story, leave this oil to me."
You see, a fan is not only a listener, but also a person who remembers the whole story. He did not revive a few friends based on the stories told by his fans. All his movements were quietly watched by his teachers. He did not praise, he did not applaud. Khushvaqt Bakhshi said: "Bakhshi is not lust, it is work!" Chorshanbi Bakhshi said: "A strict teacher, only a Bakhshi who endures his demands can be a real Bakhshi ..." Qadir Bakhshi said: "Bakhshi's bread is hard, not everyone can eat it." Sayqal Polvon said, "Bakhshi's work is a thousand times heavier than the work of a farmer who cultivates hectares of land." It was as if these words were happening in a dream, and Abdunazar Bakhshi did not realize that he had gone through a period of one-on-one, one-on-one, creative, and suffering from criticism. There were many epics in Bisoti, and what he did not know was a thousand times more abundant. He knew that the lives of dozens of bakhshis were not enough to fully master the existing epics. Even the best bakhshi doesn't know more than seventy or eighty epics, but that's a huge achievement in itself. Still, for some reason he was not satisfied. Why?

* * *

Years passed before this problem was solved. Now he was a well-known and recognized bakhshi. In addition to his creative victories, he had already suffered several losses. At first, he lost his teacher, Qadir Bakhshi. Then his first fan father Poyon Bobo passed away. He was grateful for his son. Malik Muradov, one of the leading scholars, did not have time to finish his treatise on his work. On Wednesday, Bakhshi set out for the fan world with dozens of epics he wanted to teach.
These separations had a profound effect on Abdunazar Bakhshi, who, after each loss, made a habit of going out into the sand, pressing his hand to his mouth. Remembering the past, the teams resented. These were such terms that, unspeakably popular, were performed only once and then became the soul property of the bakhshi. It was the mourner's lament.
It was as if he had found the answer to a problem that was tormenting him as he looked at the way of life of the past. Here, Almighty Bakhshi devoted his life to epics and created some wonderful epics himself. Malik Murodov was seriously engaged in baxshi and contributed to its prosperity. Wednesday Bakhshi, in addition to epics, revived ancient songs. So what did Abdunazar the horseman do? True, he has been singing traditional epics among the people. In this regard, other benefactors are not far behind. He didn’t realize that he wanted something creative - other than performance. An old man with a black face recalled: “There were many heroes in this country who called themselves my people and my country. Why don't they sing about them? ” It meant what he wanted, and he began to take an interest in the fate and life of the mardu fields he had lived in the recent past. Soon he heard that a great warrior named Tursun, a sniper, had passed by Boysun during a period of severe repression. When Tursun asked the old man about the sniper, he was very surprised and decided to make this man a saga. As a result of a number of researches, he created a beautiful epic called "Tursun sniper and Ramadan chabagon". This book was quickly published as a book. It was the bakhshi’s first epic and first book. Bakhshi sang it with his hands clasped. Tursun described the sniper and called people to courage and honesty. On one of these days, Davrkul got acquainted with information about a wrestler who lived in the past. While studying the life and destiny of this wrestler, he felt that there were many boys in the country who lived as if they were glue, but today's generation hardly knows them. He wonders why the bakhshis do not say a word about the heroes of the hand who lived in the recent past, because they do not seek, do not seek, do not appreciate the water that flows before them. After all, a bakhshi should not only sing traditional epics, but also study the past and destiny of the people, select and include in the epic the heroes who lived an exemplary life and fought for the people? After that, he began to create an epic called "Davrkul" and quickly brought it to the attention of his fans. In turn, he did not forget the greatness of the role of traditional epics in baxshi. The more epics Bakhshi knows, the more skillfully he can sing it, the more famous he becomes. He has won numerous auditions thanks to traditional epics. He traveled to Turkey, Belgium, France, Switzerland, sang Uzbek epics and amazed foreigners.
Although he was a traveling teacher, his creative pursuits were always in the eyes of his teachers. Khushvaqt Bakhshi always paid attention to his words, and Saykal Polvon Kulmonov always paid attention to his melodies and did not spare his help when necessary. Abdunazar, like some bakhshis, did not shy away from his achievements, preferring humility by following the advice of his teachers. But then he became an "orphan" in the music department. His master of drumming, Sayqal Polvon, left this bright world. There were a few dozen tunes left from this man, sweet memories. But not a single dream of this master came true. The famous wrestler sometimes said: "After you receive the title of" People's Bakhshi of Uzbekistan ", I will not die." It should be noted that shortly after Abdunazar Bakhshi was awarded the title of "People's Bakhshi of Uzbekistan", Sayqal Polvon died. After this loss, Bakhshi did not fit into this world. He hugged Sozi and went out into the sand. He created a lament for his master. As usual, he didn’t tell anyone his lament, he didn’t put it down on paper. He didn't say, he said, he said to the saxophones in the sand, he said to the clouds in the sky. Then the liver stared at the horizon, and Saikal sang his favorite song, "My father's steppes," with a long click, and with tears in his eyes. That night he saw the unknown bakhshi in a dream again. Bakhshi played the drums and sang in a mysterious and magical tone. It was as if he had been pushed to heights. Abdunazar Bakhshi was trying to reach the green hill where he was sitting. The hill was very high. Bakhshi did not feel the usual sigh on his feet. It was much quicker to take a step. But the sunken head of the bakhshi was still far away. The snake that led to it was too steep to bite. However, this did not frighten Abdunazar Bakhshi ...

* * *

Even today, bakhshi can often be found in the sand. His curious habit tends to be sandy, whether he is happy or sad. He sits alone, sings, recites epics, weaves terms. His friends can't find him at home. They meet in the sand: "What is it like to sit alone like Yakkamov?" Bakhshi says, “I am not alone, I am in my homeland! Everything from the saxophones to the green grass, from the clouds in the sky to the red horizon is mine! I sang them now! I'm drunk on the smell of the earth! " His friends laughed at him for not understanding him and for becoming a poet. In response, Abdunazar Bakhshi thinks: “Yes, I am a poet! Good poet! As my teachers say, I am the musician of this nation! I will finish my epics and melodies in this sandy desert! ”
Bakhshi continues to sing, forgetting the being. These tones mingle with the steppe breeze and spread around. Saxophones and grasses vibrate like music. We do not know who will create the new work. But in Abdunazar bakhshi it occurs in the sandy steppe ...

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