Ancient and Unique Uzbekistan: The Fergana Region I

Said Otalik Madrasah is one of 16 madrasahs and the largest architectural monument in Denau. It is a two-story building with 114 rooms.
According to the 17th-century geographer Mahmoud ibn Wali, Denau at that time was a large city with a fortress, a market, a large madrasah, and a mansion.
Local residents say that the madrasah was built 200-300 years ago by the order of Said Otalik. According to available data, the madrasah related to the ascetic of Naqshbandi, Khoja Alauddin Attar, was built for 26 years by his descendants.
The construction master was Ahmad Mamat Bukhari.
The depth of the foundation of the madrasah is 5.5 meters, and the building is a square of 46×64 m.
There is a two-story pavilion on both sides of the building. There is a mosque nearby.
The yard 40×29.5 m is surrounded by two-story buildings with flat roofs. The lower floors measure 4.75 x 2.75 meters, while the upper rooms have a large dome of 2.75 x 2.25 meters.
The madrasah was studied in 1956-60 and 1972-73. Now it is being repaired.
Another historical and architectural monument on the territory of the Surkhandarya region is the Balalyk Tepe, which is a large estate of the 5th-7th centuries. It is located 2 km northeast of the Tashkent-Termez highway.
This is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites in the territory of Uzbekistan. For the first time, Balalyk Tepe was investigated in 1953-1956.
This is how murals depicting various ceremonies were discovered on the wall in the central part of the building from the late 5th century to the beginning of the 6th century, which was a courtyard.

The Balalyk Tepe murals. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
At the beginning of the 7th century, the owners of the estate completely abandoned it after a severe fire.
Some of the premises of Balalyk Tepe were also used in the 15th century.
On the walls of this historical monument, you can find 47 portraits of the nobility of the early Middle Ages. Wind instruments, jewelry, fans of the people depicted in the picture were painted with great skill. The earrings in the ears were painted with gold dyes, which suggests that they were gold jewelry.

The Balalyk Tepe murals. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
The images of people in the drawings resemble in their appearance the local population of Turkic origin.
Among the ancient fortresses built in the Bronze Age in the Sherabad region, the settlement of Jarkutan, the first city of the 15-14 centuries BC, occupies a worthy place with its style of construction. There are about 3000 graves, 2 villages, fortresses, workshops, cellars, and the palace itself.
The rear part of the preserved part of the settlement has a quadrangular shape and is surrounded by an external wall about 5 meters high. The outer wall was guarded by fortress guards.
The interior of the palace was predominantly residential. In particular, long hall columns, sanctuaries, and large squares were found in the ruins of the Dzharkutan fortress.
Numerous valuable finds were found in the ruins of the Dzharkutan fortress. These include jewelry, household items, bronze and stone weapons, deities. In particular, the objects found in the graves were carefully studied, as they can tell a lot about the way of life of people of that time.
Surkhandarya region has its own traditions. For example, they celebrate their own national holidays here.

Boysun Spring Festival. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
The traditional folklore festival “Boysun Bahori” (Boysun spring) is held in April in the picturesque village of Padang, Boysun district. Boysun Spring Festival is a unique celebration of local culture and tradition.

Boysun Spring Festival. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
Its goal is to collect and show the heritage of the past, carefully preserved not only in Boysun but also in other regions of Uzbekistan. In spring, the Bоysun district fascinates with its landscapes – the mountains are covered with greenery, and the meadows are strewn with flowers.

Boysun Spring Festival. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
The cultivation of pomegranates has become widespread in countries with hot climates, to which Uzbekistan fully belongs. There are a lot of pomegranate orchards here.

The pomegranates. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
Until recently, the pomegranates grown in the Surkhandarya region were famous in the gardens of the Shirkat farms of the Dashnobod in Sariasi district, Khalkobod in Termez, and on personal plots. The pomegranates which are grown here attract attention with their beautiful appearance, purity of color, and, of course, the sweetness of the dark red grains. Today, fruits grown in the gardens of the Sherabad region are in special demand. Some of them weigh 1.5-1.7 kilograms. Currently, the area of ​​pomegranate plantations in the region is 1225 hectares.

The pomegranates. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
The Anor Sayli festival, held in the Surkhandarya region, gathers lovers of these fabulous fruits from all over the country and guests from other parts of the world.
Viticulture and winemaking on the territory of modern Uzbekistan have been developed since ancient times. Sweet grapes and the medicinal properties of wine are mentioned in the Avesta, as well as in the travel notes of many travelers and conquerors.

The grapes. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
Currently, the overall area of vineyards in the region is 35031 hectares. The largest farms of Uzbekistan, specializing in viticulture, are located in the Surkhandarya region. The Grape Festival in Surkhandarya region is a famous autumn festival dedicated to the harvest of grapes in the region.

The grapes. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
Speaking about the culture and traditions of Surkhandarya, it is impossible not to mention the national clothes of the people inhabiting this territory.

Men’s costume. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
A national costume can tell us about age-old traditions, customs, and aesthetic priorities inherent in every regional culture.

Women’s traditional costumes. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
The clothes of Uzbekistan are special and each region of the country has its own. The clothes of the Surkhandarya people, and first of all the Kungrats, are especially interesting.
Women’s clothing is highly complex and has been shaped over the centuries by local conditions, climate, and occupation.

The Kungrats’ traditional costume. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
This includes underwear and dress, trousers (lozim), outerwear, hats, and shoes. But it all depends on the age of the women, so the standard suit can be changed and freely decorated to make it even more interesting.

The Kungrats’ traditional costume. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.
In the second half of the 19th century, married women wore a straight, wide dress with long sleeves. Under the influence of Russian fashion, dresses with stand-up collars became popular.

The Kungrats’ traditional costume. This photo is courtesy of the Surkhandarya Regional Territorial Administration of the State Committee for Tourism Development.