Pilgrim Tourism in Uzbekistan
Have you ever had to think about modern life, about the role that man has come to play in it? Allow yourself to stop for a moment, forget about the endless pursuit of modern things and newfangled goods. Take a pause and think. What has become the inner appearance of a person? Can a modern person be called happy and what makes him so? To find answers to philosophical questions, some people spend their whole life, others unfortunately do not find these answers, and others go on a pilgrimage.
Islamic Ziyorat tourism objects
On the territory of Uzbekistan, there are many Holy places belonging to the Islamic culture and its current of Sufism, as well as other religions. The most valuable monuments are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Among them is the city of Bukhara, called in the Islamic world Bukhara-Sharif, which means Blessed Bukhara. The city of Samarkand, which has a huge number of priceless monuments. Shakhrisabz is the birthplace of Amir Temur. Of course, these cities have an ancient and rich history and have undergone significant changes throughout their lives.
The idea of immortality is associated with these cities. There was one episode in the biography of the prophet Muhammad. He was making a Mirage. He had a celestial horse and he ascended to the sky on this horse. First he visited Jerusalem, then Mecca. On his way to Mecca, he saw the sun’s rays illuminate the entire world. Then he saw only two points on the ground, from which the rays came up from below. These rays were Bukhara and Samarkand.
Christian Sites
The emergence of Christianity in Central Asia is associated with the names of the apostles Thomas and Andrew, who preached in this territory at the beginning of the 1rst Millennium.
Since then, the 2 most important religions of the world – Islam and Christianity-have coexisted peacefully. In Uzbekistan, there are more than 10 places of pilgrimage that are sacred and revered by Christians and Muslims.
Until modern times, on the territory of Uzbekistan there are revered by both Christians and Muslims “springs of Job”, the most famous of which is located in Bukhara.
The Orthodox Church in Uzbekistan is beginning to form along with the arrival of the Russian Orthodox Church in Central Asia after the annexation of the main part of this region to the Russian Empire and the formation of the Turkestan General government (1867).
Buddhist Heritage
In 1968, a statue of the Buddha was discovered on the territory of old Termez, and since then this land has become the main object for the study of many scientific archaeologists, later the oldest Buddhist temple complexes were discovered: Fayaztepa (1st century BC – 3rd century ad), Kampyrtepa, Karatepa. And the discovery of elements of the famous Ayrtam frieze with the image of ancient musicians-became evidence that Buddhism was once preached in this region and elements of Hellenistic culture were revealed. Now the terracotta bas-reliefs of the frieze are stored in the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.
7 saints of Bukhara
Bukhara is the birthplace of the seven great Sufis of the Nakshbandi order. The great representatives of Sufism lived here, led religious and social life, which contributed to the formation and prosperity of the fertile Bukhara, to the education of spirituality, raising the emotional spirit. The Muslim sanctuaries, the burial places of Sufi saints can be found here.
Most of the pilgrims of Bukhara begin their journey with a blessed visit to the mausoleum of Khoja Abdalkhalik al Gijduvani, a spiritual mentor who paved the path of Nakshbandi teachings. Abdulkhalik al Gijduvani is connected with the spiritual parts of the tenth generation of the prophet. The terrace of the mausoleum with ten columns and props is a symbol of the mentioned dynasty.
In the time of Khoja Abdalkhalik al Gijduvani, the mausoleum was a “chillahona”, where people came to pray during forty-day of sweltering heat. The Holy place of prayer then became a cherished place of worship.
The complex of Khazrati Imam
One of the spiritual monuments of Tashkent is the Khazrati-Imam ensemble, popularly called Khast-Imam. The square is located in the heart of the old city, which survived after the strongest earthquake in 1966. The complex was built near the burial place of the first Tashkent Imam – Kaffal ash Shashi, who was a scholar and religious figure.
The complex consists of Tillya Sheikh mosque, Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum, Barak Khan madrasah and Imam al-Bukhari Islamic Institute.
There is a library for visitors, where a large number of eastern manuscript literatures are kept, as well as the Koran of the third Khalif – Osman that is stored separately. Written in the VII century, the book was in a large number of countries. This ancient holy book is quite large and consists of 353 parchment leaves.The book was brought to Uzbekistan during the time of Amir Temur. The scientists from Russia have studied the book and have confirmed it’s the authenticity.A variety of exotic plants was brought into the ensemble. The storks nest here from spring to autumn. The Khast-Imam looks especially beautiful at night, when the territory is lit by lanterns and it creates the illusion of the oriental tale.
