Subject matter: Trade and barter of Salt in Ancient Bactria. Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Islamic Sufism

Dear all!

I am delighted to offer you an exclusively new tour around the southern gem of Uzbekistan. In the process of developing this tour I addressed to a group of scholars and archaeologists who have dedicated most of their time and efforts in fulfilling scientific researches in the archaeological sites I included into this program.

Salt is a unique product that our nature has gifted to the humanity.  White salt played significant role as a strategic product in the development of Ancient Eastern civilizations. As in the social and economic lives of people salt had been an important product. Even now it is impossible to imagine our life without salt.

Discovery of the “Kattabulokh”, a settlement of III millennium B.C. as one of the ancient places for producing and exporting white salt has opened totally new page in studying the history of Surkhan Oasis.

Formation of the Bronze Age settlements around the most ancient and natural salt mine in Central Asia “Khodjaikon” resulted the   development of trade and cultural relations of Bactria with its neighboring kingdoms as Sogdiana and Khwarazm.

This exclusively new tour offers tourists the visit to one of the most ancient and open-top salt mines in the world and observation the process of mining salt out of huge salt rocks around.

There are few sanatoriums in the world which are specialized in treating people using natural salt.  Being one of them “Khojaikon” salt sanatorium located at the foothills of Kuhitang mountains has been attracting people from all around the world with its natural methods of treatment. Walking around salt caves in the sanatorium one immediately starts feeling some kind of easier breathing as natural salt which contains iodine, magnesium, bromine and many other minerals helpful for human organism.

The history of ancient religions in Central Asia has always been one of the interesting topics to discuss with visitors of this immensely vast cultural region.

Uzbekistan as a heart of Central Asia became a cradle and revival spot of a lot of ancient religions like Zoroastrianism, Shamanism and Buddhism. It is a land of Sufi scholars who founded specific schools of Sufism (tasawwuf) following ascetic life and developing new methods of Dhikr (meditation) in Sufism.

Second day of this excusive tour promises to be very interesting to everyone as it offers to a visitor the most ancient Buddhist spots of the Surkhan Oasis located on the river banks of the legendary Amudarya (Oxus). The researches of such ancient educational Buddhist institutions as Fayaztepa monastery and Karatepa cult-religious complex have provided us with incredibly unique materials. They give us better idea and insight into the discipline and training process of future monks here. Among the cultural and material finds, a particularly notable one is the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni between his closest disciples discovered from the ruins of Fayaztepa Buddhist monastery ruins.   This unique statue is a masterpiece of sculpture of Ancient Bactria during the reign of the Kushans (Da Yuezhi).

The architectural and engineering plans of such large-scale Buddhist structures developed on the land of Ancient Surkhan by skilled ancient craftsmen who strictly followed all the criteria of Indian viharas for Buddhists still have no analogues in Central Asia.

Walking around the ruins of ancient Buddhist viharas and stupas one gets a really powerful positive energy that promotes well-being, health, prosperity and neutralizes negative influences.

Short lecture on Sufism is usually followed with the information about one of the most famous Sufi figures of the Middle Ages, Muhammad Hakim Termizi. His shrine surrounded with a lovely park nowadays was once a territory of a vast Tarmita city. 

Muhammad Hakim Termizi was the first “Sufi Dervish” in the history of Sufism. Is this true?

During this fascinating tour we will seek to gain a deeper understanding of the life and activities of our great ancestor.

Must visit places of southern Uzbekistan are museums of Termez city. 

Two different museums of Termez are always open for the visitors. Termez archaeological museum with its precious and rich collection of archaeological items and Termez state Reserve museum which preserves the best collections of ethnographic, zoological and fine arts. Large collection of ethnographic materials in the form of carpets, embroideries and jewelry allows everyone to understand the beautiful and mythical symbols of Surkhandarya handicrafts.

 Visiting Termez museums, one enriches his knowledge and insights about southern gem of Uzbekistan and its peoples.

First half of the third day I usually try to dedicate to the Ethnographic aspects of our history. I feel special pride while introducing ethnographic legacy of Surkhan region to my customers. This is all about many hundreds of ethnic tribal groups residing in the south of Uzbekistan and their rich cultural heritage. It is all about mysterious meanings of every piece of a skull cap, every single sample of Suzanni and hand-made rugs or kilims.

 If time allows it’s a good chance to visit the master-class of carpet weaving in the houses of local craftsmen. Or the private art galleries of local art designers and collectors.

Third day of this new tour mostly also covers visits to the highlights of Islamic period (IX-XVII cc.) as grandiose complexes, mausoleums, a minaret, a Sufi Hanakah. 

I will always be happy to discuss the details of this new tour program with you my dears! And hope to see you in Termez!!!

📞 Contact: +998 91 580 81 89
📧 Email: rayhon@iguide.uz