Things to see and do Ferghana Valley

The bazaar of Ferghana is worth a detour: it is the largest and busiest bazaar in the Ferghana valley, at least in the Uzbek part of the valley. The atmosphere is at its most intense on Sundays and the din is most deafening under the covered area. Like many bazaars in Uzbekistan, products such as meat and fish are concentrated under a single glass hall, and clothing and textile vendors each have their own small shop. Around it, the atmosphere remains more authentic. Bread, fruit, vegetables, always skillfully arranged..

In the centre of Rishtan you can visit the workshop of Rustam Ousmanov. Roustam has paid a lot of attention to the decoration of the place and has nicely arranged a small museum of ceramics, actually his personal collection with some pieces from Afghanistan, Iran, and of course from all regions of Uzbekistan. Some of them are antiques. His work to preserve local crafts has been rewarded by Unesco, which has awarded him the label of excellence.

In the purest Soviet tradition, this house where the poet Khamza, whose real name was Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi, was born and grew up, was transformed into a museum in 1959. Traditional house of old Kokand, it is the occasion to discover the alleys of the old town and the habitat of the beginning of the 20th century. The courtyard shelters a hundred-year-old mulberry tree while the living rooms are divided between a space for men and a space for women. We discover the house which saw the beginnings of the emblematic poet of Uzbek social realism and is still considered the father of modern poetry in Uzbekistan, having broken with Arab and Persian legends and integrated Russian and Western rules into themes that remain oriental. An early supporter of the Bolsheviks, he was transformed into a national hero by Soviet power, alongside Tamara Khanum, one of the first dancers to remove her veil in public, with whom he led a small travelling theatre troupe. Yet many still consider him a traitor to the Uzbek nation and to Islam. He was stoned to death by clerics during his stay at Chakhimardan, a tragic death in 1929, the year he turned 40. The same year as Nurkhon Youlacheva, another dancer who had removed her veil and also died by stoning. The town of Chakhimardan, a small Uzbek enclave in Kyrgyz territory, is home to one of the few statues in the country dedicated to the memory of the poet, enthroned in the place where the poet was executed by the rabble.

Leaving the cemetery, take the street that enters the city, on the other side of the road. Go around the first block, turning twice to the right; the madrasa is on the left after the second turn. This madrasa, built in 1833, was partially restored in 1992. To the left of the entrance, a beautiful iwan with traditional woodwork and paintings is worth a visit on its own. Unfortunately, the rest of the building is rather abandoned and of little interest until it has been completely restored.

Dating from 1799, this madrasa was one of the few, along with the Mir-i-Arab Madrasa in Bukhara, to accommodate students during the Soviet period. Today it has closed its doors but is open to Uzbek and foreign visitors who request access. You can get an idea of the life that reigned here by entering the cells on two floors: the ground floor was used for study and the preparation of meals while the first floor was reserved for rest.

On two floors, classic presentation of the history and specialities of Andijan. On the ^first floor: stuffed animals, fruits, seismic measuring devices used during the earthquake, drilling equipment... The second floor is a little more interesting, with some archaeological finds from various sites in the area: Kurgan Tepa, Erchi, Kuva... At the back of the room, a 3D model and a trompe l'oeil painting present the city of Andijan in the 14th and 15th centuries: its gigantic walls and monumental entrance.

The Babur Memorial was built in 1993, on the very spot where, according to legend, the last Timurid ruler turned to take a last look at his city before leaving for Afghanistan. On the entrance walls, a fresco illustrates the great events in Babur's life, from his accession to the throne at the age of 12 to his death in 1530, including his exile in Afghanistan and the creation of his empire in India. Babur was originally buried in Agra, India, before his grave was moved to Kabul, Afghanistan.

This gigantic complex comprising a madrasah and a mosque and capable of accommodating 10,000 worshippers, was built between 1885 and 1892 by a wealthy inhabitant of Andijan. The madrasa has two domes, a 123 m long façade and 122 cells and was largely preserved during the 1902 earthquake. It underwent renovation work between 1970 and 1975, before being transformed into a Literary Museum in 1997. Inside, one can access the roof and the two domes, which offer a bird's eye view of the nearby Jumi Mosque and its minaret.

Andijan's bazaar is reputed to be one of the largest and busiest in the region, especially on Sundays. It is only during the cotton harvest that its alleys remain deserted. The best thing to do is to come by late morning. You will then have plenty of time to get lost in the miles of stands. You will find absolutely everything you can imagine but it is especially the fabrics section that is worth the detour for those of you who wish to bring back adras and atlases at a good price. Here, as elsewhere, we negotiate dry.

Starting point for the walk in Namangan, Babur Park has replaced the former governor's gardens, created in 1884. Later named Pushkin Park, it housed a statue of Lenin, which disappeared after independence. Since then, the Uzbeks have reinvested the place to install their chaikhanas and give it the name of the last Timurid emperor, Babur. Its shady alleys cut by canals and basins also house the Independence Square, where official celebrations take place and where families, couples of lovers and friends go out at weekends.

Built at the beginning of the last century, in 1915, this highly photogenic mosque is distinguished by its immense dome topped by the crescent of Islam. With a diameter of just over 14 m, this dome is one of the largest in Central Asia. In the 1990s, it was home to the Wahhabi organization Namangan and was closed in 2001 due to the actions of the MIO. It has since reopened as a madrasah to welcome students from the Mullah Kyrgyz Madrasah.

The Vendredi Mosque in Namangan was closed after the September 11 attacks. We can, however, admire the two minarets encircling its entrance, which differ radically from Uzbek style to remind the mosques of Istanbul…

Following Uishinskaya street, take the second street on the right after the madrasah. This is the former rue des couteliers, which leads to a mausoleum dating from the 18th century where only men are allowed to enter. Note the terracotta decorations and inscriptions on the façade, typical of Ferghana art. Inside there is nothing particularly noticeable, but when you come out take a look at the adjoining mosque and madrasah, which welcomes Muslims for prayer.

Restored in 1992 and again in 2011, this madrasa was founded in 1910 by a wealthy cotton magnate and fervent Muslim from Namangan. The portal and the minarets have been completely restored and are decorated with white, yellow, blue and green ceramics. Inside, a small courtyard planted with colossal trees is surrounded by 35 cells that could accommodate a total of nearly 150 students. To the right of the entrance, a little higher up, note the work on an iwan with finely decorated woodwork that dominates the whole.

To the east of the park, around the Mullah Kirghiz Madrasa, this bazaar is held every day, in a very oriental atmosphere. Sunday is the most vibrant market day, especially in the morning. There are no particular specialties in Namangan, but the bazaar is still a good place to find knives from the neighboring village of Chust, whose steel is very famous, as well as the know-how of the craftsmen. For the rest, one will find as everywhere else the stalls gathered by brotherhoods: bread, vegetables, meats, tools..

Dedicated to the often overlooked face of the founder of the Mughal Empire, the emperor writer and poet, this museum does not, however, offer any particularly interesting pieces, apart from a few biographies in Russian devoted to the last Timurid in Uzbekistan. On the other hand, it is located in a madrasa built in the 18th century on the very site of the royal residence of Babur. It's a quiet place with the charm of yesteryear, which is good for the modern city that Andijan has become. You will be able to spend a pleasant moment in the inner courtyard, in the coolness.

The Navoi Park is a heap of rides and small fountains with brackish water that hardly manage to distil a sensation of freshness. At the end of the park, a gigantic amphitheatre, built in 1999, with a stage mounted on a basin, hosts major events, in particular the celebration of Navrouz, the spring festival, on 21 March. You can have a drink in the shade of the wings of a gigantic hawk, symbol of the kitsch of the Soviet era. The park comes alive a little more in the evening, family atmosphere good child.

Slightly set back from the mausoleum, the Khamza Museum was built in 1989, in homage to the Uzbek poet of the beginning of the century, a great champion of national socialist realism. Khamzafut stoned Chakhimardan to death for his iconoclastic ideas. Many traces still testify to its contribution to the development of the city: construction of terraced gardens, an aqueduct... The museum also exhibits all kinds of tools, instruments, furniture, clothes recovered from the inhabitants of Chakhimardan and testifying to the daily life of the Uzbeks at the beginning of the century.

This is the main site justifying your visit to Shakhimardan, which is a particularly important place for Muslims, since it is one of those where, according to legend, Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law and fourth Caliph of the Muslim world, could be buried. Before his death, Ali, conscious of being loved and respected throughout the umma, the community of believers, asked that seven graves be dug throughout the empire and that seven coffins be prepared and weighted equally, as no one should know in which coffin his body was actually lying. So it was done, and after his assassination, the seven coffins were placed on seven camels which were scattered throughout the Muslim world. Another legend claims that a single camel carried Ali's coffin, but that it multiplied by seven after a few meters, each carrying a few relics of the late Caliph. When the last camel was gone, one of Ali's sons turned to God and asked him, "How will I know which grave to go to to make sure that I am buried in my father's true grave? "And God answered him that the true tomb of Ali would be surrounded by very high mountains with snow-covered peaks, where two rivers of translucent water meet. This description corresponds to Chakhimardan (which takes its name from Ali, Chakhimardan meaning "King of the Brave Men"), but it is part of the legend that changes according to the tomb next to which one is standing. Uzbekistan claims to have hosted two other tombs, one in Khiva and another in Nurat; the others are said to be in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Afghanistan. For every Muslim, the visit to Ali's tomb, before the great pilgrimage to Mecca, is obligatory. According to the village elders, a first mausoleum was built by the fourth generation of Ali's descendants, towards the end of the 9th century. In fact, no one knows when the original building was erected. It is known, however, that it was destroyed in 1922, along with the 234 stone and fir steps leading up to it. A second mausoleum was built during the Second World War, but on a different model than the first one, as no one was familiar with the techniques necessary for an identical reconstruction. This second mausoleum was again destroyed in 1956 by the Soviets, and replaced by a monument to the dead of the Second World War. In 1991, this monument was moved, and a third mausoleum was erected on the model of the second.

Five kilometres beyond the village, at an altitude of 1,800 metres, Kul Kurban, the lake of the victims, is a destination for a walk, to be reached on foot or by cable car when the cable car is running. The lake appeared in 1766, following an earthquake. Two mountains collapsed on a village, killing its entire population and creating a vast depression where water accumulated. The lake only fills up when the snow melts and the rest of the time it looks like a mini desert at altitude, where a few derisory pedal boats are lying around.

This mosque is built near a source of holy water, a place of pilgrimage where the ancient Cultes cults and the cult of Islam's saints coexist.