Camel Trekking in Nurata

Once known as Nur, this ancient town held a strategic position on the frontier be­tween the cultivated lands and the steppe. It lends its name to the nearby mountain range, the westernmost spur of the Gissaro Alai, soon expiring in Kyzyl Kum waste­land. Today, home to 25,000 people and renowned for marble and astrakhan fur production, Nurata has retained some of the holy sites that attracted pilgrims from all over Central Asia. The ruins of a hilltop citadel in the town centre near the bazaar mark Nurata's history. Said to have stood before the arrival of Alexander the Great, his soldiers rebuilt it in the stronger design of the celestial plough, as they prepared for the siege of Samarkand. Later the fortress was involved in the struggles of the last Samanid ruler Muntasir. Below is the chief pilgrimage site, the Chashma spring, mi­raculously formed when Hazrat Ah—Mohammed's son in law—struck the ground with his staff. Hundreds of holy (unfishable) fish swim in mineral packed water. Parents anoint their children, while others fill bottles for ailing relatives. A grave nearby may be that of one of Alexander's generals. The mosque for visiting pilgrims dates back to the tenth century and subsequent reconstructions have preserved the roof of 25 cupolas. An adjacent museum details local history and culture through tools, clothes and ceramics.

Camel farms to the north of Nurata supply the mounts for anyone wishing to experi­ence desert life in proper Silk Road style, aboard the stubborn and enigmatic ships of the desert. Kazakh families dominate the pasturelands of the Kyzyl Kum. Unlike the Uzbeks, they remained nomads into the 20th century and, despite Stalin's enforced collectivization in the 1930s, many traditions survive. Kazakh yurts, round felt tents set on a wooden framework, stand next to modern shacks and are preferred for sum­mer use. However drab the exterior, inside you will often find a blaze of colorful scarves, blankets and embroideries. Guests are quickly made welcome with a refresh­ing bowl of koumiss, fermented mare's milk. Central Asia's sharply continental cli­mate is at its most extreme in the desert, with bitter winters and summer air temperatures over 45°C (113°F). Timing is of paramount importance: March to May and September to October are best for trekking, particularly spring after the first rains have fallen to carpet the plains in poppies and tulips. The Central Asian tortoise is only active for the three spring months and hibernates once the ephemeral plants have withered away. Birds, lizards and beetles busy about the sands, disappearing at the first sign of the devastating hot winds, garmsil, that sweep up from the south engulfing land, sky and travelers through the ages in terrible sandstorms. Most itin­eraries offer a range of scenery, from flat wastes to rolling barchans sand hills.

Leaving Nurata there are the ancient karyz wells, a system of irrigation from Alexander the Great's time. Camping is in Kazakh yurts, wherever water can be found, burning saxaul bushes for fuel. Good sites include Usen's Well and Sentyabsai, an ancient gold digger's fortress.

Aidarkul Lake is the favorite destination for camel trekkers to swim off the dust of the saddle and fish for a welcome change of diet. For over 200 kilometres (125 miles) the lake stretches through the desert within sight of the Nuratin mountains. Once the winter ice has melted, it becomes a breeding site for migrating birds. Euphrates poplars and pink tamarisk bushes bend under the weight of cormorant nests heavy with young. Islands on the lake take their name from the cackling colo­nies of pelicans, gulls, terns and herons that gather at this remote sanctuary.