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157 Old Lamy Trail
Lamy, NM 87540 USA
PH: (505) 466-2289
FAX: (505) 466-6234
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.bjadventures.com
PASSPORT TO FOLK ART:
UZBEKISTAN & KYRGYZSTAN
INCLUDING TASHKENT, KHIVA, BUKHARA, SAMARKAND, FERGANA, & MARGILAN (IN UZBEKISTAN)
BISHKEK & Issyk-Kul Lake (IN KYRGYZSTAN)
SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 - ARRIVE IN TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN
SEPTEMBER 22, 2015 - DEPART BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN
$7,440* PER PERSON SHARING; $1,240 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
based on 10 people participating or a surcharge will apply - *includes a $300 donation to IFAA

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
 EXPLORE EXOTIC TOWNS ON THE ROUTE OF SILK ROAD CARAVANS
 VISIT WITH THE RICHEST COLLECTION OF MARKET ARTISTS IN TWO COUNTRIES
ENJOY A LOCAL MARKET IN EACH TOWN AND LEARN FROM A LECTURE BY AN ART HISTORIAN
Uzbekistan is rich in history. Samarkand was conquered by Alexander the Great. Islam was introduced by Arabs
th
th
in the 8 to 9 Centuries. The most famous leader to come from Uzbekistan is Tamerlane who was born in
th
Shahrisabz south of Samarkand. Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19 Century, and in 1991 Uzbekistan
emerged as a sovereign country after more than a century of Russian rule - first as part of the Russian empire,
then as a component of the Soviet Union. Positioned on the ancient Great Silk Road between Europe and Asia,
majestic cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand, famed for their architectural opulence, once flourished as trade
and cultural centers. It has borders with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The
country is landlocked, but includes the southern shoreline of the Aral Sea.
Kyrgyzstan (formerly Kirghizia) is a rugged country and native the Kyrgyz are a Turkic people who first settled
the Tien Shan mountain range which covers approximately 95% of the whole territory. The mountaintops are
perennially covered with snow and glaciers. Kyrgyzstan became part of the Soviet Federated Socialist Republic
in 1924 and was made an autonomous republic in 1926. It became a constituent republic of the USSR in 1936. The
Kyrgyz were traditionally pastoral nomads, but the Soviets forced the Kyrgyz to abandon their nomadic culture
and adopt modern farming and industrial production techniques. Kyrgyzstan proclaimed its independence from
the Soviet Union on Aug. 31, 1991. Kyrgyzstan borders Kazakhstan on the north and northwest, Uzbekistan in
the southwest, Tajikistan in the south, and China in the southeast. The republic has the same area as the state of
Nebraska.
Friday, September 4, 2015 – Arrive Tashkent
Arrive in Tashkent. After clearing immigration and collecting your bags, you will be
picked up and transferred to your hotel - one of the oldest in the city, but recently
restored and renovated. The hotel is located in the very center of the city and has
all the amenities for a good rest. There will be a late afternoon briefing and
welcome dinner.
Accommodations: Tashkent Palace Hotel, Tashkent – 2 Nights
Saturday, September 5, 2015 - Tashkent
Full day tour of Tashkent begins at the
Chorsu Bazaar. This Tashkent market is
fascinating with goods not seen in other
world markets including painted baby cradles
and huge piles of yogurt balls. Then on to the
State Art Museum and the Museum of
Applied Arts which will serve as an
introduction to Uzbek culture. You will also
see the Tashkent sights: the Palace of
People’s Friendship, the Kukeldash Madrassah, and the KaffalShashi Mausoleum. Dr. Irina Bogoslovskaya, art historian and
ethnographer, former curator of the Museum of Antiquities and Jewelry
of Uzbekistan may be available to speak with you. She has written the
only thorough book on Uzbek skullcaps. Next is a visit to the Khast Imam
Square and the studio of block printer Yuriy Pak before return to your
hotel.
Accommodations: Tashkent Palace Hotel
Sunday, September 6, 2015 – Tashkent to Khiva
Pack up and take a flight to Urgench, where you will be met and driven to the remote but enchanting historical
caravanserai village of Khiva. Founded in the 5th Century BC, Khiva was an important crossroad stop for Silk
Road caravans. By the 15th Century Khiva was the capital of Khorezm. Unlike the historical cities of
Samarkand and Bukhara, Khiva’s architectural monuments are preserved in their original condition. Check
into your hotel and enjoy dinner in Khiva.
Accommodations in Khiva: 2 Nights
Monday, September 7, 2015 - Khiva
Khiva’s Ichan Kala or walled inner city has been called by UNESCO ‘the
most homogeneous example of Islamic architecture in the world’. The
bulging mid-brick walls wind around a crowded center of madrassas,
mosques, minarets, mausoleums and bazaars. You will definitely need
good walking shoes and a flashlight to climb the watch tower at the Kihna
Ark and the West Wall for a good view of the complex.
You’ll explore the Khiva Market, the Khiva Silk Carpet Workshop which was opened
in 2001 as a joint project between Operation Mercy and UNESCO. The Suzanni
Workshop was opened in 2004 as a joint project between Operation Mercy and the
British Council. The story of this undertaking is charmingly told in “A Carpet Ride to
Khiva” by Christopher Aslan Alexander. You’ll be treated to a natural dye
demonstration. Silk was so much a part of this region’s life that, until 1924, the
Khanate of Khiva was the only country outside China to use hand woven printed silk
for its currency.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015 – Khiva to Bukhara
Today is an 8-hour drive from Khiva to Bukhara. The drive is along the route taken by
Silk Road camel caravans which were once plagued by brigands through long stretches
of the Red Sands Desert (Kyzyl Kum). (Luckily you will making the trip by bus and
not by camel!) Along the way is a stop for lunch at a road café. Continue the drive to
Bukhara and check into your hotel, located in the old town and the main historical
complex – Lyabi-Khauz, which translates “at reservoir.”
Accommodations in Bukhara: 4 Nights
Wednesday, September 9, 2015 - Bukhara
Today you will explore charming Bukhara
on foot. Bukhara is considered the most
complete example of a medieval city in
Central Asia. Most of the center is an
architectural preserve, full of madrassas,
a massive royal fortress, and the remnants
of a once-vast market complex. This
UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered
the holiest city in Central Asia Highlights
include a visit to the Jewish quarter, the Silk Road Domes, the Lyabi Klaus “Shore Pool,” a 17th Century
reservoir, and the Miri Arab Madrassa, constructed in the 16th Century. Also among the interesting sites you
will be visiting are the Fortress Ark and the Sitorai Mohi Hosa Emir Palace. The Fortress Ark, a town within
a town, is Bukhara’s oldest structure, occupied from the 5th to the 20th Centuries. It was here that two 19th
Century British emissaries were held captive in the ‘bug pit’. In the afternoon a visit to Ruziev Izzatilla or
Mamur Rakhmanov, both jewelry makers and market artists is planned. Dinner is a special treat in the home
of Chef Bakhsillo, one of the most famous chefs in Uzbekistan. You will have a Pilov cooking demonstration
- Pilov is a very traditional and ancient meal in Central Asia.
Ruziev Izzatilla
Mamur Rakhmanov
Thursday, September 10, 2015 - Bukhara
Today will be a visit to one of the most important religious sites of Bukhara,
the memorial complex of Bahauddin located 12 km from Bukhara. Once
a settlement famous for pagan customs and holidays, today there is a
mausoleum of the famous Sufi philosopher of the East on the site. Bahauddin
Naqshbandi, the founder of the order of the rites of fire-worshipers, had a
philosophy that became life-affirming for many figures of the East. Pilgrims
observe their rites and pray here, and everyone who has visited says there
is peace of mind and serenity about it.
After lunch you will be on your own to explore the Bukhara Craft Center and visit with many other market
artists such as: Gulshod Gulamova, a jeweler; Otabek Irmatov a miniature painter; Karimjon Rasulov who
paints on papier mache boxes; jewelry maker Alisher Khaydarov; or Sharvkidin Kamolov, who makes birdlike scissors. Shop all afternoon!!!
Karimjon Rasulov
Gulshod Gulamova
Otabek Irmatov
Alisher Khaydarov
Sharvkidin Kamolov
This evening after dinner you will go to the Nodir Divanbegi Madrassa to
watch a traditional folk dancing performance.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Today will be a visit to Sitorai Mohi Hosa, a summer residence of the last ruler located a short distance from
town. The museum of the palace contains a wonderful collection of historic costumes and suzanis. While in
this charming town you will visit a number of craftspeople who have helped to bring back the vibrant cultural
past. Fatullo, Feruza, Ikhtiyor, Zarina Kendjaev are a father,
mother, son and daughter-in-law team that run a silk and wool
carpet weaving training school that emphasizes natural dying and
a suzani embroidery workshop that is supported by UNESCO.
Located in the Eshoni-Pir Madrassa, Fatullo is replicating the
antique carpet patterns seen in miniature paintings. Feruza
oversees much of the dying. Zarina uses silk threads dyed with
natural dyes and a variety of embroidery stitches to revive ancient
traditional skills and patterns to create a wide variety of suzani.
This family has also participated in the Folk Art Market.
Ikhtiyor Kendjaev
Saturday, September 12, 2015 – Bukhara to Samarkand
Today after an early breakfast is a five-hour drive to Samarkand, with a stop at
Gizhduvan, an important ceramic center, to visit Abdullo Narzullaev’s workshop.
Abdullo is a market artist. After arriving in Samarkand and checking into your hotel,
you will stop by the workshop of Abdullah Badghisi
where seeing both carpets and suzanis being made
is a must. Abdullah, a Turkmen by ethnicity and a
physician by training, was born in Afghanistan and
moved to Samarkand twenty years ago. This
workshop is now the largest carpet weaving workshop
in Uzbekistan. Abdullah, also one of the market
artists, will host a dinner at his workshop featuring special Afghan dishes. This
evening’s fashion show is with Alfia Valeiva, Rustam Usmanov’s sister. Alfia is
a contemporary designer with her workshop featuring fashions influenced by her
contact with outside markets,
Accommodations in Samarkand: 3 Nights
Abdullo Narzullaev
Sunday, September 13, 2015 – Samarkand/Urgut/Samarkand
Today you will take a drive to the charming town of Urgut (40 km from
Samarkand) which has a market said to be the oldest still in existence
in Uzbekistan. You will be treated to a wide variety of old and new
traditional handicrafts. Here you will visit with the Oblakulov
family, perhaps the most famous potters of the Urgut area,
where the men produce pottery and the women embroider
suzanis using yarns dyed with natural colors. Return to
Samarkand for dinner and overnight.
Monday, September 14, 2015 - Samarkand
Today will be a full day of touring Samarkand, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
with complexes of turquoise-domed mosques, mosaic-filled mausoleums, and
celebrated madrassas. Begin by exploring the wonders of the madrassa-lined
Registan Square at the heart of Samarkand which is probably the most beautiful
town square in the world with its splendid mosaics and domes the color of the
desert sky. Continue on to the ancient city located on Afraslab Hill, the site of a
museum containing exhibitions of the eleven layers
of civilizations that inhabited the region, most notably
the Sogdian civilization. Shahi Zinda necropolis,
also on the slopes of the Afraslab Hill, is the holiest site in Samarkand. Its tile work
reflects the love of geometry and the concept of infinity through the repetition of
pattern and motif. This evening there will be a fashion show and outside dinner in
the home of Valentina Romanenko. She has also been at the market in the past.
Valentina incorporates traditional embroidery in modern clothing and accessories.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015 – Samarkand to Tashkent
Today is a 5-hour drive back to Tashkent. Tonight will be dinner at the studio of Akbar Rakhimov, the
foremost ceramic scholar in Uzbekistan. He and his son are dedicated to preserving and passing along
historic ceramic techniques.
Accommodations: Tashkent Palace Hotel, Tashkent – 1 Night
Thursday, September 16, 2015 – Tashkent to Fergana
Depart in the morning for the drive to Fergana, stopping along the way in
Kokand Town to visit Friday Mosque from the 18th Century (currently it houses
the Craft Center of Kokand Town.) From Kokand Town is a drive to Rishtan to
have lunch at Rustam Usmanov’s workshop, one of the region’s most famous
potters and a market artist. The unique local clay of the
village of Rishtan has made it an important ceramic center for more than 800
years. Rustam’s wife, Nazira Usmanova, will show you her quilt collection. In the
afternoon drive on to Fergana. You can see along the road the mulberry trees
that are essential to the silk production in this area of Uzbekistan. Fergana has
the reputation of being the greenest city in Uzbekistan. Be on the lookout for the
famous horses of this region, now only rarely used by farmers.
Accommodations in Fergana: 3 Nights
Rustam Usmanov and Damir Usmanov
Thursday, September 17, 2015 – Fergana/Margilan/Fergana
Upon arrival you will be met and driven to Margilan (12 km from Fergana)
to experience the Sunday Market where the stalls are full of the most
colorful ikat in the country. This market, called the “Kum-Tepa” market,
is the largest in the area. People come from all over the region to trade in
fruits, vegetables, animals and products for daily use, as well as ikat yardage, clothing, and craft items. Watch
for the women sellers who rove the market selling traditional men’s hats from piles on their heads. Ristau
Valley (home to Margilan, Rishtan, and Fergana) is the silk capital of Uzbekistan. After the market, is a drive
to Kokand Town to visit Khan’s Palace of the 19th Century, and an enjoyable a lunch fit for…well, a Khan!
Friday, September 18, 2015 – Fergana/Margilan/Fergana
Today is a full day of workshop visits. First will be a visit to Fazlitdin Dadajanov’s
Yodgorlik Silk Factory, where they create the bold patterned silk ikats called
khanatlas or king of satins patterns this region is famous for.
There is a special Uzbek word for a master of warp tying
abr-band that roughly translates one who ties clouds. The
Dadajonov family has a long tradition of doing warp ikat that
they kept alive during the years of Soviet rule. Lunch will be
served in Fazlitdin’s recently completed home with beautiful
hand carved details. Then off to visit Rasuljon Mirsakmedov,
whose work was awarded a UNESCO Seal of Excellence, and
who represents five generations of Ikat weavers. Rasulijon
is also one of the market artists. Dinner will be at Rasulijon’s
madrassah before returning to Fergana for the night.
Fazlitdin Dadajanov
Rasuljon Mirsakmedov
Saturday, September 19, 2015 – Fergana to Osh Town to Bishkek
In the morning you transfer from Fergana across the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border
(check point Duslik.) From here is another transfer to Osh Town for lunch and
sightseeing. Take a flight from Osh Town to Bishkek, the capital and largest city
in Kyrgyzstan. Check into your hotel located in a quiet neighborhood 35 minutes
from the airport. Have dinner and get a good night’s sleep.
Accommodations: Dragon Palace Hotel, Bishkek – 1 Night
Sunday, September 20, 2015 – Bishkek to Don Aryk to Issyk-Kul Lake
Pack up and take a short drive to Burana Tower and ancient settlement dating
back to the 11th Century. You will also visit the nearby village of Don Aryk to see
horse games, reflecting the important role horses have played in the traditional
Kyrgyz nomadic lifestyle. Then drive on to Issyk-Kul Lake enclosed on all sides
by the snowy peaks of the Tien Shan Mountains. Lake Issyk-Kul literally means
“hot lake” and is said to be the world’s second-largest alpine lake or second
highest navigable lake in the world after Lake Titicaca in South America. The
lake never freezes even in the depths of winter due to some thermal activity, strong winds, physics of deep
water and unique microclimate over the lake.
Check into your hotel. After lunch drive to
Kyzi-Tuu Village where the women of the
village hand make felt rugs (called
shyrdaks). You will have the opportunity
to witness a demonstration on the making
of shydraks with sewn-in patterns as well
as demonstrations of ala kiyiz, or pressed felt carpets.)
Return to the hotel and have dinner at the hotel.
Accommodations: Aurora Hotel, Issyk-Kul Lake – 1 Night
Monday, September 21, 2015 – Issyk-Kul Lake to Bishkek
Drive back to Biskek for a full day beginning with a visit to Bishkek’s Osh
Bazaar. When you leave the bazaar you’ll spend time with market artists
Mairam Omurzakova (felt artist); Erkebu Djumagulova (felt dolls); Aidai
Asangulova (felt with silk shawls); Sharshembieva Zhanyl and
Sharshenbieva Aliya (jewelry), and Farzana Sharshenbieva (felt
scarves). You’ll have an opportunity to meet with Dinara
Chochunbaeva, Director of the Central Asian Craft Support Association
Resource Center. In the evening will be a farewell dinner and a folklore
performance.
Accommodations: Dragon Palace Hotel, Bishkek – 1 Night
Farzana Sharshenbieva
Mairam Omurzakova
Aidai Asangulova
Erkebu Djumagulova
Sharshembieva Zhanyl and Sharshenbieva Aliya
Tuesday, September 22, 2015 –Bishkek
After breakfast you will be driven to the airport to catch your flight back to Istanbul and on to the United States.
Stops along the Silk Road
PASSPORT TO FOLK ART:
UZBEKISTAN & KYRGYZSTAN
INCLUDING TASHKENT, KHIVA, BUKHARA, SAMARKAND, FERGANA, & MARGILAN (IN UZBEKISTAN)
BISHKEK & Issyk-Kul Lake (IN KYRGYZSTAN)
SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 - ARRIVE IN TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN
SEPTEMBER 22, 2015 - DEPART BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN
$7,440* PER PERSON SHARING; $1,240 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
based on 10 people participating or a surcharge will apply - *includes a $300 donation to IFAA
Price Includes:
All Accommodations
All Meals and Beverages
All Transfers, Excursions, Sightseeing
Entrances Fees
English-speaking Guide
Internal Airfare – Economy Class
Tashkent to Fergana
Khiva to Tashkent
Tashkent to Bishkek
Gratuities
$300 donation to the IFAA
Price Does NOT Include:
International Airfare (US to/from Asia)
Specialty Beverages (Coffees and Alcohol)
Insurance (Required)
Personal Expenses – laundry, phone/fax, beverages, camera fees
at monuments, airport departure taxes, visa, fees, etc.
To SIGN UP for PASSPORT TO FOLK ART – UZBEKISTAN & KYRGYZSTAN, please complete the enclosed
Reservation Form and send with your $1,000 deposit to:
BJ Adventures, Inc./Betsy Younkins
OR
BJ Adventures, Inc. /Jean Zunkel
1810 Briar Ridge Court
157 Old Lamy Trail
McLean, VA 22101
Lamy, New Mexico 87540
PAYMENT SCHEDULE is as follows:
$1,000 due at Booking (non-refundable)
$4,495 due February 1, 2015
$4,495 due May 1, 2015
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Deposit is non-refundable
90 days before departure – 50% forfeited
Fewer than 60 days before departure–100% forfeited
Note: BJ Adventures will be glad to give you a quote for your international airline ticket. If BJ Adventures books your ticket,
payment will be due at booking. If you book your ticket yourself, please let us review it before you finalize the booking.
Upon receipt of your Reservation Form and deposit, a trip information packet will be sent to you which will provide
information on clothing suggestions, what to bring, health requirements, etc.
We insist you take out comprehensive insurance to protect you for trip cancellation, medical expenses, baggage and
money loss, as well as emergency evacuation expenses. We will provide information and quotes on options for type of
insurance coverage.
BETSY YOUNKINS
BJ ADVENTURES, INC.
1810 BRIAR RIDGE COURT
McLEAN, VA 22101
PH: (703) 237-9836; (800) 585-9654
FAX: (703) 237-2445
EMAIL: [email protected]
Web Site: www.bjadventures.com
JEAN ZUNKEL
BJ ADVENTURES, INC.
157 OLD LAMY TRAIL
LAMY, NM 87540
PHONE: (505) 466-2289; (505) 310-5110
FAX: (505) 466-6234
EMAIL:[email protected]