The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-12-21
A Sunny Niche in Bokhara,

y SuHnJ iNlSi
prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washingt ron, ID. C)
Bokhara, one Of the few states of
the Federal Union Of Russia which
manages to be nOnsocialistic in gov
eminent, has MohammedaniSm, with
its patriarchial implications, so deeply
~ingrained in its people that it prob
ably will retain its individualistic
regime indefinitely. And Russia can
we'll afford TO keep the Bokharans con-
tented by necessary concessions, for
their land is a borderland and they
are not naturally bound closely to
Russia by either language or race.
The former khanate Of BOkhara,
now the '~autonomous republic" has
an area about equal to that of Utah,
but with four times the population.
During the World wal its fortunes
varied. Part of the time it was an i'll
dependent KLAMATH, showing its pre-
rogative by taking up the rails of the
Trans-Caspian railway which passed
through its territory. Several times it
was under the control of the Bolshe-
vik forces.
Bokhara is a very important re-
ligious center, with 364 mosques.
There are more than a hundred theo-
logical colleges, with small rooms for
the students surrounding Il paved
quadrangle from the corners of which
rise small dOmes Surmounted by StOrk
nests.
The Friday service in the Registrar
i'm front of the emir'S castle in the
city of Bokhara was and probably still
is most impressive. From the en-
trance of the ark the cobbled square
slopes down to the melon stalls and
fruit vendors shops at the lower end,
from whose shelter even a foreigner
could observe the ceremony. Stretch
ing down the incline from the wide
doorway was a line Of wh~ite-bearded
MOslems dressed in their heaviest
silks and broad silver belts, standing
on such glossy, faded rugs as never
reach Il dealers hands. Fifty or sixty
feet lower down there was Il cross
line Of other worshipers. There in the
bright sun of the market-place, form
ing a color picture that only an East
ern sun could harmonic, hundreds of
men bowed and knelt and rose in uni
son. The timing of their movements
was perfect. One saw broad silk-clad
backs and massive white turbans at
one instant and white boards and
erect forms the next. Larger groups
Of wOrshipers could be seen in Sa-
MARYLAND and Delphi but nowhere
could one see a iner grouping of color.
Every Friday was Easter Sunday to
the Bokhara MOslems and the kindly
sun of the desert sOftened and har-
honized the varied scene into a pleas
ing whole.
Men Of Many Races.
Not only are there varieties of color
in BOkhara, but Of race as well. Per-
| SLAMS, Jews, HindOos and Armenians
mingle with the Sarts, Uzbeks, Talks
and Afghans. Tartars and TurkOmans
can be seen side by side with the
MOngolian Kirghizes, and ever Chi
nese wander through the maze Of Gov
cred bazaars or swing across the bril-
liantly lighted squares. If BOkhara re-
sembles a crocus or pansy bed in color
effects, it resembles an a~nthrOpolOgi-
cal museum in types of nose, mouth,
cheekbones and eyes. But on al! sides
one sees the broad face, high cheek
bones and round head of the Tu-
ranian.
The bazaars of Bokhara are her
main charm. Even Damascus has
nothing finer. The streets are GOV
cred and the lights subdued. Each
tiny shosD, a Mother Hubbard cup
board in everything but emptiness,
where the shrewd merchant sits with
his entire stock within reach, has a
rug at its tiny front porch where the
customer can sit and smoke or drink
! tea until the bargain is complete.
One can see PROCESSES as well as
products and hours may be spent i'm
watching the fascinating handicrafts
of the East. The brassware Is in
feriOr to that of Damascus, but adds
a mellow glow to the long, dark ba-