35 years ago the Kyrgyz nomads fled Afghanistan from the upcomming Soviet invation. Already having escaped twice from Communism, first from Soviet Union, later in mid 1950s from Maoist China, the Kyrgyz of Afghan Pamir were afraid of loosing their culture, language and religion. They spent four difficult years as one of the first refegees from Afghanistan, then taken over by Communists. In 1982 they were invited to live in the very far east Kurdish areas in Turkey. Today but assimilation processes is taking away their culture and language. But they live relatiely properous lives in a village called Uluu Pamir, to remember their homeland where they probably will never return. Janyl Jusupjan recently visited the village in Turkey and compiled this photogallery.
A Story Of The Pamir Kyrgyz
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Kyrgyz nomads from the Pamir in Afghanistan going to Kabul to sell their sheep and animal products as painted by Malik Kutlu, an Afghan Kyrgyz. The Kyrgyz in Afghanistan lived very isolated lives in forbiddingly harsh climate of high altitudes of the Pamir. At the same time, unlike the Kyrgyz on the other Soviet side of the border, they were left to themselves to follow the traditional nomadic live. They benefited from trade with neihboring tajik, ismaili Wakhi neighbors in lowlands. Their khan Rakhmankul went to Kabul for trade and establish friendly relations with high authorities.
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Painting of Malik Kutlu of a nomad with yak in the Pamirs in Afghanistan. There are some 1,000 Kyrgyz remain in the Pamirs confined in the narrow strip and according to the numerous reports, their living conditions have considerably detoriated during the Taliban regime and subsequent years of foreign invasion. No school, no clinic, no post offices or police is present in the area and no Afghan officials visit them to enquire about their lives. No international assistance was delivered, or grants spent to build roads. With no medical support, the live span remain the lowest and the mother and child mortality remain one of the highest in the world. They mulle the posibility of moving to Kyrgyzstan, but in the historical home land the pastures are already distributed, and they may not find enough pasture to continue their nomadic way of live.
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The details of the Wakhan Corridor sandwitched between Tajikstan, China and Pakistan The Kyrgyz were confined to the Wakhan corridor, which lay long the Great Silk Road. The corridor was given to Afghanistan to keep divided the Russian and formerly British held territories. The Kyrgyz nomads in this part of Pamir were granted a special status by the Shah of Afghanistan as “Protectors of Pamir” as they were best suited to look after the strategically important and sensitive border on so called Pamir Knot where the highest mountains met. The Kyrgyz nomads were for centuries using these areas as their summer pasture and the oldest architectural structures in this part of the Pamir are the Kyrgyz burial sites as Bozoi Kumboz in the most eastern edge of the Corridor.
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PHOTO GALLERY - file - Story of the Pamir Kyrgyz, undated, pamir35