From a crossroads of cultures to an economic center
Chapter 1
Geography
(1)
Uzbekistan is located in the interfluve of the main rivers of the region—Syr Darya and Amu Darya. Settled life in the country has historically been concentrated around them.
Gelon, 2019
Gelon, 2019
View of Amu Darya in the vicinity of Termez, 2019
Safarboy Khaidarov
Head of the Hydrometeorology Department, Samarkand State University
Uzbekistan mostly has deserts and mountains. In the mountains, life changes slowly due to underdeveloped transport infrastructure, while on the plains, everything is much more dynamic—both in terms of population growth and interaction with other cultures. Population density is uneven: in some areas the concentration of people is very high, while vast territories remain sparsely populated. The majority of people live in the eastern part of the country, near the water. The west is mostly desert and has a very harsh climate, so there are much fewer people there.
Gelon, 2019
Gelon, 2019
Gelon, 2019
Boysun city suburbs, 2019
Market in Khiva, 2024
Bazaar is a result of space and time compression. The diversity of ecosystems creates the imbalance necessary for the very existence of a market in the distribution of the outcomes of economic activities.
The main goal of a market is to redirect the flow of goods, managing shortages in one place with surpluses from another. The paradox here lies in the final solution. Once this problem is solved, it would mean the death of the market.
Tashkent, 2019
Modern Tashkent (formerly the city of Shash) was located at the intersection of the southern and northern routes of the Great Silk Road, the main trade artery of Asia in the Middle Ages. It was exactly at such key hubs that large bazaars emerged.
Many markets in Uzbekistan are still located in the same places where they were formed hundreds of years ago despite the changes in the city’s infrastructure. Chorsu market is one of them.
Within cities, permanent marketplaces were located in central squares, at strategic crossroads or important transportation hubs.
Tashkent, 2019
Chorsu Market, Tashkent, 2024
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Chorsu Market, Tashkent, 2024
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Chorsu Market, Tashkent, 2024
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Chorsu Market, Tashkent, 2024
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Intersection of routes
(2)
Trade became a catalyst for the development of cities, culture, and architecture across different eras. And the bazaars were the centers of city life.
Many residents of both nearby villages and the city, who sold goods and made purchases in the market, built their lives around it.
Chorsu Market, Tashkent, 2019
Today, almost all of the bazaar’s functions have either become irrelevant or shifted to other venues and community centers, leaving only its economic role.
Parkent Bazaar, Tashkent, 2019
Historically, the Uzbek bazaar was multifunctional: it served as a living museum of culture and traditions, a place for public gatherings, a point of communication between the authorities and the population—since decrees were often read and justice administered there—as well as an entertainment and social activity center.
Madamin Madaminov
Member of the Regional Branch of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan
The main function of a modern bazaar is to provide conditions for connecting producers and buyers. For this purpose, a logistics chain, safety and hygiene conditions were developed. From an economical perspective, a bazaar is a place for managing supply, demand and price. Uzbekistan residents look for information, choice, quality, optimal prices, promotions of their products and profits at the bazaar.
A bazaar is also a place where, in the process of daily communication, many values like trust, kindness, well-being, and solidarity are formed. This is where the younger generation is prepared for the future—learning about creating a home and family comfort, and, of course, developing their gastronomic tastes.
Central market in Khiva, 2024
Despite the reduction in its functionality, the Uzbek bazaar is not only a place to exchange goods for money. It is still a social center where people come to share news and communicate, especially the elderly.
The relationships that are formed in a bazaar often develop into friendships and even family ties. This works for bazaars in small towns, where there are not so many public places, but even such giants like Chorsu still play the same role for the residents of the nearby mahallas.
Central market in Khiva, 2024
Mahalla
A mahalla in a city and a kishlak in a village represent the traditional organization of Uzbek society. These terms refer to small communities represented by relatives or neighbors.
Mahalla in a city usually consists of several blocks united by some public places like banya (sauna) or choyxona (tea house). Its residents often visit the same mosque.
The mahalla and kishlak always performed the functions of local self-administration units: solved household issues, organized major family events like weddings (to‘y), funerals (janaza) and united people for mutual work (hashar).
A mahalla is usually headed by aqsaqals—elders elected from the older generation—or by raises, leaders appointed by the city administration.
Authorities changed their attitude towards such communities throughout the time. In Soviet times, they were perceived as a relic of the past, but in the post-Soviet times they became a national treasure. In recent years, mahalla has become part of the state system, promoting state policy and ideology.
However, a distinction should be made between traditional and formal mahallas. Relationships in traditional mahallas develop over time and are passed down from generation to generation, whereas formal mahallas function primarily as administrative units. Today it is not only the private sector, but also the districts built in Soviet and post-Soviet times. In such mahallas, committees function like homeowners' associations.
Gelon Kishlak, 2019
Gelon Kishlak, 2019
Central market in Khiva, 2024
Central market in Khiva, 2024
The school of life
(3)
Central market in Khiva, 2024
The bazaar’s educational function became very actual in urban environment. Firstly, here you can observe the culture and traditions that are partially or completely vanished in the modern urban space, such as baking bread in tandoor or learning the peculiarities of preparing food for a large number of people. Secondly, children not only learn the wisdoms of weekly shopping, but also proper behavior, manners and respect for elders.
Bazaars have been included in the mandatory tourist program for visiting in every Uzbek city. Aside from souvenirs, people seek atmosphere, feelings, sounds and smells in a bazaar. A sensual experience of exploring oriental culture.
Tashkent Chorsu, where goods from all over the republic flock, is also a live encyclopedia of regions and neighboring countries. Many languages and dialects are spoken here, and fashion collides with tradition. It is a crossroads of cultures. A place where you can learn about the whole country without even leaving the capital.
Chorsu Market, Tashkent, 2019
The bazaar’s symbolic function, representing the oriental spirit for many, has become especially relevant since the opening of borders for tourism. Local crafts began to revive in the market, increasing the production of national goods.
Siyob Bazaar, Samarkand, 2024
Andijan City Market, 2019
Andijan City Market, 2019
Part of the system
(4)
The bazaar is integrated into the urban economic system alongside with supermarkets and petty trading, however, in reality, not all of its functionality aspects are formalized. Sellers quite often have semi-legal status, and not all of them enter into official employment contracts.
The vast majority of such businesses are family-owned, involving multiple generations into work, thus relationships within them are also family-like. The bazaar provides job places, even for vulnerable categories of the population, ensures capital flows, and taxes inflows into the city budget.
Currently, all markets in Uzbekistan are joint stock companies (open or closed). The governing body is the bazaar’s administration that observes the order, concludes rental contracts, controls cleaning and garbage collection, and is responsible for the warehouses. All directors of Tashkent markets report to the TOSHBOZORSAVDO public association.
