Central Asia thread

>>2268055
It seems really neat to me too.
I wish I could say more, tho. Sorry I cannot contribute, but hey enjoy teh free bump :)

Backpacking through Western Europe alone gave me anxiety attacks because I'm a pathetic autist I can't even imagine doing Central Asia good luck OP.

>>2268055
places forgotten by god
never ever prosperity has been achieved there
>inb4 muh samarkand
>inb4 muh silk road trade posts
there were places much more prosperous

>>2268278

>In the middle of the world's richest trading hub
>Some of the richest and most powerful empires in the world ruled over there and competed viciously for its rich trade routes
>Not prosperous

Sure...Sure...

>>2268269
I've backpacked in eastern and western europe many times so i'm kinda used to this, i just want to try central asia for the exotic experience, meeting emote but charming little villages and maybe even travelling and getting to know some nomads as i traverse the silkroad has always been a dream of mine.

Any good books on the safavids and on modern iranic peoples?

File: Prokudin-Gorskii-18.jpg (258KB, 1000x930px) Image search: [Google]

258KB, 1000x930px

>>2268055
>>2268518
> nomads
You're not gonna find any actual remaining nomads in Central Asia.

Collectivisation destroyed traditional nomadic way of life in favour of collective farms and creeping urbanisation put a fork on it.

And honestly -- good riddance. Settling down was long earned goal of Kazakhs, it only took a millions dead but finally it was achieved.

Nomadic life is a romantic meme you imagine it to be: it's not just "go wherever the fuck i want to go".

Traditional nomadic settlements live off livestock, so they're constantly tied to their herds. Each village has two places: winter camp and summer camp, they only move between these loosely defined areas.

>>2268588
I'm not romanticsizing it, i just meant as in, i wanted to experience the place and the culture to the fullest I.E the point of going backpacking in the first place, nomads or no nomads.

Also i'm pretty sure some kazakh and kyrgyz still live the traditional nomadic life, iirc there was even a documentary about a young kazakh eagle huntress and her nomadic family IIRC

I was very disappointed when the olympics committee decided to put the 2022 winter olympics in Beijing instead of Astana, especially considering Beijing has no mountains. I definitely would have gone to Kazakhstan for that.

You just know the Chinese were paying under the table for this shit, like with the world cup.

So what's some good stuff to read about the Silk Road or Central Asia? I have Empires of the Silk Road but it's kinda shit desu

>>2268656
Ferghana Valley: Heart of Central Asia is pretty good desu.

File: 5a1a6113818edd195aaf53881.jpg (94KB, 580x817px) Image search: [Google]

94KB, 580x817px

Bumping this thread with central asian qts

File: 599659896.jpg (353KB, 1024x685px) Image search: [Google]

353KB, 1024x685px

>>2270398

>>2268055
Silk Road pre-1300 is one of the most fascinating places in human history. It has now since been relegated to a shitty backwater due to Islam and the Mongol invasions.

>>2268055
Ancient Khorasan is cool but the various waves of destruction that swept over it have erased almost everything from which any information could've been derived from.

>>2270435
This.
Manichean Steppes are best Steppes.

>>2268656
Peter Frankopan has a new book out titled 'The Silk Roads' that I hear is pretty good.

>>2268055
The lack of a nearby ocean means things should be relatively slow-paced and backwater, but at the same time straddling the crossroads of China, India, and the Middle East means there's thousands of years of human activity based around the coming and going of strange people and customs.

>>2270435
Islamic Khorasan is one of the high points of Central Asian history. Even the Mongol/Timurid period is pretty fascinating with a revival of architecture and flourishing cities. It's the opening of the Indian Ocean to trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific trade that caused its slide into irrelevancy.

>>2270435
I would say it's more about the general loss of importance of the trade routes they were making mad bucks on and later them being completely locked off due to Black Sea - Caspian region falling into irrelevancy. Currently they're in such a terrible position because of Russia having zero interest of opening the region up for the outsiders and Russian agricultural colonialism. As in, they forcibly planted cotton everywhere, thus making countries unable to sustain themselves and completely dependent.

>>2268055
Central Asia was one of the safest places during the 13th century till the 17th century.

>>2270914

Really? I heard there were a lot of conflict between the empires and nomadic tribes back then, post and pre mongol era that is.

>>2270435

>implying the islamic golden age wasnt 40% central asians and 40% Iranics (20% other).

>>2268055
I feel the same way. It's a fascinating place, never met anyone else that's interested in it though.

A strange mix of Marxism-Leninism, Islam and Mongols

>>2271863
It's been barely Marxist by 1970s, it quickly rolled back to the old ways.

We should get a central asia/silk road booklist going because its a pain in the arse to find decent books on the region.

>>2271889

Agreed, would definitely like to have more books to look into.

>>2268652
>I definitely would have gone to Kazakhstan for that.

Yeah - but not as many other people could though.

It's all about profit and money - which place has better access for a global economy and travellers to visit? Which economy could offer the larger bribe?

File: WE.jpg (245KB, 900x465px) Image search: [Google]

245KB, 900x465px

>>2271854
>40% central asians
So even more iranics?

Or are we going by Kazakh logic here and disregard the Sogdians, Bactrians, Scythians, etc and the Samanid Empire that was active there during the Golden Age while stating it was always Turkic and the Iranian names of ancient cities just came out of nowhere while painting slanty eyes on scientists from that era on our money?

>>2274252
t. Emomali Rahmon

File: WUZ.jpg (101KB, 623x538px) Image search: [Google]

101KB, 623x538px

>>2274263
Atleast they know how to paint eyes.

>>2270428
Pretty turkic qt
>>2270398
Pretty alanic qt

Same OP, my dream is to travel the old Silk Roads from Xi'an across the steppes and deserts all the way to Istanbul.

Some of the most fascinating history there is desu.

For anyone interested in the Silk Road, I highly recommend Susan Whitfield's Life Along the Silk Road. It's not the most in depth or exhaustively historical book or anything, but in terms of comfiness it ranks very highly. Its focus is primarily on the Tarim Basin and the wider Xinjiang area during the heyday of the Tang dynasty but that is exactly what fascinates me so if you're into that, it's a must read.

Also China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia is a pretty great read, though be prepared for a long haul.

File: piichan_otoyomegatari_chapter_10otoyomegatari_chapter_10_0607.jpg (336KB, 1456x1067px) Image search: [Google]

336KB, 1456x1067px

Mori pls go

>>2270914
Except for Timur I guess.

>>2274413

The second one is an Uyghur.

Timur's building up of Samarkand is pretty hilarious. It was only done so all the foreign envoys could be impressed as fuck. Timur himself preferred living in a tent in the palace gardens.

File: gulistreetdate.jpg (45KB, 480x853px) Image search: [Google]

45KB, 480x853px

>>2274657
Why are Uyghurs so beautiful? Perfect mix of euro-asian features.

Imagine eating halal kebabs with a beautiful Uyghur gf on Urumqi main streets

File: GRORIOUS VICTOLY.jpg (279KB, 591x906px) Image search: [Google]

279KB, 591x906px

>>2274765
more like she would be that halal kebab

File: CJOFrrtWIAA42MJ[1].png (144KB, 600x309px) Image search: [Google]

144KB, 600x309px

T U R A N
U
R
A
N

>>2271878
Time to change that

Bring back Stalinabad

File: guliwithhanfriend.jpg (52KB, 440x588px) Image search: [Google]

52KB, 440x588px

>>2274778
That was in the past, everyone is friends now

File: dddd.jpg (51KB, 419x249px) Image search: [Google]

51KB, 419x249px

>>2274797
Finns are responsible for some of the worst memes.

>>2268055
Such a shame Khotan is owned by the chinese and Kashmir is both split and owned by three nations

>>2274819
they're all annoyingly nationalistic little fucks online I've noticed

almost as bad as Turks

>>2274778
Chicom infantry look slick I wonder if that photo was staged

>>2274715

Tent is a massive understatement to what people like Genghis, Timur, Batu, Kaidu, etc. would live in.

>>2274765
Modern Uyghur are a mix between the original Turkic Uyghurs and the Indo European Tocharians who originally inhabited the place. They are a hybrid people and culture between Indo European and Turkic and beautifully so, Xinjiang being legit one of my favorite historical regions.

>>2268055
I heard Samarkhand has turned to shit is this true anons? Such an important city historically and nobody has heard of it.

File: _data_pic_Reisebilder2016_Asien_UZSAM_Usbekistan-Samarkand-000-Registan_jpg.1461241860.1190x550x70.crop.jpg (123KB, 1190x550px) Image search: [Google]

123KB, 1190x550px

>>2275843

The historical parts at least still look beautiful as ever.

>>2270583
>Peter Frankopan
Please kill yourself for even suggesting this to me. The guy's your bog standard liberal academic and reading reviews of the book is basically "Wow, subjugation by the Steppe peoples was really great also Islam is the light".

File: image.jpg (103KB, 540x416px) Image search: [Google]

103KB, 540x416px

>>2274445

That manga is seriously one of the most detailed and well drawn i've ever read, seriously, every page is a work of art.

Plus i guess it's on topic since i's about central asia and worth being discussed here.

File: turkic-migrations.jpg (395KB, 870x496px) Image search: [Google]

395KB, 870x496px

The original white genocide.

>>2276356
So you haven't actually read it, but can't help shitposting about libruls

>>2268055
That is a picture of a mosque in Iran.

>>2270428
her Chinggis Khan is showing

Literally who?

>>2270398
Sasha Grey?

>>2276923
this

their invasion resulted in the rape and genocide of Indo-European peoples living throughout all of central asia and the middle east. Central Asia is now full of mixed race Elliot Rodgers thanks to them.

File: wp_ss_20170125_0003.png (809KB, 720x1280px) Image search: [Google]

809KB, 720x1280px

>>2268055
>Damn why do i find Central Asia so comfy


Because you have never been there.

>>2277160

Iran is in Central Asia.

>>2277744

And have you? Tell me about it desu

>>2277711
This angers me so much knowing that im missing out on so many non-TURKED qts

I hate those nomadic steppemonkeys so much

>>2277711
>Genocide

The natives weren't genocided, but integrated into the larger tribal confederations, a thing that happened all the time in the steppe, between both indo europeans and turks, they were always a heterogenous people.

>>2278042

The Indo europeans of that region were largely nomadic as well, plus hafu girls are total qts, central asia is the only place you may find stuff like asians with blonde hair and other stunning exotic combinations.

>>2277711
> Elliot Rodgers

Is this how we are calling white + asian hafus now? Lame.

File: IMG_3940.jpg (155KB, 733x900px) Image search: [Google]

155KB, 733x900px

Post more central asian babes

File: Shah_mosque_isfahan.jpg (2MB, 2141x1421px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 2141x1421px

>>2268055
That design is really unnerving me. It's really cool and amazing but it makes me shudder a little. It looks like an alien structure in a sci-fi movie.

File: GuliNazha10.jpg (18KB, 367x490px) Image search: [Google]

18KB, 367x490px

>>2280416

>>2280416
Does that Kazakh volleyball qt count?

File: 637.jpg (56KB, 656x492px) Image search: [Google]

56KB, 656x492px

>>2280416

File: 3d70f1d6177da1c4187b76c93b131100.jpg (18KB, 236x354px) Image search: [Google]

18KB, 236x354px

>>2280726

File: g_MCIIbcAOQ.jpg (92KB, 452x603px) Image search: [Google]

92KB, 452x603px

>>2280730

File: d05b7863-7cb2-4b8a-b95f-9599b5733be9.jpg (213KB, 679x960px) Image search: [Google]

213KB, 679x960px

>>2280732

File: charghad3.jpg (178KB, 653x1000px) Image search: [Google]

178KB, 653x1000px

>>2280734

File: litco_4.jpg (126KB, 600x422px) Image search: [Google]

126KB, 600x422px

>>2280738

File: 7cc3aa4ecf8a4ea584ec5eab552a9203.jpg (42KB, 243x369px) Image search: [Google]

42KB, 243x369px

>>2280745

File: E6F8C909-5019-4A75-944B-B4A077312288-4832-000004A0D28CC9F0_tmp.jpg (172KB, 1600x1600px) Image search: [Google]

172KB, 1600x1600px

>>2280638

Six feet of the best genes

File: guliprincess.jpg (70KB, 490x666px) Image search: [Google]

70KB, 490x666px

>>2280416

Post pure aryan qts from central asia

Can someone explain to me the Tocharian / Sogdian difference?

>>2274819
Ole hyvä

>>2274765
I don't see the beauty.

>>2278042
the irish must reconquest central asia

>>2278213
hapa girlz are 20 tiers below Tocharian goddesses

>>2280794
>tfw Nasarbayev is her sugar daddy
Sucks not to be a Central Asian dictator.

File: gulicheeky.gif (404KB, 200x200px) Image search: [Google]

404KB, 200x200px

>>2281865
You need to get your eyes checked.

She's the queen of /sino/ in /int/ because of her beauty.

>>2281765

Sogdians were an iranic speaking people related to the bactrians

Tocharians were a completely different branch of indo european speakers, now extinct as a language, but their descendents mixed with the Uyghurs to the point that some Uyghurs are 60% indo europeans and often sport blonde or red hair and light eyes.

>>2280437
Does the alcove trigger your tyrophobia? It's a nice place, they have horse carriage you can pay to get around the place and the bazaar sells lots of nice stuff. I got two persian rugs here.

File: Afrasiab_Murals_Recostruction.jpg (484KB, 1600x1050px) Image search: [Google]

484KB, 1600x1050px

>>2283201
Sogdians were also the original builders of Samarkand.

File: 15834460363_bb557c96a5_b.jpg (597KB, 1024x819px) Image search: [Google]

597KB, 1024x819px

>>2280437
thats the beauty of it, unlike most old buildings Persian architecture can look very new since no rustication happen to polished tiles as to what happen to stone and marble

the facade glows when you see it irl, its amazing

File: BPANDA-PLACES-6-57f76663180f1__880.jpg (185KB, 900x600px) Image search: [Google]

185KB, 900x600px

>>2284350
nice

>>2284350

Never realised the size of this building. Thanks for the scale.

>>2268055
Why do you post an Iranian mosque in a Central Asian thread?

>>2268588
Not true. There are still literal nomads, although it's true their numbers are greatly diminished compared to even 100 years ago.

>>2274765
You really could have picked a better example, m8. That girl is a dog.

>>2284711

You realize Iran is in Central Asia right?

Are you daft or something?

File: GuliNazha1.jpg (17KB, 328x415px) Image search: [Google]

17KB, 328x415px

>>2284778
You don't even have the guts to approach her IRL tough guy

>>2284885
I'm married, so moot point. She is really not that pretty. Plain Jane at best. Her ears are ridiculous.

File: gulinazHa.jpg (52KB, 586x631px) Image search: [Google]

52KB, 586x631px

>>2284962
>her ears are ridiculous
>elbows too pointy
>scratches neckbeard

File: Aq-Saray Palace (1379–1396 AD).jpg (4MB, 4288x2848px) Image search: [Google]

4MB, 4288x2848px

>>2268656
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0009/000944/094466e.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001057/105703eo.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001116/111664eo.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001204/120455e.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001302/130205e.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001412/141275e.pdf

File: Balkh Ziyarat-i Khwaja Abu Nasr Parsa (c. 1460).jpg (222KB, 616x800px) Image search: [Google]

222KB, 616x800px

>>2284350
They look new because they're all heavily restored. Mudbrick and mosaic falls apart pretty quickly if not taken care of.

>>2268651

Went to Bishkek in 2015/6 (New Year). Still nomads.

>>2285001
plastic bitch

File: carte-1-Asie-centrale-Afghanistan-et-Xinjiang-V2.jpg (447KB, 1377x760px) Image search: [Google]

447KB, 1377x760px

>>2284844
Iran is middle eastern

>>2284885

shooped as fuck

File: guliyoung.jpg (25KB, 500x292px) Image search: [Google]

25KB, 500x292px

>>2287666
>>2287722

You're thinking of South Korea

She's a natural central asian beauty

File: Тухья_анат_енчи.jpg (47KB, 500x375px) Image search: [Google]

47KB, 500x375px

>>2270398

>>2268055
Do central asian countries hate each other like east asian countries?

>>2268055
I'm legit sad that Central Asia and historical Khorasan got repeatedly nuked by horse niggers.

Fuck you Genghis

>>2289444
It falls somewhat along ethnic lines. The -Stans are either Turkic (Kazakh-, Turmen-, Uzbek-, Kyrgyz-) in background or Iranic (Tajikistan). But not all the Turkics like each other, depending on if they have nomad or settled origins (counting from the time right before Russian domination and soviet forced settlement). Some populations are also more secular or religious than others, there are quite a lot of ethnic Russians in most states, and there are several large sub-national minorities criss-crossing borders to keep things interesting.

In short, familiarity breeds contempt, just like everywhere else in the world.

>>2277899
>>2284844
Nope it's in Middle East, retard

Are you daft or something?

>>2291877
These distinctions are arbitrary and artificial, and made up by the West (another artificial distinction, our creation as well). Iran is lumped into "Middle East" more properly, but few Iranians see themselves as having any affinities with Egyptians, Lebanese, or even Iraqis. They are not Arabs and they generally dislike Arabs (except for the purely Islamic shit, but that's only among the super religious anyway).

>>2291877
>>2291968
Iran is half in the Middle East with the Persian Iraq and southern regions, and half Central Asian with Khorasan.

>>2270692
Whats planting cotton have to do with anything

>>2291877
If Turkmenistan is in asia then so is Iran

>>2276356
I like you

>>2292044
Planting cotton has short and long term damaging effects on soil quality, and basically makes any crop other than Cotton an unviable option for growth. Because of it those countries are likely dependent on Russia and either western or Asian countries for food materials which are unable to be grown. I am unsure if the finer details, but that is likely what the earlier post was referencing. It's a similar problem to post civil war economic recovery for the southern states in the United States of America.

>>2294206
Cotton is the source of so much evil in this world

>>2295715
Cons of cotton and polyester blends include being less breathable than cotton and trapping more moisture while sticking to the skin. They are also less fire resistant and can melt when ignited.[3]

>>2280745
Now that looks comfy.

How much food poisoning need I fear?

>>2291484
Can you compile a little ratings list for nomadic/settled and secular/religious?

>>2295859

I Don't know of anyone who died poisoned by Rice Pilaf of all things...

>>2296054
First good thing I hear about going there.

I don't speak any of the local languages, know jack shit about any of the countries, all I want is to see wide open country like what we don't have here in Germany.

Maybe I should practise on Hungary before setting my sights on the Stans.

>>2268546
Bump

>>2296113

You'll need to speak passable Russian to really get anything out of it. You can do it speaking nothing but you'll struggle outside of an organised tour.

>>2296054
pilaf is fucking amazing

i thought it would be like fried rice we have here in the west

blew my mind how much better it was