Places
Shakhimardan: ambitions of an exclave - photo essay
Ildar Sadykov, Maria Maksimycheva, Sergey Pogosyan
How tourism infrastructure still lags behind tourism ambitions - in a photo essay by Ildar Sadykov and Sergey Pogosyan. Shahimardan is an Uzbek exclave in Kyrgyzstan that is attracting increasing numbers of tourists, for now mostly from Uzbekistan. A mountain paradise with clear lakes tucked inside a neighbouring country, Shahimardan has huge potential not only as a place to escape and unwind, but also as a destination for exploring the Valley’s ethnic traditions, history and natural world. This photo essay by Ildar Sadykov and Sergei Pogosian looks at how the area’s tourism infrastructure is still lagging behind its ambitions.
To get to the territory of the exclave, a local resident needs to cross the border near the town of Vuadil in the Fergana region. Just 15 km through Kyrgyzstan - and there it is, the famous Shakhimardan, surrounded on all sides by picturesque mountains. The territory consists of two settlements - the town of Shakhimardan of the same name and Yordan.
Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanWe went specifically before the greenery appeared - to shoot a panorama of the place without unnecessary visual noise. And we saw Shakhimardan not from a travel agency catalog, but completely different: dry mountain slopes, almost no vegetation and a lot of stone. And a feeling that you are very far from familiar civilization.
One of the main attractions is an abandoned Soviet park. Paths, trees, some structures, traces of former resort development remain. Shakhimardan was once a popular vacation spot and a base for Soviet climbers.
There are also the Blue Lakes here. You can reach them by cable car, and beyond that begins a completely different part of Shakhimardan - mountainous and almost deserted.
Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanShakhimardan also has plenty of holy sites. There is a suggestion that Hazrat Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, is even buried here.
Shakhimardan is gradually increasing its tourist flow. Dachas that vacationers rent are appearing, along with family guesthouses. Local residents rent out their houses and even apartments. All of this - is a contribution to building its own economy.
Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanBut there are also persistent problems: garbage, disrepair, abandoned and boarded-up buildings against the backdrop of incredible nature. One wants to believe that along with the desire to welcome more tourists will come an understanding of how to serve the growing flow and what to preserve as the main asset.
Photo: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanPhoto: Ildar Sadykov, Sergey PogosyanShakhimardan has found itself at an interesting point in its history: the old Soviet resort has not yet been completely erased, while new tourist zones are only beginning to acquire everything they need. We were lucky to see and capture this world now, while two formations exist in it simultaneously.
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