Uzbek national form. Uzbek national cuisine

Uzbek national costume - created in ancient times and used to this day, reflects the national specifics of the Uzbek people, is closely related to its culture and history. It has distinctions and peculiarities characteristic for each region.

Developing about the general line of clothing of the sedentary peoples of Maverannahr, at the same time it has many original and unique features. For example, the art of gold embroidery enjoys worldwide fame; archaeologists attribute traces of gold embroidery found at excavations in the Tashkent region to the beginning of our era. According to legend, gold embroidery was known in Sogdiana even before the appearance of silk. But it became especially widespread in the 19th - early 20th centuries.

The Uzbek national costume reflects artistic features, archaic features of folk crafts, ethnographic and regional forms of development of clothing.

Mens clothing

The casual men's clothing was the traditional shirt, which was originally below the knee and was later shortened to mid-thighs. The collar of the shirt was of two styles. In the first case, a collar was sewn to a long vertical cut. Shirts of a different style had a horizontal slit, from shoulder to shoulder. The inhabitants of the Tashkent and Fergana regions had a widespread men's open shirt - yachtak. It was sewn from cotton fabric and was worn by both young and old. The edges of the collar were sometimes trimmed with braid - jiyak. The clergy and the Uzbek aristocracy wore a shirt with only a horizontal collar. A relict phenomenon at the beginning of the XX century. there were Uzbek shirts quilted on cotton - guppicha, which were worn only by children and old people. Guppy in the Old Uzbek language means "armor", which gave rise to the researchers' version of the genetic connection between quilted shirts and protective weapons.

Pants are ishton. Deaf, without pockets, buttons and slits, wide at the top, they narrowed downwards and reached the ankles.

Outerwear

• The dressing gown is a man's dressing gown, it is distinguished by the same cut for any age, which indicates its archaism. Robes, depending on the season, were sewn without lining, with a thin lining and warm with cotton wool. Vertical cuts were made on the floors on both sides to increase the step. The collar, hem, hem and edges of the sleeves were trimmed with a narrow braided tape or strip of fabric, two ties were sewn on the chest. The highest form of urban craft was gold embroidery, which adorned the clothes of the emir and nobility.

Hats

• Turban - generally perceived as an attribute of Muslim culture, varied in size, color, manner of tying. A large white turban was worn by clergy, artisans - a small turban of gray or bluish colors, peasants - a bandage of colored scarves. The turban was the main headdress of the Uzbeks. Khorezmians prefer sheepskin hats of different colors as a headdress.
• Papakha is the headdress of the Khorezm Uzbeks. Khorezmians prefer hats - sheepskin hats of different colors as a headdress.
• The skullcap is a traditional Uzbek headdress. There are many variations in different regions. The Uzbek name for these hats is "duppi" or "kalpok". Especially by the 19th century, skullcaps as a headdress became widespread and a variety of their forms was determined - pointed, and cone-shaped, hemispherical and tetrahedral, round and domed skullcaps, in a word, of any kind that the local custom prompts. The most common men's Chust skullcap from the Fergana Valley has a strict, modest and at the same time very decorative look. It is characterized by embroidery with white threads of an ornament in the form of kalampir pepper pods on a black background, and along the edge there are sixteen patterned arches in a row. Most often, black satin or velvet was chosen for men's skullcaps. In total, there are, including the Fergana Chust men's skullcaps, six historically established regional groups of headdresses - Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya and Khorezm. Each district has its own style, passed down from generation to generation

Footwear

The people of the lowland oases wore soft boots along with leather mules. During horseback riding, the Uzbek nobility wore ceremonial boots made of green shagreen leather, the graceful heel of which was sloped to the middle of the sole, allowing the rider to hold onto the stirrups with particular dexterity.

Gallery

Mirza Abdulkhak and Rustom-beg, Uzbeks of the Katagan clan. At the talks in g, Afghanistan.		Uzbeks of Khojent in traditional attire, Fergana Valley, approx.		Uzbeks of Khiva, Khorezm oasis, North-North-West Uzbekistan, g.		Uzbek at the silk and spice festival in Bukhara.

Womens clothing

Dance wear Women's clothing consisted of a robe, dress, wide trousers, scarf or burqa, skullcaps, and shoes. Jewelry made of gold or silver has always been an indispensable addition to the costume of Uzbek women of all ages.

Outerwear

• Women's dressing gown - the collar of the women's dressing gown is quite open and wide, its sides almost do not converge. The sleeves are shorter but looser than in men's robes. Among the women of the Bukhara and Samarkand oases were widespread light long swinging gowns rumcha, slightly fitting at the waist. Mursak robe was a specific outer clothing for women. This is a tunic-shaped swinging garment without a collar, which was sewn so that the floors, when worn, go over each other. Mursaks were made long, to the ground, lined, and more often quilted with cotton wool. The collar, hem and bottom of the sleeves were trimmed with woven braid.
• Camisole - in the second half of the 19th century, a camisole or camiso appeared among outerwear. This is a dressing gown slightly fitting at the waist with short and narrow sleeves, with a cut-out armhole and a turn-down collar. At the same time, short sleeveless jackets such as nimcha vests began to appear.

Hats

• Headscarf - Uzbek women covered their heads with a headscarf. Often the headdress consisted of two shawls, one of which was thrown over the head, and the second, folded diagonally, was worn in the form of a headband. In the 19th century, women wore a scarf with an outlet for their faces, and a small scarf, a peshona rumol, was tied on their foreheads.
• The burqa is a robe with long false sleeves and a hair net covering the face - chachvan. In the twenties of the XX century, when the Soviet government waged a struggle against "vestiges", the burqa gradually fell out of use in most regions.
• The skullcap is a costume of a young Uzbek woman, and today it is often complemented by a bright, elegant skullcap.

Footwear

The main shoe for women was mules.

Gallery

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An excerpt characterizing the Uzbek national costume

The Rostovs' financial affairs did not recover during the two years they spent in the village.
Despite the fact that Nikolai Rostov, firmly adhering to his intention, continued to serve in a dark regiment, spending relatively little money, the course of life in Otradnoye was such, and especially Mitenka did business in such a way that debts grew uncontrollably every year. The only help that the old count evidently offered was service, and he came to Petersburg to look for places; look for places and at the same time, as he spoke, entertain the girls for the last time.
Soon after the Rostovs arrived in St. Petersburg, Berg proposed to Vera, and his offer was accepted.
Despite the fact that in Moscow the Rostovs belonged to high society, without knowing it and not thinking about which society they belonged to, in Petersburg their society was mixed and indefinite. In Petersburg they were provincials, to whom the very people did not descend, whom the Rostovs fed in Moscow without asking them what society they belonged to.
The Rostovs lived in Petersburg as hospitably as in Moscow, and at their dinners the most diverse people converged: neighbors in Otradnoye, old poor landowners with their daughters and the lady-in-waiting Peronskaya, Pierre Bezukhov and the son of the district postmaster who served in Petersburg. From men, domestic people in the Rostovs' house in St. Petersburg very soon became Boris, Pierre, whom the old count had met on the street, and Berg, who spent whole days with the Rostovs and gave the senior Countess Vera such attention that a young man can give intending to make an offer.
It was not without reason that Berg showed everyone his right hand, wounded in the Battle of Austerlitz, and held a completely unnecessary sword in his left. He so persistently and with such significance told everyone this event that everyone believed in the expediency and dignity of this act, and Berg received two awards for Austerlitz.
In the Finnish War, he also managed to excel. He picked up a grenade splinter that killed the adjutant near the commander-in-chief and presented this splinter to the commander. Just like after Austerlitz, he told everyone about this event for so long and persistently that everyone believed that it was necessary to do it, and Berg received two awards for the Finnish War. In 1919 he was a captain of the guard with orders and occupied some special advantageous places in St. Petersburg.
Although some free-thinkers smiled when they were told about Berg's dignity, it was impossible not to agree that Berg was a serviceable, brave officer, on an excellent account with his superiors, and a moral young man with a brilliant career ahead and even a solid position in society.
Four years ago, meeting in the stalls of a Moscow theater with a German comrade, Berg pointed to Vera Rostova and said in German: "Das soll mein Weib werden" [She must be my wife] and from that moment decided to marry her. Now, in Petersburg, realizing the position of the Rostovs and his own, he decided that the time had come, and made an offer.
Berg's proposal was initially accepted with perplexity, which was unflattering for him. At first it seemed strange that the son of a dark, Livonian nobleman was making an offer to Countess Rostova; but Berg's main character trait was such a naive and good-natured egoism that the Rostovs involuntarily thought it would be good if he himself was so firmly convinced that it was good and even very good. Moreover, the Rostovs' affairs were very upset, which the groom could not but know, and most importantly, Vera was 24 years old, she traveled everywhere, and, despite the fact that she was undoubtedly good and reasonable, until now no one has ever proposed to her ... Consent was given.
“You see,” Berg said to his comrade, whom he called a friend only because he knew that all people have friends. - You see, I figured it all out, and I would not marry if I didn’t think it over, and for some reason it would be inconvenient. And now, on the contrary, my papa and mamma are now provided for, I arranged this lease for them in the Ostsee Territory, and I can live in Petersburg with my salary, with her condition and with my accuracy. You can live well. I'm not getting married for money, I consider it ignoble, but it is necessary that the wife bring her own, and the husband his. I have a service - she has connections and little funds. It means something like that nowadays, doesn't it? And most importantly, she is a wonderful, respectable girl and loves me ...
Berg blushed and smiled.
“And I love her, because she has a very good character and is judicious. Here is her other sister - of the same surname, but completely different, and an unpleasant character, and there is no mind, and such, you know? ... It's unpleasant ... And my fiancee ... You will come to us ... - Berg continued, he wanted to say dinner, but changed his mind and said: "To drink tea," and, piercing it quickly with his tongue, he released a round, small ring of tobacco smoke, which fully embodied his dreams of happiness.
Near the first feeling of perplexity aroused in the parents by Berg's proposal, the usual festivity and joy in such cases settled in the family, but the joy was not sincere, but outward. In the feelings of the family about this wedding, confusion and bashfulness were noticeable. As if they were ashamed now that they loved Vera so little, and now they were so willing to get away with her. The old count was most embarrassed. He probably would not know how to name what was the cause of his embarrassment, and that reason was his money affairs. He decidedly did not know what he had, how much debts he had, and what he would be able to give as a dowry to Faith. When the daughters were born, each was assigned 300 souls as a dowry; but one of these villages had already been sold, the other was mortgaged and so expired that it had to be sold, so it was impossible to give the estate. There was no money either.
Berg had been the groom for more than a month and only a week remained before the wedding, and the count had not yet decided with himself the question of the dowry and had not talked about it with his wife. The count either wanted to separate the Ryazan estate to Vera, then he wanted to sell the timber, then he wanted to borrow money against a bill. A few days before the wedding, Berg entered the count’s office early in the morning and, with a pleasant smile, respectfully asked the future father-in-law to announce to him what would be given for Countess Vera. The count was so embarrassed by this long anticipated question that he thoughtlessly said the first thing that occurred to him.
- I love that I took care, I love you, you will be satisfied ...
And he patted Berg on the shoulder and stood up, wanting to end the conversation. But Berg, smiling pleasantly, explained that if he did not know correctly what would be given for Vera, and did not receive in advance even a part of what was assigned to her, he would be forced to refuse.
- Because judge, Count, if I now allowed myself to marry, without having certain means to support my wife, I would have acted meanly ...
The conversation ended with the Count, wishing to be generous and not subject to new requests, said that he was issuing a bill of 80 thousand. Berg smiled meekly, kissed the count on the shoulder and said that he was very grateful, but now he could not find a job in a new life without receiving 30 thousand dollars in pure money. “At least 20 thousand, Count,” he added; - and then only a bill of 60 thousand.
- Yes, yes, well, - the count spoke quickly, - just excuse me, my friend, I will give 20 thousand, and besides, a bill for 80 thousand ladies. So then, kiss me.

The word "ornament" translated from Latin means "decoration", that is, patterns that cover various products of folk artisans, architectural structures, clothing and household items.

The national Uzbek ornament is unusually rich and amazingly beautiful, it is multifaceted and deep in its essence, since it is based on the most ancient symbolism. In some cases, the key to its solution has already been lost, but thanks to the painstaking work of Uzbek scientists, art historians and folk craftsmen who preserve the heritage of their ancestors, magic patterns reveal to us some of their secrets.

Today, each type of applied art in Uzbekistan is rich in its own special patterns and weaves, all ornamental motives have an ancient folk name. As a rule, patterns reflect the surrounding nature, flora and fauna, everyday life of a person, his dreams and wishes.

For example, the main ornament of traditional Uzbek embroidery is a lush blooming garden - a symbol of fertility, a wish for happiness and prosperity. Fragrant and bright flowers, thanks to the skill and imagination of folk artists, moved from gardens and steppes to canvas.

The image of each flower has its own symbolism: a young man was a field cornflower, a young girl was a scarlet poppy, a rose symbolized peace and beauty, and a tulip - innocence and purity.

Thread

In the amazing ornaments that adorn examples of folk art, images of plants are often found, which, in the opinion of our ancestors, had any healing properties, brought a blessing or served as a talisman.

embroidery

The symbols of health and long life are the fruits of noble almonds, the image of a pepper pod means purification and should protect from evil, red grains of a ripe pomegranate personify wealth, abundance and fertility. In the thick of foliage, among the blossoming buds and graceful vines, bright birds are depicted, personifying the encrypted wish of family happiness.

ceramics

exhibit from the Tashkent Museum

Lyagan "Rishtan ceramics"

Lyagan "Rishtan ceramics" is not just a dining attribute, it is a table decoration

Centers of traditional pottery that emerged centuries ago in different parts of Uzbekistan still exist today, and in each of them ceramics has its own original characteristics.

Modern craftsmen from Rishtan, a small town in the east of Uzbekistan, one of the oldest in the Fergana Valley between Kokand and Fergana, revive the traditions of their ancestors. The once light and ringing Rishtan ceramics were known throughout Central Asia.

Since ancient times, Rishtan has been famous for its pottery art of making colored ceramics.

The reddish clay for the product is mined in the city itself. Craftsmen claim that their clay is of such high quality that it does not even need preliminary processing.

Even now, blue-turquoise glaze and characteristic floral ornaments are the most popular in Uzbekistan. Such dishes and bowls can be easily presented in the kitchen, both in the main quality of dishes and in the form of decorative decorations.

Masters from ancient Bukhara today have learned to reproduce the technique of ancient Arabic painting.

plate for dried fruits

The variegated plumage of a peacock, pheasant or rooster feathers are designed to protect from the evil eye, the same purpose is served by the "snake footprint" pattern. In the applied art of Uzbekistan, symbolic images of other animals were also widely used: curved ram's horns meant strength and courage, and the nightingale meant supreme wisdom.

Craftsmen often imbued their bizarre designs with ancient folk symbols of the sun, earth and moon, stars and sky. The Universe had its own symbolic image, which was conventionally depicted as a "tree of life" in the form of fabulous lush bushes or colorful bouquets in fancy vases.

Wavy and flowing patterns are associated with the agricultural cult of fertility, personifying the streams of life-giving water that gives life.

ornaments in mosques of Samarkand

The invention of the concept of "Uzbeks"
Before the national-state demarcation of Soviet Central Asia, there was no such people as Uzbeks. The sedentary population inhabiting this territory was called the collective term "sart", which means "huckster" in Persian. The word "sart" was used by Plano Carpini in the 13th century. However, the concept of "sart" was not so much ethnic as it reflected the economic and cultural type of the settled population of Central Asia. The Sarts called themselves by the name of the area where they lived: Tashkent people, Kokand people, Khivans, Bukhara people, Samarkand people ...

In addition to the Sarts, the territory of the future Uzbekistan was inhabited by numerous nomadic Turkic tribes, such as Ming, Yuz, Kyrk, Jalair, Saray, Kongurat, Alchin, Argun, Naiman, Kypchak, Kalmak, Chakmak, Kyrgyz, Kyrlyk, Turk, Turkmen, Bayout, Burlan, shymyrchik, kabasha, nujin, kilechi, kilekesh, buryat, ubryat, kyat, khytai, kangly, uryuz, dzhunalakhi, kuji, heaps, utarchi, puladchi, dzhiyyt, dzhuyut, dzhuldzhut, turmout, uymaut, arlat, kereit, ongut mangut, jalaut, mamasit, merkit, burkut, kiyat, kuralash, oglen, kary, arab, ilachi, dzhuburgan, kyshlyk, girey, dope, tabyn, tama, ramadan, uishun, badai, hafiz, uyurji, jurat, tatar, yuyurji Batash, Batash, Kauchin, Tubay, Tilau, Kardari, Sankhiyan, Kyrgyz, Shirin, Oglan, Chimbai, Charkas, Uygur, Anmar, Yabu, Targyl, Turgak, Turgan, Teit, Kohat, Fakhir, Kujalyk, Shuran, Deraj, shuja-at, avgan - only 93 clans and tribes. The most powerful tribes were Datura, Naiman, Kunrats and, of course, Mangyts.

Average Uzbek

Average Uzbek woman
The secular dynasty in the Bukhara Emirate, which replaced the Ashtarkhanid dynasty, the former Astrakhan khans, in 1756 and ruled until the capture of Bukhara by the Red Army in 1920, also belonged to the mangyts. Another powerful tribe was the Mingi, who formed the ruling dynasty of the Kokand Khanate in 1709.

The son of the last Bukhara emir, Major of the Red Army Shahmurad Olimov

The last Bukhara emir Alim Khan from the Mangyt clan
Since the question of what peoples live in Soviet Turkestan did not have an unambiguous answer, a special Commission was created to study the tribal composition of the population of the USSR and neighboring countries. Summing up the results of its work during 1922-1924, the Commission went for an obvious forgery, passing off representatives of different tribes and clans of Turkic-Mongolian origin as historically non-existent ethnic Uzbeks. The Khiva Karakalpaks, Fergana Kipchaks, and Samarkand and Fergana Turks were appointed as Uzbeks by the Commission.

At first, Uzbekistan was the same territorial concept as Dagestan, where more than 40 nationalities live, but over several decades the peoples of Central Turkestan managed to drum into that they are an Uzbek nation.

In 1924, as the name of the population of the middle part of Central Asia, the collective name of the Uzbeks was given in honor of the Uzbek Khan, who stood at the head of the Golden Horde in 1313-41 and zealously spread Islam among the Turkic tribes under his control. It is the reign of Uzbek that is considered the starting point of the current Uzbek historiography, and some scholars, such as academician Rustam Abdullaev (not to be confused with the famous Moscow proctologist), call the Golden Horde Uzbekistan.

Bukhara zindan
Before the national-state demarcation, the territory of Uzbekistan was part of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of the RSFSR, the Bukhara People's Soviet Republic, formed instead of the Bukhara Emirate as a result of the Bukhara operation of the Red Army, and the Khorezm People's Soviet Republic (from October 1923 - the Khorezm Soviet Socialist Republic), formed instead of the Khiva khanate as a result of the Khiva revolution.

Uzbek customs
Urban Uzbeks are quite normal people. Most of them know Russian, are polite and educated. However, it is not representatives of the Uzbek intelligentsia who go to Russia, but residents of small towns and rural areas with a completely different mentality and respecting their patriarchal traditions.

It is noteworthy that even in the 21st century, rural Uzbeks have preserved the custom, according to which parents find a companion (tsu) for a lonely child, personal preferences are strictly secondary. And, since one of the unspoken laws of the Uzbeks is to obey and honor parents, a son or daughter is forced to resignedly agree.

Kalym is still paid for brides in most regions of Uzbekistan. According to local concepts, this is compensation to the girl's family for her upbringing and for the loss of working hands. Often, the money that the groom's family gives to the girl's family during the wedding provides the life of the bride's younger siblings. If, for many years of waving a broom in Russia, it was not possible to save up for kalym, the bride is simply stolen. The Uzbek police are engaged in returning the bride only if the parents pay well. But Uzbeks steal brides in other countries as well. For example, in the Osh region of Kyrgyzstan, where many Uzbeks live, a large-scale action against the practice of bride kidnapping was recently held. Activists then came out with information that annually in Kyrgyzstan over ten thousand girls are forced to marry, half of such marriages subsequently break up, there were cases of suicide of kidnapped girls. As a result, bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan is now equated with kidnapping, and this crime is punishable by imprisonment for a period of 5 to 10 years. Often, cases of ordinary rape are given for stealing a bride, and sometimes grooms demand a ransom for returning the bride home.

Pedophilia remains another entrenched Uzbek tradition. The sexual exploitation of boys in Uzbek is called bacha-bozlik Bacha bazi (in Persian - playing with "calves"), and these boys are called bacha.

Before the annexation of these territories to Russia, the Kokands and Bukharians made frequent raids on the Kazakh auls and even Russian villages. The main prey during such raids were boys who were sold into sexual slavery, and when their beards began to grow, they were simply killed.

In Soviet times, Uzbeks were terribly offended by the fact that in the official speeches of the leaders of the USSR, the Russian people were called their elder brother. The fact is that if for us the elder brother is the one who stands up for you in a street fight, then among these peoples the elder brother is the one who has you in the anus. The fact is that in families they have a clear hierarchy - a father can have all sons, daughters and daughters-in-law, and an older brother of all younger brothers and sisters, as well as the wives of younger brothers. If younger brothers begin to have nephews - children of older brothers, then they are already punished for this, but, as a rule, not severely, but nevertheless, fearing punishment, such adolescents rape other people's children, for which, however, they can get already strongly. Therefore, they either rape very young children who cannot complain, or they resort to child prostitution.

Bacha from Samarkand
Child prostitution has deep roots in Uzbekistan. Pimps in it are the parents of young prostitutes and prostitutes, but if a girl can be sold permanently, under the guise of giving away in marriage, then the boys have to be rented out.

Traditional economy
By the beginning of the 20th century, there were few purely nomadic groups among the future Uzbeks: most of the tribes led a semi-sedentary lifestyle, combining cattle breeding with agriculture. However, their way of life and organization of life remained associated with cattle-breeding culture. Domestic crafts for processing livestock products were preserved: tanning, nightmaking, carpet weaving, patterned weaving from woolen threads.

The main dwelling for pastoralists was the yurt, but even where stationary houses appeared, it was used as an auxiliary and ceremonial dwelling.

The men's and women's clothing of the Uzbeks consisted of a shirt, wide-leg pants and a robe (quilted with cotton wool or simply lined). The robe was girded with a sash (or folded scarf) or worn loose. Sometimes the robe was belted with several scarves at once - the number of scarves corresponded to the number of wives of the owner of the robe. Women wore Chavchan, over which a burqa was worn.

Uzbek cuisine is characterized by its diversity. Uzbek food consists of a large number of all kinds of vegetable, dairy, and meat products. An important place in nutrition is occupied by bread baked from wheat, less often from corn and other types of flour in the form of various cakes (obi-non, patir and others). Finished flour products are also widespread, including dessert ones. The range of dishes is varied. Foods such as Lagman, shurpa and porridge made from rice (shavlya) and legumes (mashkichiri) are seasoned with vegetable or cow oil, sauerkraut, red and black pepper, various herbs (dill, parsley, coriander, raikhan, etc.) ... Dairy products are diverse - katyk, kaymak, sour cream, cottage cheese, suzma, pislok, kurt, etc. Meat - mutton, beef, poultry (chicken, etc.), less often horse meat.

A relatively insignificant place in the diet is occupied by such popular products in other regions as fish, mushrooms and other products. The favorite dish of Uzbeks is pilaf. Uzbeks also love manti.

Uzbek language
The Uzbek language also does not represent something uniform. Each of the above tribes spoke their own language or dialects, which even belonged to different linguistic branches of the Turkic languages \u200b\u200b- Kipchak (which includes Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Bashkir, Nogai, Tatar, Karaite, Karachay-Balkar, Crimean, Urumak and Karakaluzpian) (which includes Turkish, Turkmen, Gagauz, Afshar and Azeri) and Karluk (Uyghur, Khoton, etc.). At the same time, in the 1920s, the Uzbek literary language was artificially created on the basis of the language of the inhabitants of the Fergana Valley. The Fergana language was taken as a basis not only because it was closest to the extinct Chagatai literary language, which was written in the Timurid era, but also in order to prevent the dominance of the Mangyt language and, accordingly, the Bukharians, who had their own statehood before. It must be said here that the Central Asian intelligentsia used to mainly use the Tajik language, but after that, the new Uzbek language was intensively introduced, prudently cleared of many Tajik borrowings. For the same reason, on September 1, 1930, the capital of the Uzbek SSR was moved from the Tajik-speaking Samarkand to the Turkic-speaking Tashkent. Until now, in Bukhara and Samarkand, the Uzbek intelligentsia prefers to speak Tajik, spitting on all the directives. The speakers of this language are actually not Tajiks at all. These are the so-called chala (literally "neither this, nor that"), which are mainly for the sight of the Bukharian Jews who converted to Islam. Elements of Jewish ritual are almost completely lost by them, and they carefully conceal their Jewish origin.

Rabbi teaches children of Bukharian Jews to read and write.

Traditional costume tells about the history and characteristics of the nation. It has been formed over the centuries, which means that by carefully studying it, you can trace the whole life of the people.

A bit of history

Uzbeks are a people with a rich history and interesting traditions. Visiting Uzbeks, you will be sure to drink tea and believe me, one cup of tea will not end. And when pouring another cup, they will ask: with respect or without? Do not be surprised that if you answer in the affirmative, only the bottom of the cup will be covered with tea. These are the traditions of hospitality and the host will gladly pour tea to the dearest guest.

Uzbeks are benevolent and patient people. Professing Islam, Uzbeks respect each faith. Their confession prescribes daily prayer, for which it is necessary to put on closed and comfortable clothes. Thus, under the influence of faith, the Uzbek national costume was created.

Features:

The Uzbek costume is easy to distinguish from any other, because it has features that correspond exclusively to Uzbeks.

Colors and shades

The color scheme of the national costume varied depending on the location of the Uzbeks. Thus, the Surkhandarya region was famous for its red color scheme. An interesting fact is that, despite the color peculiarities in each region, no one wore suits made of black and navy blue for fear of attracting bad luck.

The palette of colors in women's clothing betrayed not only the delicate taste of beauties, but also their position in society. For example, ladies, whose husbands held high positions, dressed in clothes in blue and purple shades, artisans in green.

Fabrics and fit

The Uzbek people love rich fabrics. For example, the top of national robes is made of velvet or velveteen. It is worth saying that robes were worn not only in summer, but also in the cool season, and this could not but affect the types of fabric. So, warm models of the chapan robe are insulated with a layer of camel wool or cotton wool.

The cut of the national costume was simple and did not differ in gender or age. In most cases, clothes were sewn from straight pieces of fabric; in small remote villages, this fabric was not even cut, but was torn along a straight thread.

Subsequently, for a shirt, a straight piece of fabric was bent, creating the front and back, additional pieces were sewn to the sides, and a gusset was placed under the armpit. It should be said that the pants were the result of skillful sewing of straight pieces of fabric.

Varieties

Despite the similarity in cut, men's and women's suits have their own fundamental characteristics.

• The first important element for menis chapan. This quilted robe is designed not only for home, but also for everyday life and even celebrations. The festive models are adorned with rich gold thread embroidery. Replaces the dressing gown and outerwear if it has insulation. Interestingly, colorful chapans are still popular far beyond the borders of Uzbekistan, they become an expensive gift for beloved men and colleagues.

The shirt is an integral part of the Uzbek wardrobe. Her first models were sewn in knee length, but now you can find a more comfortable length to mid-thigh. Called kuilak, it can have a vertical cut to the chest line or a horizontal cut from shoulder to shoulder.

Wide trousers are an obligatory part of the Uzbek costume. The trousers taper down to provide comfort while walking.

A man's shirt or dressing gown is girded with a wide belt, which, it should be said, is admirable in some models. Celebration belts are made of luxurious velvet, decorated with beads, symbolic embroidery and complemented with amulets.

• Women costumeuzbek beauties consisted of a tunic-like dress. The first models reliably covered the whole body and reached ankle length. The dress was made using straight pieces of fabric and did not differ much from a man's shirt. Later, a feminine yoke and gathered cuffs appeared on the dress.

In addition to the dress, the Uzbek woman wore wide trousers without fail. They were distinguished from men's by the bottom decorated with braid. The same chapan served as the outer garment. After some time, women began to dress in a camisole, as well as in feminine vests.

• Children's national costumesimilar to male and female. Often, they stop at the factory options. Knitted suits are especially popular. A charm is attached to the child's headdress to protect against the evil eye.

Accessories and footwear

If the costume according to the canons of Islam should be restrained, then Uzbek women are not limited in jewelry. Gold and silver in the form of earrings, bracelets and rings are an integral attribute of the image of an Uzbek woman. Symbols and charms are applied to gold jewelry, protecting a woman and her family.

Speaking of headdresses, the woman was originally wearing a burqa. The everyday option was black. Interestingly, they preferred to wear it exclusively when going outside the gates of their own home, fearing to attract the black color of adversity to the family. Later, the burqa was replaced by scarves and duppi skullcaps.

As footwear, Uzbek women used soft boots without a backdrop and heels, as well as models made of rough leather or rubber. The latter, it should be said, are still popular today due to their excellent thermal properties and convenience.

Men originally wore a skullcap as a headdress. Soft boots were worn as shoes. The Uzbeks of the upper strata of society also had ceremonial boots with a slight bevel towards the middle of the sole. This detail was intended for riders, helping them to be more confident in the saddle.

Modern models

The beauty of the East has always conquered Europeans. It is not surprising that modern clothing models are being created today, inspired by the mood of an alluring, closed and at the same time very hospitable Uzbekistan.

1. A suit with a short wide robe and skullcap, embroidered with symbols and floral motifs, amaze with a riot of colors and their harmony. The colorful costume is complemented by a large amulet pendant.
2. A bright dress with an elastic at the waist, made in a characteristic Uzbek color scheme, improved with slits on the shoulders and wide sleeves.
3. The tunic-like dress and pants look very modern, because the latter have a narrowed cut, outlining a feminine figure.

Colorful and original, hearty and aromatic Uzbek dishes are famous all over the world. The cuisine of Uzbekistan is saturated with the influences and culinary traditions of the Turkic and Persian peoples. A little of everything is taken from them, and the most important thing is at the same time. The dishes from Uzbekistan, bright in color and rich in taste, are prepared from simple and affordable products. And you can make them in your kitchen with just a little study of the recipes.

Features of Uzbek cuisine

The main ingredient for most dishes of Uzbek cuisine will be meat. Lamb and horse meat are most often used (for some dishes). Poultry and beef are not so loved and revered by Uzbeks. We won't talk about pork and Muslim traditions at all.

In addition to meat, fish "goes" very well. It is especially popular in coastal areas, where a lot of fish kebab is prepared during the seasons. Uzbek dishes have a certain seasonality. In the cold winter season - these are meat rolls, salads and hot soups, homemade sausage. In summer, Uzbeks most often prepare hearty lagman for dinner and aromatic teas. Autumn is the time when the abundance of the harvest has always been skillfully used by Uzbek housewives. These are dolma, pumpkin pilaf, manti with potatoes, and sour milk soup.

Pilaf, of course, is a table decoration and a visiting card. It will vary depending on the area. Uzbek dishes are so diverse and multifaceted that there are more than a hundred types of recipes for pilaf alone.

Lamb lagman

• Three medium onions.
• One green radish
• Four ripe tomatoes.
• One head of garlic.
• Sweet bell pepper.
• One small carrot.
• Vegetable oil - 200 grams.
• Chili pepper (optional)
• A pound of lamb.
• A small bunch of green onions.
• Green beans - 100 grams.
• Spices: salt, allspice or peas, coriander, paprika.

Lamb lagman has its own flavor - it is homemade noodles. To prepare it, you will need: four glasses of flour, three chicken eggs, a pinch of soda and salt, as well as a little vegetable oil. We knead a thick dough from these ingredients, cover it with a towel and leave it to “come up” for two hours.

Dilute salt and water in a small container. Dip your hands in salt water and knead the dough. Gradually, it will all be saturated with salty solution, it will become soft and pliable. Rub the finished dough with vegetable oil and leave for another half hour in a bowl. From the present dough, small lumps are made (the size of a walnut). A long flagellum is made of each and coated with oil. Noodles will already be stretched from them.

Experts advise not to rush and let the test infuse for the allotted time. The lack of skill will be more than compensated for by a high-quality proofing of the dough. Noodles can be made for future use, they are perfectly stored in the refrigerator for two to three days.

Moving on to vegetables

Cut onion, radish, carrot and turnip into pieces. Remove the skin from the tomato and cut into slices. Sweet before chopped into strips. Beans and garlic in long strips. Only hot chili peppers are not cut in any way, they are left whole and so sent to the dish.

Cut the meat into pieces or long bars, place it in a cauldron, where the vegetable oil has already been warmed up. Fry. Then add vegetables in turn: onions, carrots, radishes, turnips, green beans, tomatoes, garlic and bell peppers. Pour in some boiled water. Boils. We simmer for ten minutes. Add seasoning and salt. We turn off the gas.

Boil the noodles in slightly salted water. We put it in a colo-slag. Lamb lagman is served in the following way: noodles - 2/3 of the plate, 1/3 - meat and vegetables.

Uzbek dolma

• 300 grams of lamb.
• Grape leaves.
• Five large onions.
• One glass of rice.
• One glass of sour cream or low-fat kefir.
• Herbs: cilantro, parsley, dill, basil.
• Spice.

Cut the lamb into pieces. Peel the onion. Pass the meat and onions through a meat grinder. Add undercooked rice, herbs, salt and pepper to the minced meat. Uzbek dolma is somewhat like cabbage rolls familiar to us. Only grape leaves are used here instead of cabbage. They should be doused with boiling water, laid out on the table and filled with rice and meat filling.

The finished rolls are laid out in a large, spacious container. Broth or just water is added. Extinguishing must necessarily take place over low heat. Depending on the amount of grape "cabbage rolls", the cooking time will also vary. Served with sour cream or kefir.

Barbecue

The secret of making any kebab lies in the marinade. Uzbek lamb shish kebab is no exception. For the marinade "in Uzbek" you will need:

• 1.5-2 kilograms of lamb (or beef).
• Four onions.
• Spices and salt.

Be sure to prepare the meat, that is, rid it of films and veins. Onions are chopped very finely or grated (we prepare handkerchiefs to wipe away tears). Ideally, the dish only requires onion juice.

But if tears "choke" and do not allow to squeeze it, it does not matter, you can use it with pulp. Add your favorite spices, salt and fresh herbs to the meat (optional). The marinade is ready. Its secret lies in the simplicity of the ingredients and the onion juice.

Katykli soup

Soups with sour milk are very popular in Uzbekistan. One of these dishes is katykli soup. The highlight of the dish is the use of dzhugara - a special cereal.

Required:

• Dzhugara - 500 grams.
• The same amount of meat (lamb or beef).
• Two onions.
• Half a liter of sour milk.
• Two large bunches of cilantro, dill, parsley and a sprig of raikhan.
• Red hot pepper and salt.

Dzhugara should be boiled for about an hour in slightly brackish water. After the cereal is ready, add finely chopped meat to it. You can put carrots or turnips, fried onions. Cook for another twenty minutes.

Remove soup from heat and mix well. As soon as it cools down a little, you can pour in the sour milk. Above - finely chopped greens.

Fried dumplings

• Flour - 500 grams.
• 500 grams of meat.
• Two chicken eggs.
• Five to seven heads of onions.
• Half a glass of water.
• Hot pepper and salt.

Uzbek dumplings, like any others, consist of two main ingredients: dough and minced meat. But there are also some peculiarities. The dough is made with an egg. It is broken into a large bowl, salt and water are added. Whisk thoroughly. Add flour little by little and knead the dough well. We leave it for ten to twenty minutes.

Minced meat - standard sample: meat and onions are passed through a meat grinder with the addition of salt, pepper and a small amount of herbs. Small fried minced meatballs are placed on the dough squares, rolled up and sent to deep fat.

Fresh tomato salad - Achik-chuchuk

Fresh Achik-chuchuk is quite popular in Uzbekistan - a salad of selected fleshy tomatoes. It is prepared very simply. Good for pilaf and lamb kebab.

• Four to five large tomatoes.
• Two small red onions.
• Vegetable oil, salt, spices, herbs, pepper - to taste.

The secret of this salad lies in the special preparation of onions. Tomatoes, as for any other salad, are cut arbitrarily (cubes, half slices, rings, etc.). But the onion is cut into half rings and ground with salt. This is done by hand. Then the ingredients are mixed and seasoned with vegetable oil.

Katlama

Another popular and world-famous Uzbek dish is katlama - flat cakes made from unleavened dough.

• Half a kilogram of flour.
• 200 milliliters of water.
• One teaspoon of salt.
• Vegetable oil - two tablespoons.
• Parsley, onions and salt for the filling.

Pour boiled water into a large deep container. Add flour, sunflower oil and salt there. The kneaded dough must be firm (tough). Leave it on for twenty minutes to get a little bit. Then divide into two parts, each roll very thinly. After smearing with vegetable oil and twisting a piece of dough into a roll, we leave it alone for another twenty minutes.

Now roll it out again and add the filling. Roll up the roll again. Cut into pieces and lightly press each one with your palm. It is recommended to fry the cakes in a pan in a sufficient amount of oil.

There is also a popular version of the Tatar katlama. It is more suitable for those who monitor their diet and do not allow the use of fried foods. The Tatar version is prepared in the same way as the Uzbek one. The only difference is that the tortillas are not fried, but steamed.

Ayran

The cuisine of Uzbekistan is famous not only for fragrant cakes, hearty kebabs and pilaf, but also for a wonderful drink that gives health and longevity. This is an Uzbek ayran, which has long been attributed to miraculous properties.

• Beneficial effect on the digestive system.
• Improving metabolic processes in the body.
• Positive effect on the heart muscle.
• It gives the skin freshness, radiance and youth.
• Saves from severe hangover.
• And it just quenches thirst and even hunger well.

Ayran, like other Uzbek dishes, is prepared from simple and inexpensive ingredients. The main component is katyk. But it can always be replaced with goat milk or low-fat natural yogurt. You will also need salt, sugar and water.

The cooking process is so simple that it may seem incredible to many. Take one part of milk or yogurt, add two parts of cold water and beat until frothy. Now it remains to sweeten the drink a little, salt and add finely chopped greens.

Ayran can be used not just as a drink. It is often used to make okroshka and hearty cakes. Okroshka recipe is simple. You will need several boiled potatoes (in cubes), boiled chicken eggs (six pieces), four fresh cucumbers (straws), a couple of large radishes (in cubes), boiled sausage or ham (boiled meat can be used). All ingredients are sent to a volumetric bowl, where ayran is added. By stirring and adding a little fresh herbs, you get a surprisingly filling, nutritious, yet low-calorie and refreshing dish suitable for the summer heat.

The recipe for potato cakes with ayran is as simple as making okroshka. Boiled potatoes must be mash, add cheese grated on a fine grater, a little salt, fifty grams of butter. Knead a thick dough from airan and three hundred grams of sifted flour. We make cakes from it. They can be stretched by hand or simply rolled out with a rolling pin.

It remains to put the potato-cheese filling and pinch the edges of the cakes. They can be brought to readiness in a dry frying pan or in the oven. Served with butter.