As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Batken was forbidden to us. Some years ago, members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) kidnapped American and Japanese climbers in two separate incidents. Because of this, Batken was deemed dangerous and, to me, it became like a blank hole on my map of Kyrgyzstan. My site-mate Sean and I used to joke that Batken was where we’d find all of the glorious things that we’d been missing – Starbucks, McDonalds (yes, McDonalds), washing machines.
Batken City is a large, dusty village consisting of two, very short, paved streets, an intersection with a statue, and a litter-strewn park. Rather than permanent structures, many of the shops are converted shipping containers. A short distance away from the paved streets, winding, dusty neighborhoods spread out in every direction. Women wear headscarves, men wear kalpaks or the Uzbek do’ppi, and groups of Central Asia gypsies – the Lyuli – travel from house to house hawking their scrap metal. Simply put, it’s very different to Bishkek.
Yet, there is beauty here. The city is surrounded by agricultural fields and, beyond those, stunning mountains. I’ve regularly heard doves in the trees, which takes me pleasantly back to vacations in England. And, perhaps best of all, the shashleek is abundant and cheap.
Now that I’m no longer in the direct employ of the Department of State, I was free to travel to Batken last week. After four days there, I can say that it is no longer a blank hole on my map, but neither is it the land of glorious things.
Batken City is a large, dusty village consisting of two, very short, paved streets, an intersection with a statue, and a litter-strewn park. Rather than permanent structures, many of the shops are converted shipping containers. A short distance away from the paved streets, winding, dusty neighborhoods spread out in every direction. Women wear headscarves, men wear kalpaks or the Uzbek do’ppi, and groups of Central Asia gypsies – the Lyuli – travel from house to house hawking their scrap metal. Simply put, it’s very different to Bishkek.Yet, there is beauty here. The city is surrounded by agricultural fields and, beyond those, stunning mountains. I’ve regularly heard doves in the trees, which takes me pleasantly back to vacations in England. And, perhaps best of all, the shashleek is abundant and cheap.
I’ll be back in Batken for two weeks in April, though I won’t be spending my time in the city. My Research Assistant, Rahat, and I will be staying in a village nestled up against a Tajik enclave (more on those later) while we conduct research on women’s land rights. More to come on rural life in Batken in two weeks!
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