Despite their subsistence living on livestock, the Pamiri people, especially the villagers of Bulunkul in the Pamir Mountains (known as the roof of the world in Persian), are happy and want to stay in their homeland instead of moving to the big cities.
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| Timeless landscape:Nicknamed “Bam-i-Dunya” (Roof of the World in Persian), the Pamir Mountains in Central Asia, located mostly in Gorno-Badakhshan, an autonomous region in eastern Tajikistan that borders China, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, are among the highest mountain ranges in the world. Once part of the legendary Silk Road, the area was off-limits to foreigners during the Soviet era and has recently reopened to tourists. |
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| The road through the mountains:Gorno-Badakhshan is connected to the outside world by the Pamir Highway, which traverses the Pamir Mountains through Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is the second highest road in the world (after Pakistan’s Karrakoram Highway), with its highest point being the Ak Baital Pass in Tajkistan at 4,655 m. Gorno-Badakhshan is only accessible from May to September, when the road is no longer covered in snow. |
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| Evidence of a glorious past:The Pamir Mountains were important in the southern part of the ancient Silk Road. The 3rd-century Yamchun Fortress is one of the most impressive structures in the Wakhan Valley, on the Afghan border. Built atop a cliff, the fortress played a key role on the Silk Road, managing traffic, security and the flow of goods. |
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| Afghanistan Horizon:A Tajik border guard stands on the ruins of the 4th-century Khakha fortress in the Wakhan Valley, looking towards Afghanistan, just a few hundred metres away across the Panj River. The border is heavily guarded for security reasons, but a weekly border market is held in the village of Ishkachim, where buyers and sellers come from both sides of the border, under military control, of course. |
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| Distinctive heritage:Because of their isolation, the Pamiri people still have a very unique culture, different from the rest of Tajikistan. The Pamiri are mostly Ismaili, a Shia Muslim group, while the Tajiks are Sunni Muslims. They have their own language as well as many traditional handicrafts, jewelry, music, and dances. Every July, the capital of the region, Khorog, hosts the Roof of the World festival. Dancers and artisans from all over the Pamir region as well as the mountainous regions along the Silk Road gather. The festival is not only a stop for cultural exchange, but also an event to preserve the unique heritage of the regions. |
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| Pamiri Eyes:In Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan, double eyebrows are considered a symbol of beauty, chastity for women and resilience for men. If double eyebrows are not naturally present or are not well defined, women often have to draw them on with a pencil. The girl (pictured) is from Ishkachim, who traveled about 100 km north to the Khorog region to attend music festivals. She wore her best traditional dress to the festival. |
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| The men's cattle:In contrast to the vibrant colors of the festivals, the Pamirs' livelihood is very simple. They mainly raise cattle and mine, and many of them just have a basic living. Here, a man tries to round up a herd of yaks to bring them back to the village of Bulunkul as it gets dark. Yaks, which resemble goats and sheep, are the main source of income for the villagers, providing them with meat and also for sale. The Pamirs have no other employment opportunities. |
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| Away from the world:In Bulunkul, 20 families live in simple houses made of brick, mud, wood and stone. The nearest road is the Pamir Highway, 16 km away. "In the village, we have a small shop in our house, selling things like oil, rice, and small chocolate bars. Every 15 days a truck comes from Khorog to bring us necessities," said Zainab, a Bulunkul resident. |
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| Choices for the future:About 50 children attend the village school, which has just two teachers. At 18, some choose to stay in the village to look after their families and livestock. Others, mostly men, go to Khorog, other parts of Tajikistan, or Russia to find work. Still, the Pamiri are resilient, and many prefer to stay in their homeland rather than go far. "In Bulunkul, we are used to this kind of life, with livestock, houses, and children. What would make us move? Our life is here. I have been to Khorog many times, but I never wished to live in a city. We are happy here," said Sakina, a Bulunkul resident. |
According to VNE
