In the study of countries and regions, it is considered very important to know the history, culture, civilization, natural resources, people, and geographical location of a particular place, and its proper understanding and study is a good basis for new discoveries or inventions, which will lead to the economic, commercial, and social development of its people.
However, to gain economic benefits from this knowledge, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that this or that place has resources and conditions that are its own natural properties, and with proper exploration, a good commercial and financial basis can be created.
One of those assets is the tourism sector, which this or that region has, and therefore its proper and appropriate exploration is considered very important for finding economic foundations, which many of us still do not take seriously. It is known to all that tourism or world tourism is one of the profitable means of many countries in the world, from which they earn billions of dollars annually.
An example of this can be observed in most countries of the world, and especially in some areas of South Asia such as India, Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, which earn millions of dollars annually from tourism. It should be noted that this point is indicated in the definition of tourism, which must be learned well and accurately, in order to form its practical meaning.
“The region of South Asia can again be a hub of economic activities through improved connectivity, as it was in the ancient times,” said Nagesh Kumar, director of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)’s South and South-West Asia Office.
According to him “These two corridors had the potential to make South Asia a hub of trade of Europe and Central Asia with East Asia, benefiting particularly the landlocked countries in South Asia such as Afghanistan and those in Central Asia, emerge as bridges linked up through multimodal routes.”
Tourism is “the set of activities of an individual or individuals who travel to a place outside their usual place of residence and stay there for at least one night or for the whole year, with the aim of spending their leisure time”.
The word tourism is originally derived from the Latin root “tarn”, which means to go around, to go back and forth, to turn. According to forecasts, tourism is growing year by year, and in 2018, a total of more than 1 billion tourists left their homeland to travel, and industry experts believe that their number will exceed. 17 billion by 2030. And these forecasts indicate that the tourism industry is one of the most profitable sectors of the country, which should be given more attention.
It should be noted that the Central Asia and Caucasus region is a historical region that has its own unique cultural, artistic, and folk art. These historical treasures and artifacts have been mentioned in many writings and works of historians from the West and the East, Arabs and Persians, and are still preserved and known in their official and personal documents.
Arab historians know the region better as Transoxiana, which is a source of pride for Tajikistan, which is part of this region and has declared 2019-2021 the Year of Rural Development, Tourism, and Folk Crafts, so that tourists and historians around the world can gain spirituality and enjoyment from these artifacts.
The people of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kirgizstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are proud that they are located in the Central Asian region, or in other words, Transoxiana having an ancient history and unique culture that is known and recognized worldwide. The ancient’s places of Central Asia including Zarafshan, Ferghana and Hisar valleys are known as historical around the world, which is a good basis for the development of the country’s tourism sector.
It is worth noting that Tajikistan, compared to other countries in the world, can be introduced and introduced to domestic and foreign tourists as follows: A country that has the Pamir “Roof of the World”, named after the Ismail Somoni peak (over 7,000 m), steep slopes, and charming, camel-like mountain ranges.
The site and location of ancient civilizations and monuments of the world, such as the Hisor Fortress, Hulbuk, the Obburdon Fortress in the Mastchoh Mountains, and the city of Sarazm in the Panjakent district or Panjrud (5,500 years old), are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
With the resting places and shrines of wise elders, bearers of knowledge, and lovers of truth, such as Mirsayidali Hamadani (Kulob), Mawlana Yaqub Charkhi (Dushanbe), Abuabdullah Rudaki (Panjrud city), Abulaysi Samarkandi (one of Mawlana Yaqub Charkhi’s disciples in the Samaqandi Hill neighborhood), Mawlavi Jununi (Rahat community), and Abu Musa Ash’ari (Mastchoh mountains), many people around the world are in love with them and are eager to see them, so that they can gain spiritual comfort from their spiritual vision.
With the ancient bazaars and alleys of “Panjshanbe” in Khujand, Istravshan and Panjakent, teahouses and buildings with architectural arts and carvings by the skilled craftsmen of Isfara, Istravshan and Khujand, and other ancient monuments of the Central Asian region that fascinate tourists with their beauty and appearance a modern and impressive museum with the second largest Buddha statue, it has a place to welcome and receive its guests.
According to some researchers, the Fergana Valley remains a “mysterious land” (terra incognita). The Fergana Valley is one of the oldest historical and ethnographic parts of Central Asia. It is located in the southeastern part of the region, surrounded by the majestic Tien Shan mountains in the north and northeast and the Pamirs and Alai in the south. Only in the western part does this valley have such a small outlet to other regions of Central Asia that it is known in literature as the “gates of Khujand”.
The Ferghana valley is called the pearl of Central Asia for its richness and beauty. The valley is surrounded by the Tien Shan and Hissar-Alai mountains, and only in the West opens the gates to the Syr Darya river. Thus, reports about the Ferghana state of Davan are already contained in ancient Chinese Chronicles from the end of the II century BC, and in the middle ages it was one of the leading appanages of Maveraunnahr.
The fact that in ancient times the valley was the center of various civilizations, reminiscent of the remains of the bronze age settlements, the early iron age and monuments of the middle ages. Fifty kilometers from Ferghana is the small town of Rishtan. From the IX century BC the citizens of Rishtan have been renowned for their ceramics.
For 1,100 years, masters have passed down the secrets of producing ceramic products from local varieties of red clay and glazes made from natural mineral dyes and ash from mountain plants from generation to generation. Big dishes “lagans”, deep bowls “shokosa”, jugs for water, vessels for milk decorated with glaze ornament “ishkor” of unforgettable turquoise and ultramarine colors, brought istarskim masters famous at many international exhibitions, decorate expositions of many museums and private collections.
The ancient cities such as Namangan and Andijan the birthplace of the famous sufi poet Mashrab and Zahiriddin Babur, the poet, author of the famous epic “Babur-nameh”, a General, statesman who conquered India and founded his empire are the oldest cities in the Ferghana valley.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Namangan was the second most populous city and the center for cotton processing in the Ferghana valley. As a result, caravans from Samarkand, Bukhara, Tashkent and other cities traveled along this route to Eastern Turkestan. Through the northern and northeastern mountain passes, Fergana was connected to Talas, Issyk-Kul, Mastchoh, Rasht, Badakhshan, Kulob, Hisor and other mountainous regions of the Pamirs and Alai.
The favorable geographical location of the Fergana Valley not only ensured its rapid economic and cultural development, but also became the reason for the arrival of various ethnic elements and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Fergana Valley became the most densely populated and ethnically diverse region in Central Asia.
This relatively small area, covering 22 thousand square kilometers, is home to three regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan, three regions of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, and the Sughd region of the Republic of Tajikistan, with a total population of about 14.5 million people. One third of the population of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and half of the population of Kyrgyzstan live here.
On average, more than 650 people live per square kilometer, which is comparable to the most densely populated regions of India and China. In many districts of the Fergana Valley, the population density reaches 2,000 people per square kilometer.
In the last century, this territory was divided between three states of the region. Most of the plains, with the cities of Andijan, Assak, Kokand, Kuvasoy, Margelon, Namangan and the eastern part of Fergana, where the cities of Jalal-Abad, Osh and Uzgen, as well as the mountains that hug the valley from the north, east and south of the region.
With the ancient Silk Road crossing, clean and clear rivers and waters, beautiful springs and waterfalls and charming mountain ranges, the country is one of the riches that today attracts most of the world’s tourists to visit.
Relations between all Central Asia especially neighboring countries including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have been intensified with friendship, peace and people prosperity opening new opportunities for regional tourism. The heads of the states focused more on people prosperity and used positive negotiations on the establishment on neighboring friendship promoting peace and love.
According to a researcher one of the main achievements of the head of states is not only the smoothing of mutually beneficial relations between neighbors, but also negotiations between the countries of South Asian and world regions too. The people of the Fergana Valley have lived side by side for centuries, forming bonds of kinship and the Border differences never will be the reason for the severance of these ties. People’s diplomacy always plays a valuable and important role in promoting people public diplomacy in peace.
The people of the countries have long-standing political, economic, literary, linguistic, cultural ties in the light of UN, ECO, CICA, SCO organization and the implementation of the above recommendations within the framework of the signed agreements, can play an important and fundamental role in the development and expansion of cooperation in the spheres of economy, culture, tourism, energy and industrialization. With its ancient culture and customs, diverse natural geo-complexes, recreational and tourist resources, and hospitable and artisanal people, has become known in most countries of the world.
To sum up, it is necessary for war-hit countries to learn from the peace, friendship, and neighborliness of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, avoiding war, hostility, and separation which causes the suffering and poverty, and contribute for people’s peace prosperity of the world, using the formula or acronym “PEACE”, which originates from the peace school of Tajikistan stands for:
- Promotion – Advocate for peace and build progressive societies
- Economization – Use resources wisely and sustainably
- Activation – Implement programs and initiatives effectively
- Cooperation – Foster collaboration across borders
- Elimination – Address and remove public threats and risks
Meanwhile a poem created by me promoting peace among the world countries leaning from Central Asian friendship peace accord signed in Khujand city during the Nauruz of 2025.
Sulhu dustivi hamjawori safa awarad,
Jangu dushmanivu judai bala awarad.
Bibayad hama bahri sulhi khalqi jahan,
Girifta sabaq zi sulhi tajiku kurgizu uzbekon
By using the strategy of the “open doors” policy, focusing on the development of villages, folk crafts and tourism, and creating an exchange of experiences, especially with cities around the world that are sister cities has been able to develop the tourism sector, strengthen the tourism culture and diplomacy of its people, and further improve its political, economic and scientific aspects. By maintaining good neighborly relations and creating good relations as the great scholar, the voice of Asia and the promoter of Peace Mirza Tursunzada said:
Dustiro justuju dorem mo
Mirsaid Rahmonov
Mirsaid Rahmonov is a Senior Research Analyst at the Institute of Asian and European Studies, Tajikistan.
