Carpet Ride to Khiva

338 Pages·2009·1.31 MB·English

by  Christopher Alexander

Praise for the hardback edition of
A Carpet Ride to Khiva
‘The fact the author lived and worked among Khiva’s
inhabitants for so long distinguishes A Carpet Ride to Khiva
from many travel books, as we glimpse life in a Central Asian
“desert oasis” of silk, carpets, and extraordinarily colourful
natural dyes.’ Financial Times
‘Too many travel writers visit Central Asia in a hurry,
bulking out their own misadventures with a slice of the
region’s colourful history. But the strength of this readable
book derives from the author’s patience: after seven years in
Uzbekistan, Alexander has provided a frank and penetrating
portrait of the country, with all its contradictions and
absurdities. He writes with clear-eyed observation and
courage, and never fails to emphasize the ingrained hospitality
and random acts of kindness that remind you that, in spite
of everything, Central Asia is still an exceptionally alluring
place.’ Times Literary Supplement
‘Sitting down to read A Carpet Ride to Khiva over the festive
season was like entering an oasis of peace and quiet ... like
the carpet patterns so intricately interwoven and linked,
Alexander’s account of his seven years in Khiva gives us a feel
for daily life looped and crisscrossed with weddings, corrupt
officials, journeys in rickety buses, gossip at the looms,
domestic violence and village hospitality, all of it centring on
the carpet project.’ Irish Times
‘A Carpet Ride to Khiva is full of colour ... Alexander is a
personable companion as he brings to life the ancient craft
of carpet-making, blending the history of the Silk Road with
characterful accounts of his team’s perfecting of traditional
dye techniques (a search for madder root sent him over the
border into post-invasion Afghanistan) and silk weaving
(there’s an extraordinary description of silkworms devouring
mulberry branches before spinning silk cocoons).’ Metro
‘Most travelogues chart a journey, but in this case it is
the author’s decision to stay put that lifts his book out of
the ordinary. Christopher Aslan Alexander first travelled
to Uzbekistan to research a guidebook about Khiva but,
enchanted by this little-known region of Central Asia on the
ancient Silk Route, he ended up becoming a resident. This
memoir of his seven years in the city – during which he learnt
the language, was adopted by a local Uzbek family and started
a carpet-weaving workshop employing local women – lifts
the lid on a world that is usually unseen by western eyes.’
BBC Lonely Planet magazine
‘[An] enjoyable account of the seven years the author spent in
the remote desert oasis of Khiva, Uzbekistan’ Bookseller
‘This travelogue enriches our understanding of a little-known
world, and as Christopher is taken into an Uzbeki family there
are some nice touches as West meets East – like when he is
hailed a mystic for predicting Bobby Ewing’s return from
the grave as Uzbekis get their first taste of Dallas.’ News of
the World
‘Unsparing in his censure of Uzbekistan’s repressive
government, the author nevertheless paints a sympathetic
and often humorous portrait of Khiva’s residents … More
than just a tableau of Khiva, the book also paints a picture of
a foreigner’s integration into the community.’ Wanderlust –
book of the week
‘[A Carpet Ride to Khiva] serves as a primer on the mysteries
of sericulture, and on the endless ramifications of the
natural-dyer’s craft. His pursuit of powdered madder root
takes him deep into Afghanistan, whence he emerges after
close shaves.’ Independent
‘Alexander is an excellent guide through the chaos of local
life, and his writing is thick with his adventures in this walled
city, drawing a vivid portrait of the domestic lives of his
Uzbek hosts with great affection and humour, while also
casting his eye over the history of trade on the Silk Road.’
Sunday Telegraph
‘A extraordinary tale of adventure and enterprise set in the
heart of Central Asia, beautifully told, by a most unusual
young man. Hopefully it will inspire others to embark on
similar ventures.’ Peter Hopkirk, author of The Great Game
‘Everything about the carpet making process is fascinating,
from the designs to the rate at which weavers are paid, and
Chris describes it all in intimate detail … The book also
paints a picture of the Uzbek way of life, both the day-to-
day lives of Khivan families and the intricate workings of a
government system which hasn’t quite made it out of the
Soviet era.’ callybooker.wordpress.com
‘[A Carpet Ride to Khiva] is compelling, funny and sad, has
great characterisations, lovely photographs, and would work
as a really unusual gift.’ Reform
‘A deeply personal memoir, A Carpet Ride to Khiva is a
magical and often hilarious story of one man’s adventure
into the heart of the unknown ... While A Carpet Ride to
Khiva reveals how contradictory and different daily life is
in Uzbekistan, the reader leaves with a deeply satisfying,
lingering sense of how similar we all are.’ Positive News
ICON BOOKS
Previously published in the UK in 2010
by Icon Books Ltd, Omnibus Business Centre,
39–41 North Road, London N7 9DP
email: [email protected]
www.iconbooks.co.uk
This electronic edition published in the UK in 2011 by Icon Books Ltd
ISBN: 978-1-84831-271-5 (ePub format)
ISBN: 978-1-84831-272-2 (Adobe ebook format)
Printed edition (ISBN 978-184831-149-7)
sold in the UK, Europe, South Africa and Asia
by Faber & Faber Ltd, Bloomsbury House,
74–77 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DA
or their agents
Printed edition distributed in the UK, Europe, South Africa and Asia
by TBS Ltd, TBS Distribution Centre, Colchester Road,
Frating Green, Colchester CO7 7DW
Printed edition published in the USA in 2010 by Totem Books
Inquiries to: Icon Books Ltd, Omnibus Business Centre,
39–41 North Road, London N7 9DP, UK
Printed edition distributed to the trade in the USA
by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution
The Keg House, 34 Thirteenth Avenue NE, Suite 101
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413-1007
Printed edition published in Australia in 2010 by Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd,
PO Box 8500, 83 Alexander Street,
Crows Nest, NSW 2065
Printed edition published in Canada by Penguin Books Canada,
90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700,
Toronto, Ontario M4P 2YE
Text copyright © 2010 Christopher Aslan Alexander
The author has asserted his moral rights.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means,
without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Typeset by Marie Doherty
Contents
Map of Uzbekistan x
Prologue: Tashkent transit lounge xiii
1 The walled city of Khiva 1
2 A home by the harem 31
3 The madrassah 55
4 From calligraphy to carpet 81
5 Worms that changed the world 99
6 Madder from Mazar 121
7 Bukharan cunning 141
8 The dawn sweepers 165
9 A carpet called Shirin 187
10 Navruz and new beginnings 209
11 Warp and weft 231
12 Signed with a pomegranate 253
13 Carpet of corpses 275
14 My mother’s friend the warlord 295
Epilogue: September 2009 317
Glossary 319
Further Reading 325
Acknowledgements 327
Index 329
vii
About the author
Christopher Aslan Alexander was born in Turkey (hence
his middle name) and grew up there and in war-torn Beirut
(as a boy, his understanding of a shell collection was more the
weapon variety). He spent his teenage years in England before
escaping for two years at sea. Chris studied media at Leicester
and became the first white boy in the university gospel choir.
After a year working for the students’ union, Chris moved to
land-locked Central Asia, volunteering with Operation Mercy,
a Swedish NGO. While writing a guidebook about Khiva, he
fell in love with this desert oasis – which boasts the most homo-
geneous example of Islamic architecture in the world – and
stayed.
www.acarpetridetokhiva.com
viii
To my team-mates in Khiva, my Uzbek family, friends and
colleagues. And especially to Madrim:
Katta minnatdorchilik bildirib, do’stligimiz abadiy bo’lishini
tilab qolaman