Every time I have approached the Mountain: from our side, so majestic and eternally snowy, surrounded by fertile lands; from that alienated side, so desperately meager and rocky, with placers of gigantic volcanic stones and ashes, whipped by horses’; hooves into powder, I looked at the top with eyes, by which only a child can […]
‘History is written by the victors’. So it is disappointing many commentators fail to follow this through and challenge the bias inherent in a ‘victorious’ narrative. The historiography of the ‘Silk Road’ is a significant case in point. Originating in Central Eurasia as small-scale tracks on the steppes, the route developed into the pre-industrial world’s […]
At full gallop the world streams past as a blur of stone, sand and sky, stretching away from under my horse into the miles of empty steppe all around us two. The wind whips Kafka’s mane wildly across my stiffened hands – numb from the chill Mongolian air – as I try to keep control […]
Mountains loom on either side of the steep, precarious road, snow-capped peaks towering over the road like silent, immovable titans, dwarfing the car to the size of a child’s toy. The icy waters of a stream rush past below, huge boulders impeding its progress. The air is crisp and pure, and I breathe it into […]
OCA #21 SPRING 2015 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Christopher Schwartz Photo: Umida Ahmedova It is no secret that at present there is growing discomfort with Western influence throughout Central Asia. One can encounter it from elite and everyman alike. From a Western perspective, it is easy and tempting to attribute the emerging difficulties to various cynical […]
OCA #21 SPRING 2015 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Andrew Glenister Before visiting Kazakhstan, the country had never really been on my radar. I knew where it was, and a little of its history, but I had never considered it as a holiday destination. I definitely do now. And I would recommend that anyone with an interest […]
