OUR VILLAGE
Our village Asraf is a very small village located between villages of Eski Forish and Uhum. Like all villages along the Nuratau mountain range, Asraf has a long history. Ancient rock paintings in the mountains prove that people have lived here for more than two thousand years. Elements of Sogd language can still be found in the Tajik spoken today. In the 4th century BC, Sogds, who originated from the Zarafshan and Istrafshan valleys, settled in the Nuratau Mountains to escape from the troops of the Alexander the Great. Until today many of the customs practiced here are more closely related to the ones in the Zarafshan area than the ones of the Samarkand and Bukhara Tajiks.
For many centuries some of the caravan routes between Bukhara and (Choch) Tashkent passed the Nuratau region. The trade route was used until the 19th century. During the long, hard and dangerous trips, fortresses and wells situated in the Nuratau mountain valleys and the Kyzlkum plains were used as stop over points by the traders.
Our village has its own small self-help elementary school. After the forth grade children have to go to school in Uhum village which is 4.5Km away. The customs of the people in Asraf differ slightly from neighbouring villages. During weddings for example, various activities like Kupkari were organized. Till the 1960's, the wedding celebration lasted 6-10 days. Ceremonies took place in the evenings around the fire.
For many centuries some of the caravan routes between Bukhara and (Choch) Tashkent passed the Nuratau region. The trade route was used until the 19th century. During the long, hard and dangerous trips, fortresses and wells situated in the Nuratau mountain valleys and the Kyzlkum plains were used as stop over points by the traders.
Our village has its own small self-help elementary school. After the forth grade children have to go to school in Uhum village which is 4.5Km away. The customs of the people in Asraf differ slightly from neighbouring villages. During weddings for example, various activities like Kupkari were organized. Till the 1960's, the wedding celebration lasted 6-10 days. Ceremonies took place in the evenings around the fire.