In this paper the author explores the strategy of politics of memory in Samarkand, the hometown of the First President of Uzbekistan I.A. Karimov, in the post-Soviet period. The analysis concerns the traditions of Samarkand's memory culture chosen, invented or forgotten in independent Uzbekistan, to form ideas about the past using historical figures, monuments, holy places and renamed streets in Samarkand as examples. In this complex process it is important to take into consideration how the central authorities interacted with the local cultural elite of Samarkand. President Sh.Mirziyoyev formulated new trends in Uzbekistan's foreign policy, which was reflected in the politics of memory in Samarkand. These changes have become symbolic in the new politics of memory in Samarkand aimed at demonstrating the historical roots of the ethnic and religious tolerance in the society and highlighting Samarkand as a key place in the history of the Islamic world and the birthplace of the First President of Uzbekistan I. Karimov.

No abstract

This article is focused on the issues of cult of saints and shrines in the Samarqand province of Uzbekistan. The contribution of the author to the study of shrines of the region consists of that beside the summary of the existing material on preSoviet and Soviet periods, he used his own data. For this, the field material was collected from some districts of Samarqand province, which allows defining the peculiarities of shrines and saints veneration in different villages. Most of them are tombs of different saints, shakhids and etc. There is a generally acknowledged hierarchy of the saints in the minds of people. Saints of various categories became worshiped. They included Ali, prominent Islamic religious figures. Heroic epic of Arabic conquests initiated the cult of 'martyrs', e.g. those who died in 'war for the belief'. The mausoleum of Khodja Daniyar is one of the unique sacred places in Samarqand. According to legends, Khodja Daniyar represents the prophet Daniel, and this place is recognized as sacred by Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Since Uzbekistan has become the independent state (1991), the citizens obtained freedom and possibility to worship saints. Pilgrimage to saint tombs is usually referred to as ziyara. Specific standard of ritual of pilgrimage to sacred places has been developed for many years. Islam also inherited the cult of various pre-Islamic local saints, heroes, in many cases legendary, and even local pagan deities that were transferred to Muslim saints.

No abstract

Based on the critical role that pilgrimage plays in Islamic ritual cultures of Central Asia, the chapter starts with introducing Kazakhstan and the saints and shrines of the southern part of this country. Then the chapter discusses the manifestations and features of the Muslims saints and discussed the connection of the shrines and religious policy in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. The article concludes by considering the grave of Khuja Ahmad Yassevi Shrine and some other essential shrines as examples of pilgrimage tradition of this country.