Boysun and its Mountain Villages

Boysun lies in a high valley on the old road between Termez and Shakhrisabz, at around 1,200 metres, with the limestone wall of the Boysuntau range behind it. The district has long been a crossroads of peoples, and its communities kept ways of life that disappeared elsewhere. In 2001 UNESCO proclaimed the Cultural Space of Boysun District a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity; it was inscribed on the Representative List in 2008.

What UNESCO recognised

The listing covers a whole web of traditions rather than one monument: epic singing by bakhshi storytellers, wedding and seasonal rituals, shamanic and pre-Islamic customs folded into everyday life, and crafts such as embroidery, weaving and the making of ritual dolls. Many of them come together each spring at the Boysun Bahori festival, a gathering of musicians, singers, wrestlers and craftspeople, usually held in May.

The mountains around the town

• Teshik-Tash cave, where the burial of a Neanderthal child was found in 1938
• The Derbent gorge and the area of the Iron Gates pass on the ancient route north
• Sayrob village, with its giant old plane trees
• Upland meadows and juniper woods for walks of a few hours

Visiting

Boysun is about three hours by road from Termez and four to five from Shakhrisabz, so it makes a natural overnight stop on an overland journey. Accommodation is simple: guesthouses and family homestays. The real experience is in the villages, a meal with a family, a visit to an embroiderer or a bakhshi, and this needs to be arranged in advance through a local guide.