Tours for dendrologists in Uzbekistan.

“The bubble logic driving tulipomania has since acquired a name: “the greater fool theory.” Although by any conventional measure it is folly to pay thousands for a tulip bulb (or for that matter an Internet stock), as long as there is an even greater fool out there willing to pay even more, doing so is the most logical thing in the world” 

 Michael Pollan. The Botany of Desire. “A Plant's-Eye View of the World”.

Tours for a botanist in Uzbekistan.

 Until today, the Nature as the fine Creator of the Earth, created scientific, cultural, aesthetic places of a huge touristic value, including landforms, lakes, waterfalls, forests and age old trees. The territory of Uzbekistan is not an exception.
As in other countries, Uzbekistan has wonderful natural relics, such as: mountain forests, waterfalls, caves, national parks and other natural sanctuaries. Specialists divide natural monuments of the country conditionally to: botanical, geological and hydrogeological ones.
According to the existing data there are more than 400 relics of nature in Uzbekistan. Mountain areas of Tashkent, Jizzakh, Kitab, Shahrisabz, Farghana valley and Surkhandarya Region are rare, unique, amazingly beautiful.
The nature of these places give joy and pleasure, in a word, dazzling landscape zones are simply miraculous. Geological layer which is protected by Kitab State geological reserve, as known, is the only stratigraphic reference standards around the world on the Planet of the Lower Divan age.
These wonders of nature prove that the nature of Uzbekistan is significantly rich with pearls. Century old trees On this land there are many huge and beautiful trees and they can be met in different corners of our country. In particular, in the Pungan  village, Oltyaryq district of Farghana region still blooming gorgeous thick sprawling elm with lush crone and  it is almost 500 years old.
The height of this tree is 40 meters and the trunk is more than 6 meters. Its wide well-foliated crown gives life-giving shade and a wonderful view, as well as, cool in  hot summer days to this village and therefore for the locals this tree is a favorite vacation spot.
Around Rishtan too there is just the same centuries old dense sprawling elm tree with magnificent crone and it seems as if the tree is becoming more and more beautiful day by day. Stupendous view of these trees in a word gives joy to eyes. Also such trees can be found in the territory of Namangan Region.
Chinar or plane tree (or Asiatic platan or sycamore) also gives a dense shade. To plant a deciduous tree is considered the most ancient custom in the warm regions like Central Asia. That`s why it is still possible to meet V - X century old unique beautiful plane trees in different corners of our country.
Particularly in Farghana Valley on the borders of Samarkand and Surkhandaryo Regions there still preserved centuries-old plane trees. In Kitab district in the village called Khoja Ilm Konni of Qashqadaryo Region there is the hugest and the most ancient plane tree (which is already 1200 years old and the diameter of its trunk it is almost 26 - 27 meters).
Huge plane tree, ranking the second by age in the country  long ago has become 1,000 years old and the diameter of its trunk reaches up to 22 meters. It grows near the village of Sayrab, in Baysun of Surkhandarya Region.
Also in Kasansay of Namangan region there is 700 years old big, old plane trees. Also a beautiful old plane tree aged 500 years is located in Oltyaryq of Fergana Region. In Urgut district there is a village called Yukari Charchinar in this cozy place is still preserved its ancient plane trees, a wonderful view of which gives the villagers elation.
This tree lives for more than 600 years. In the village Khojakent of Tashkent Region there is a large plane tree  aged 700 years old. Nearby this nature sanctuary there are made caves in which people used to live, there stone tools and images drawn on rocks were found.
ust above there are rocks and cliffs from which there waterfall flows. In the spring time they form a beautiful and charming look. More than 100 junipers that are declared monuments of nature, can live many, many more centuries in Uzbekistan, as they are under state protection.
In the vicinity of the village Khojakent you can also find a juniper which is now 450 years old. This beautiful tree is loved by all and the locals treat carefully this vividly gleaming tree. The valley of Mazhrumsoy is in the territory of Nurota reserve, there is a juniper which is considered one of the most huge  trees in our country.
The circle of its trunk reaches 8,5 meters. Around Yakkabogh of Qashqadaryo region you can find the oldest juniper in our country the girth of which  is more than 8 meters. Now it is already 2,000 years old. Judging by its growth this tree will live for a long time.
On the southern slope of Zirabuloq mountains there is a Tym mausoleum which was built in the X century AD. Nearby this monument there stands a large juniper tree, by the way, by it huge size it does not differ from its Yakkabogh congener.

Authority:
http://welcomeuzbekistan.uz

Photos by
Alexander Petrov.