Jowzjan

Jowzjan Province lies in the far north of Afghanistan, on the plains between Balkh to the east and Faryab to the west, with Sar-e Pol to the south and Turkmenistan to the north. Much of the province is low, open steppe and semi-desert, with sand dunes in the north and irrigated farmland along the rivers. Its southern districts rise into dry hills that lead towards the mountains of Sar-e Pol. The capital, Sheberghan, stands on the main highway between Mazar-i-Sharif and the north-west. Aqcha, a market town known across the country for its carpets, is the other main centre, and in the districts of Mingajik, Khamyab and Qarqin towards the Turkmen border, carpet weaving is part of village life. The province takes its name from the medieval region of Guzganan, or Juzjan, which once covered much of north-western Afghanistan. Near Sheberghan lies Tillya Tepe, the site of one of the most important archaeological finds ever made in the country, and the gas fields around the capital have supplied northern Afghanistan for decades. Jowzjan sees few tourists, but those who come find busy carpet markets, the Turkmen and Uzbek traditions of the villages, open landscapes that change sharply with the seasons, and buzkashi on the plains in the cold months.

The plains of Jowzjan were part of ancient Bactria, and the burial mound at Tillya Tepe shows how rich the region was around the beginning of the Common Era. The graves excavated there in 1978 and 1979 held thousands of gold ornaments, now known as the Bactrian gold. The treasure was kept hidden through the years of war, brought out again in 2003, and has since been shown in museums around the world. In the early Islamic centuries the region of Guzganan was ruled by a local dynasty, the Farighunids, and the Persian geography known as the Hudud al-Alam was written for one of its rulers in the late 10th century. The area later came under the Ghaznavids, the Seljuks, the Mongols and the Timurids. In the 18th and 19th centuries the area was ruled by local Uzbek khans, until the Afghan amirs brought the north under their control in the later 19th century. The province has been affected by the conflicts of recent decades.

Uzbek and Turkmen are widely spoken alongside Dari and Pashto, and the province is home to Uzbek, Turkmen, Tajik, Pashtun and other communities. Most people are Muslim, and village mosques and the shrines of local saints are the focus of religious life. Turkmen and Uzbek traditions are strong in dress, music and hospitality. Weddings are large occasions, with singers accompanied by the dutar and the dambura, and the long striped chapan coat and the turban or karakul hat remain everyday wear for many men. Nowruz is celebrated with family picnics, special dishes such as samanak, a sweet pudding of sprouted wheat, and fairs in the towns. The open plains of the north are the heartland of buzkashi, and the horses trained for it are highly prized. Matches are held around Sheberghan and in the districts from late autumn until spring, often on Fridays, and draw large crowds.

Jowzjan is a land of wide horizons. In the north, the plains run out into semi-desert and shifting sand dunes on the approach to the Turkmen border, part of the great belt of desert that stretches across Central Asia. Rivers coming down from the southern mountains, chief among them the river of Sar-e Pol, which flows past Sheberghan, are drawn off into canals that water a chain of oasis towns and villages before the water is lost in the sands. In spring the steppe turns green for a few weeks and is covered in wild flowers, and the herds of karakul sheep that graze it bear the lambs whose curled skins are prized. By summer the grass has dried to brown. The southern districts are hilly, with rain-fed wheat on the slopes and cooler villages in the valleys. Beneath the plains lie the natural gas fields that supply the north.

Jowzjan's cooking is that of the northern steppe, built on mutton, wheat, rice and dairy. Palaw cooked in the Uzbek style, with lamb, carrots and chickpeas or raisins in a large iron pot, is the dish for guests and celebrations, and mantu, steamed dumplings, are a favourite. Shorwa and lamb kebabs are everyday food in the bazaars. Bread is baked in tandoor ovens, and yoghurt, qurut and butter come from the flocks. The melons of the Jowzjan plains have been praised by travellers for centuries and are piled high in the markets in late summer, along with watermelons and grapes from the irrigated villages. Green tea is the usual drink, served in small bowls with sweets, raisins or dried mulberries.

Jowzjan is one of the main carpet-weaving areas of Afghanistan. Turkmen families in the northern districts weave rugs in deep reds and browns, decorated with rows of the medallions called gul, each design traditionally linked to a particular tribe. Aqcha is the best-known carpet market in the province, where rugs from the surrounding villages are bought and sold. Weaving is mostly done by women at home on horizontal looms, and a single carpet can take months to finish. Kilims, saddlebags, tent bands and felt rugs are also made. Karakul skins from the province's sheep are traded for hats and coats, and silver jewellery in Turkmen style can be found in the bazaars.

Spring, from March to May, is the best time to see the province, when the steppe is green, the weather is mild and Nowruz brings fairs and family outings. October and November are also pleasant, with cooler weather after the heat and fresh produce in the bazaars. Summers are long, very hot and dry, with temperatures that can pass 40°C on the plains and hot winds that raise dust, so travel in the middle of the day is tiring. Winters are cool to cold, with frosty nights, occasional snow, and muddy roads after rain. Those who want to see buzkashi should come between late autumn and early spring.

From Kabul, the usual route is the road north over the Salang Pass to Mazar-i-Sharif, and then west along the main highway to Sheberghan, a total of about 550 kilometres, or roughly nine to ten hours of driving. Aqcha is reached by road from the highway between Mazar-i-Sharif and Sheberghan, and the districts towards the Turkmen border are reached by smaller roads north and west of the capital, some of them unpaved. From Sheberghan, roads continue south to Sar-e Pol and west to Faryab. The nearest airport with domestic flights is at Mazar-i-Sharif. Travellers heading for Turkmenistan usually cross at Aqina, in neighbouring Faryab. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Sheberghan has the only hotels of any size in the province, and many visitors to Jowzjan stay in Mazar-i-Sharif instead, visiting Sheberghan and Aqcha as long day trips. In Aqcha and the smaller district towns there are few or no hotels, though roadside tea houses on the main routes may offer a meal and a carpet to sleep on. In the villages, travellers are usually hosted by local families, a traditional form of hospitality in the region that is best arranged through local contacts. Facilities everywhere outside the capital are basic, and visitors should be prepared for simple rooms, shared washing facilities and unreliable electricity.

Shared taxis and minibuses link Sheberghan with Mazar-i-Sharif, Aqcha, Sar-e Pol, Andkhoy and the district centres, leaving from stands in town when they have filled their seats. Within the towns, zaranj rickshaws and taxis handle short journeys. To reach villages away from the main roads, or to visit the site of Tillya Tepe, it is easiest to hire a car with a driver who knows the area. Many rural roads are unpaved and turn to mud after rain. In the villages, motorbikes are common, and horses and donkeys are still used for farm work and short trips.