August 2006: Ishqashim

We recently visited Ishqashim, the most southern district of Badakhshan. Ishqashim is situated along the northern border of the Hindukush mountain rage shared with Afghanistan. We traveled by car along this windy and temultuous road covering over 450kilometers before we returned to our home base in Khorog. Unlike the districts we have previously visited, the language spoken in Ishqashim is Vakhon not Shugnan. For all of our Tajik team members, three of which are Shugni speakers, it was their first visit to this region of Badakhshan. We were fortunate to see two uniquely different presentations of Ishqashim dance and music. The first was in the small village of Toghuz located at the bottom of the mountain that boasts the reknowned Bibi Fatima Chashma (a sacred Natural Hot Spring attributed to the wife of Imom Ali.) The second was held, furher east along the Panj River in a village by the name of Vrang. We have been received warmly by many families on our field expeditions throughout Badakhshan. Ishqashim was no exception. Our TDI team was hosted by the wonderful family of Rahim Sarvarkhonov, whose home was within one kilometer of the Bibi Fatima Chashma above the village of Tughoz. We were very touched by their warmth & hospitality.