Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Arab invasion of the 8th century put representational art in Cen-
tral Asia on hold for the better part of 1300 years. Islam prohibits the
depiction of the living, so traditional arts developed in the form of geo-
metric design and calligraphy, combining Islamic script with arabesques,
and the carving of doors and screens. Textiles and metalwork took on
floral or repetitive, geometric motifs.
Painting and two-dimensional art were only revived under the Soviets,
who introduced European aesthetics and set up schools to train local
artists in the new fashion. Under Soviet tutelage the pictorial art of Cen-
tral Asia became a curious hybrid of socialist realism and mock tradi-
tionalism - Kyrgyz horsemen riding proudly beside a shiny red tractor,
smiling Uzbeks at a chaikhana surrounded by record-breaking cotton
harvests. You'll see a good selection of these at most regional museums.
Almaty has Central Asia's most vibrant contemporary arts scene: start
your online visual explorations at Ular (www.artular.kz) and Tengri Umai
(www.tu.kz).
the art of the
Kyrgyz bards
and the classi-
cal tajik-uzbek
music known as
shash maqam
are
both included on
unesco's list of
'Masterpieces of
the Oral and In-
tangible Heritage
of Humanity'.
