Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
activists dedicated to the forma-
tion of Islamic rule in Central Asia
Ismaili
(A) - a branch of Shiite
Islam
lux
(R) - deluxe
pishpek
(Kaz, Kyr) - churn for
making
kumys
platskartny
(R) - hard-sleeper
train
ploshchad
(R) - square
pochta
(R) - post office
pol-lux
(R) - semideluxe
polyclinic
- health centre
propusk
(R) - permit
prospekt
(R) - avenue
mahalla
(U) - urban neighbour-
hood
Manas
(Kyr) - epic; legendary
hero revered by the Kyrgyz
manaschi
(Kyr) - type of
akyn
who recites from the Kyrgyz
cycle of oral legends
marshrutka
(R, T) - short term
for
marshrutnoe
and
marshrutny
avtobus
marshrutnoe
(R, T) - small bus
or van that follows a fixed route
but stops on demand to take on
or let off passengers, with fares
depending on distance travelled
marshrutnyavtobus
(R, T) -
large bus that follows a fixed
route but stops on demand to
take on or let off passengers,
with fares depending on dis-
tance travelled
maydoni
(U, Taj) - square
mikrorayon
(R) - micro region
or district
militsia
(R, T) - police
MSDSP
- Mountain Societies
Development Support Project
muezzin
(A) - man who calls
the Muslim faithful to prayer
mufti
(A) - Islamic legal expert
or spiritual leader
jailoo
(Kyr) - summer pasture
jamimasjid
(A) - Friday
mosque
jamoatkhana
(Taj) - Ismaili
prayer hall and meeting hall
juma
(U) - Friday, see
jami
masjid
qymyz
(Kaz) - see
kumys
kalon
(Taj) - great
kara
(T) - black
kassa
(R) - cashier or ticket
office
kazan
(T) - large cauldron
(used to cook
plov
)
-kent
(T) - suffix meaning
'town of'
khanatlas
(U) - see
ikat
khiyeboni
(Taj) - avenue
kino
(R) - cinema; also
kinot-
eatr
köçesi
(Tur) - street
kochasi
(U) - street
köchösü
(Kyr) - street
koh
(Taj) - mountain
kok
(T) - blue
kökör
(T) -
kumys
storer
kokpar
(Kaz) - see
buzkashi
kolkhoz
(R) - collective farm
koshesi
(Kaz) - street
koshk
(U, Tur) - fortress
koshma
(Kaz) - multicoloured
felt mats
kozha
(Kaz) - see
hoja
kuchai
(Taj) - street
kupeyny
(R) - 2nd-class or
sleeping carriage on trains;
also
kupe
kupkari
(U) - see
buzkashi
kurgan
(T) - burial mound
kurort
(R) - thermal-spring
complex
kurpacha
(U) - colourful sitting
mattress for a
tapchan
kvartal
(R) - district
kymyz
(Kaz) - see
kumys
kyz-kumay
(Kyr) - traditional
game in which a man chases a
woman on horseback and tries
to kiss her
kyz-kuu
(Kaz) - see
kyz-kumay
kyzyl
(T) - red
rabab
(T) - six-stringed
mandolin, also
rubab
rayon
(R) - district
samovar
(R) - urn used for
heating water for tea, often
found on trains
sary
(T) - yellow
şayoli
(Tur) - street
sharq
(Taj, U) - east
shaykhana(
T) - see
chaikhana
Shiite
(A) - one of the two main
branches of Islam
shyrdak
(Kyr) - felt rug with
appliquéd coloured panels
skibaza
(R) - ski base
SSR
- Soviet Socialist Republic
stolovaya
(R) - canteen,
cafeteria
Sufi
(A) - mystical tradition
in Islam
suzani
(U) - bright silk embroi-
dery on cotton cloth
Naqshband
- the most influen-
tial of many Sufi secret associa-
tions in Central Asia
Navrus
(A) - literally 'New
Days'; the main Islamic spring
festival; has various regional
transliterations (Nauroz, Nauryz,
Nawruz, Norruz or Novruz)
tapchan
(Taj) - tea bed
tash
(T) - stone
tebbetey
(Kyr) - round fur-
trimmed hat worn by men
telpek
(Tur, U) - sheepskin hat
worn by men
toi
(T) - celebration
Transoxiana
- meaning 'the
land beyond the Oxus'; historical
term for the region between the
Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya rivers
TsUM
(R) -
Tsentralny univer-
salny magazin
; central depart-
ment store
tubiteyka
(R) - see
doppe
tugai
- dense forest endemic to
Central Asian river valleys and
flood plains
turbaza
(R) - holiday camp
typically with Spartan cabins,
plain food, sports, video hall
oblast
(R) - province, region
oblys
(Kaz) - province, region
OVIR
(R) - Otdel Vis i Reg-
istratsii; Office of Visas and
Registration
Oxus
- historic name for the
Amu-Darya river
pakhta
(T) - cotton
pakhtakor
(T) - cotton worker
panjara
(T) - trellis of wood,
stone or
ghanch
(plaster)
perestroika
(R) - literally
'restructuring'; Gorbachev's
efforts to revive the economy
piala
(T) - bowl
LOI
- Letter of Invitation
