The Lifestyle, Current Situation and Problems of Pamir Kyrgyz in the Wakhan Corridor (Afghanistan)

Abstract

The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow panhandle of valleys and high mountains that stretches eastward from Badakhshan province, following the spring waters of the Amu Darya River to its sources in the Pamir Mountains. As being the most important crossroads of the Silk Road, the corridor was used by Europeans and Chinese as a trade route to reach the Indian Plains via the Arabian Sea Coast. Members of the Kyrgyz community in Afghanistan live in two settlements known as the Lesser and Greater Pamirs in northern Badakhshan Province. The high, open valleys between the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Pamir Mountain ranges form what is known as the Pamir Knot. In this study, the life of the Pamir Kyrgyz in the Wakhan Valley, their ethno-cultural characteristics, their current economic situation and their problems are discussed. In the study, document and content analysis method, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used. At the end of the research, it was concluded that the Pamir Kyrgyz population has decreased by 6-7% every year, they were deprived of education, health and other opportunities of civilization, and they had a great cultural authenticity and richness that was preserved intact despite the time and political developments in China and Central Asia.