High up in the Pamir Mountains in the Jirgatal region of Tajikistan, there lives a community of mountain-dwelling nomads. These people are the descendants of the early Kyrgyz nomads, a Turkic ethnic group known as the Yenisei Kyrgyz. The modern-day Jerge-Tal people speak a mix of Kyrgyz and Tajik and while they have ties to these two cultures, their isolated location has forced them to create their own sense of community.
During the Soviet Era, the nomadic Kyrgyz people of the Pamir Mountains were forcibly relocated. Today, over 60,000 Kyrgyz people can still be found in Tajikistan. There are also huge populations of this nomadic tribe all over Central Asia, including Turkey, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan, and China. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, many Tajiks were able to return to their mountain pastures and former homes, but the numbers of nomadic communities remain fairly low.
This is likely because of the isolation of the Tajik Pamirs. Those living in the Jergetal region of Tajikistan, particularly, are often cut off from civilization for large chunks of the year. The roads leading from Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan are regularly closed, if not because of intense weather and rock falls then due to continuous border disputes. Getting food trucked in can take days so these people have adapted to be as self-sufficient as possible.
The Korumdu pasture is one such location where you can still visit the nomadic people of Tajikistan today. Located over 4,250 meters above sea level in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, there is a large family that spends several months of the year outdoors. They live in yurts, tend to yaks and welcome tourists who want to experience their unusual way of life.
For the Jirgatal nomads, most of the day is spent outdoors and breathing in the fresh mountain air. The yurts are only used at mealtimes and at bedtime. Women spend a large amount of their time cooking – because of the high altitude above sea level, the air pressure is much lower which increases the cooking time required. The high altitude also means that the area is totally exposed to the elements. The weather often changes from scorching hot to freezing cold so many of the Jergetal people wear masks to protect their faces from the sun.
Want to meet the fascinating Jirgatal people, the closest relatives to the Kyrgyz nomads, for yourself? Visit with Paramount Journey and you will be able to explore the region on the back of a yak and fall asleep in an authentic yurt, knowing that your holiday is contributing to a community where there are nearly no other job opportunities. Chat to your Paramount Journey expert and start planning your trip today!
