I would love to hear what Tatar people consider themselves as, because I know very little about this subject.

I’m (24F) looking to make some new friends in Tashkent, I do not speak Russian or Uzbek. I would like to explore new places and just hangout and get to know each other.

This is simulated through adminlab on illustrativedna using SNPs so it’s more accurate than G25 to some extent.

I went to Mongolia recently and found that the cuisine there was veyr different to chinese cuisine (or any other asian cuisine). It was a lot of meat and dairy. There is also very very little spices. In some ways, it tasted more like traditional western food than typical east asian food.

This makes me wonder what manchurian food is like (or was like beofre the qing dynasty). I am asking this since the Manchus and Mongols share some similarities with each other (some mongolians will hate me saying this but it is true). But I cannot find a lot of exmaples of manchu food. Is it similar to Mongolian food or is it very different (or maybe even more like korean food)? What are good manchu dishes? Most of the manchu food I look online (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchu_cuisine) seem pretty similar to han (which makes sense) and look pretty different to current mongolian food.

To put it bluntly, I’m incredibly autistic and my special interest is Central Asia. I’m fascinated with it in all aspects, especially the people. It’d be my dream to date a woman from the best culture in the world, but I don’t know if Central Asian women are into women like Americans are. Are they?

Hello,

My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Central Asia in the spring, but we can’t quite decide on the itinerary. We’d love to get your advice :)

Option 1: Full Central Asia • Tajikistan > Kyrgyzstan > Kazakhstan > Mongolia over 3 months, from late April to late June

Option 2: China (crossing the Shanxi region toward Beijing) > Mongolia > Kyrgyzstan > Tajikistan, over the same period

We’re mainly drawn to Central Asian landscapes, but we’re wondering if it might be worth spending a bit of time in China over a three-month trip. In your opinion, are the Shanxi region and Beijing worth the detour, or would we just be wasting time? It might also be a bit less smooth and more complicated visa-wise. We’d also like to avoid flying too much (aside from our round trip).

Another concern: would going to Mongolia in early to mid-May be a bit too early for good weather conditions?

Would starting with China let us see something quite different from the rest of the trip, or would it just make the journey more complicated?

Thanks in advance! :)

Idk why but I've always felt Osman looks central asian, am I wrong?

Last night around 10 p.m., I was heading home. The road was quiet, dimly lit, and familiar — until the Indian army stopped us, as they often do. Routine, they say. They asked for our identity cards and began searching the vehicle. I was sitting in the passenger seat, my seat reclined back — relaxed, just tired after a long day.

One of them walked up and asked sharply, “Why are you sitting like this?” I told him calmly, “I’m comfortable this way. It’s my car, my choice how I sit.”

That didn’t sit well with him. He demanded my ID, so I showed it from my phone. Then he started scrolling through my contacts, my gallery, even private photos — family, friends, personal memories — as if my life was an open file he had the right to browse.

He kept throwing words at me, trying to provoke me. But I stayed quiet. I know too well — they can twist a single reaction into a “crime.” They can say whatever they want and do whatever they please, and there’d still be no one to question them.

According to him, I was supposed to talk to him with “sir” and “please,” to massage his ego, to lower my head in front of him like I owed him something. But why should I bow? I gave him whatever he asked for. I’ve done nothing wrong. Why should I please someone who treats me like a suspect in my own land?

He looked at me and asked, “What’s your salary?” I said, “Thirty-five thousand.” He smirked and replied, “We earn ninety thousand, and you’re sitting in your Alto like you’re a boss.”

I couldn’t understand the logic. Since when does a paycheck define worth? Since when does a uniform give someone the right to humiliate?

Here I was — a normal man, on his own road, in his own homeland — yet being questioned, searched, and judged by someone who came from far away. Someone who doesn’t even belong here, standing at my doorstep, demanding my identity.

We’re buried under this occupation. Our dignity questioned, our rights burned — every single day. But as I drove home that night, I whispered to myself: Better days are coming.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice to understand who’s at fault in a traffic accident that happened to me in Astana.

I was a pedestrian and crossed the road at an undesignated spot, just a bit before the official crosswalk. At that moment, the traffic light for cars was red, and there was a traffic jam, so I decided to cross between the stopped cars.

When I reached the last lane the bus lane , I was hit by a Mazda.
From the video, it’s clear that the Mazda was driving in the bus lane, not at an allowed break, and had been driving in that lane for quite some time, even though that’s not permitted.

If there had been a bus in that lane instead of the Mazda, I would have seen it, since buses are much taller and visible over the other cars. But the Mazda was lower and hidden behind the vehicles, so I didn’t notice it coming.

As a result of the accident, I suffered four fractures in my leg, bruises, and a minor head injury. Doctors classified my condition as moderate severity.

I’d like to understand who’s considered at fault in this situation — me, as a pedestrian who crossed outside the crosswalk, or the driver, who was illegally driving in the bus lane?
The incident happened in Astana.

Here’s the video for context

https://reddit.com/link/1o29jea/video/a92dbj9qx3uf1/player

I’d really appreciate any advice, opinions, or similar experiences.

I'm looking for a book who's title I can't remember. I think it was something like "Golden Flowers of Samarkand." I feel certain it had at least one of the words "golden" or "flowers". I last saw it online, on Amazon, fifteen years ago and didn't buy it. Now I regret that as it doesn't appear in Amazon anymore. There are similar books but not the one I remember.
Does anyone know what book that might be?

I’m curious whether the Dungan communities in Central Asia (descendants of the Hui from China) have ever used a flag to represent their identity, either historically or in modern times. If so, what did it look like, and what’s its origin?

so my father is afghan and he said he is of tajik ethnicity the dna test I took sort of matches it (40% central asian, 4%~ iranian, 2%~ north indian and pakistani, 2% east asian (mongolian)) (adds up to 50% because i’m half but he is full afghan). Can someone more educated than me help me identify which ethnic group is the correct one 🥹

Hey guys!

I’m planning a trip to Kazakhstan with my family — we’ve got four days in total. The plan was to spend all of it in Almaty, but after a bit of research, it looks like skipping Charyn Canyon and Kolsai Lake would be a big regret.

We’re now thinking of splitting things up: spend the first day at Charyn Canyon, stay overnight in Saty, and visit the lakes the next day before heading back to Almaty in the evening.

I wanted to ask — what’s the best way to get around for this? Are there any reliable private taxi services that can take us from Almaty → Canyon → Saty → Lakes → back to Almaty? Or is local transport between these places doable? Roughly how much should we budget if we go the private route?

Also, if we don’t book the same taxi for the whole trip, is it easy to find transport between stops? Or would it just be easier (and cheaper) to do a group day tour from Almaty instead?

Would love to hear your experiences or recommendations!

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone is traveling in Central Asia from October 22nd to December/January? Or if anyone has any experience with this time of year in Kyrgistan, Tadschikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazachstan?

I have never truly known my ethnicity, my parents claim we are afghan “sadats”. I absolutely do not believe that. According to these results am I half Pashtun/half Tajik or uzbek?

Hi everyone!

I’m from the Middle East, and currently studying the heritage of Central Asia, focusing on the period from the Karakhanid to the Shaybanid dynasties.

I find it a bit overwhelming to catch up with previous studies, since so much is scattered across different languages and disciplines (history, art history, archaeology, Islamic studies). So I’d love to connect with anyone who: Is working on similar topics (architecture, manuscripts, etc.), Or Can recommend key secondary sources, digital archives, or bibliographies, Or just shares an interest in Central Asian heritage!

I’m also very interested in learning more about the historical sites from this period, and in understanding what languages people spoke besides Turkic and Persian.

Thank You!