When one discovers firsthand Uzbekistan, he can see the contrast of history and modernity, urbanization and untouched nature, and what’s more, the glimpses of huge potential that the country has. Furthermore, he realizes correctness of usage of the phrase “the land of treasures” in its literal and figurative senses related to Uzbekistan.
Pap district, one of the ancient and at the same time very developed districts of Uzbekistan is situated in the north of Fergana valley. The territory of the district is almost 3000 km2. Pap borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and this explains its national diversity.
Ancient settlements, such as Munchaktepa and Kirk khudjra located in the territory of Pap district shows the evidence of developed urban life in this land which dates back to the 20th century BC…
In the Chadak ore field of the district there are large silver and gold reserves, and the local gold-extraction plant treats the gold-bearing ore which becomes famous Uzbek gold bars…
These and many suchlike features of the Pap district are very well-known in the world. However, there some other worthy of attention points that the readers will be surprised to read and we will tell about them.
In Gurumsaray area of Pap, there is a mineral water spring. Water is pushed up to the surface from 2475 m below ground. The water does not cool down before it reaches the surface and comes out at a temperature of 30–40 °C. The healing mineral water “Garzan” possesses a variety of essential minerals and microelements in an easily digestible form. The water is used for prevention and treatment of several diseases such as gastritis, chronic colitis, diseases of gallbladder and liver, hepatitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, endocrinological diseases, diabetes, and obesity.
The mineral spring of Gurumsaray was discovered 1987. The “Garzan” mineral water comes in plastic bottle size of 1.0 liter. The local bottling company "Xalqaro Ishbilarmonlar Markazi" produces 30.000 bottles of “Garzan” per day and it is sold all around in Uzbekistan. Now the company is looking for export market opportunities.
Chadak village, another destination of Pap has more than four thousand years of history. A distinctive feature of this place is the large number of springs. And the village neighbors with specialized state forestry enterprise named after Avicenna. The territory of the forestry enterprise established in 1980 is 118,700 hectares of which 15,000 hectares are covered with forest. In this combination of the untouched and developed nature one feels himself in another world: mountain rapids and green surroundings, fresh air, no engine and truck sounds…
In this forestry enterprise there is a special branch that cultivates and woodcrafts medicinal herbs. The establishment of the enterprise in Pap area was mainly due to wide availability of medicinal plants in this place. Today more than 134 tons of medicinal plants of 29 types are produced annually in the Forestry. Of 29 plants of medicinal properties and which have benefited human health for many centuries that cultivated and woodcrafted in the Enterprise, leonurus, valerian, plantago, urtica, beggarticks, sage, flowers of Matricaria, Rosa canina fruits, coltsfoot, mountain knotgrass and pot marigold are packed in the pharmacy branch of the Forestry enterprise that has pharmaceutical production license. Other plants such as hypericum, tansies, shepherd's purse, red coneflowers, red thornapples, liquorice etc also dried here and sent to pharmaceutical companies of Uzbekistan.
This is Pap, the place of huge potential, the area that is attractive for business and tourists. The same definition can be given to any other district of Uzbekistan, the land of treasures.
Dilmurod Jumabayev
