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Mahallas in Uzbekistan
Mahalla is a city district or block. It is a peculiar settling of people who are linked by family bonds. It is a collective of people united by the rules and laws, traditions and joint work.
City planning
In the old times city gates were opened in particular times. When entering the city a little amount of money had to be paid (a kind of present day entrance visa). In the center of Asian cities there was a square and in many Uzbek cities it carries the  name of Chor-su. In the square the khan's decrees were read aloud, the kaziy's (Judge's) decisions regarding defaulters, festivals were held and of course people traded. Streets leading to the city gates stemmed from the square.
This way dahas were formed between the big streets. In each daha there was a separate kaziy (judge) and one mingboshi (head of thousands). The daha was divided into mahalla blocks and guzars (in Khiva they are called ilyat). The mahalla seniors "aksakals" were at the head of these dahas. Thus mahalla is the smallest administrative unit.
For example, Tashkent was divided into 4 dahas: Beshyogoch, Kukcha, Sebzar, and Shaykhantohur. These names can still be found on the city map. The number of mahallas constantly changed. Thus in the middle of 19th century there were 48 mahallas in Shaykhontohur, 38 in Sebzar, 32 in Beshagach, 31 in Kukcha. Mahallas differed also by their size and the number of houses and properties.
As time goes by each mahalla expands and divides into two or more smaller mahallas. During this constant process it was not always possible to preserve the industrial character. Even if rarely, the youth choose their spouses from mahallas whose inhabitants were engaged in other handcraft. Historically one more type of mahalla was established on the basis of nationality. Starting from 2-3 families they grow into quite large ones. In the course of time in many cities of Uzbekistan, mahallas based on the nationalities Tajik, Iranian, Jewish and many others were formed.
The names of Mahallas
The young folk get married and build houses but there was not enough space so the young families left for the open lands and built their homes there. Thus several mahallas appeared with names which included the word "yangi" meaning new.
The other reason for splitting up mahallas is economics. All the holidays (ethnic, religious, family, and others) are celebrated together in mahallas. For this reason in each mahalla (in our times as well) a big choykhona was built (now it sometimes resembles a banquet hall) but it became difficult to invite the population of the entire mahalla, for example, to a wedding.
One can see the names of mahallas, which reflect remarkable events in the life of the city. Another big group of mahallas contains in it's appellations the names of historical personalities. A separate group of mahallas is formed by reflecting the peculiarities of architecture.
Way of life in mahalla
The conquerors came and went, the rule in the city changed, but mahalla remained unchanged in its character. It represented a secluded world with traditional activities, customs and ceremonies, a world of narrow streets and blind alleys.
Each mahalla has its central guzar, with the mosque and school attached to it, a choykhona and a hovuz (a small quadrangular pond with trees planted around it). The hovuz served as the only source of drinking water for the entire population of the mahalla.
On festive and wedding occasions men went to one of the houses for morning pilov (at 5-6 o'clock) and in the evening women gathered for fellowship.
They brought baking in big basins (toghora) covered with clean tablecloths "dastarkhans" for the festive table. Even nowadays one can come across a well-dressed woman with a dish of tasty smelling food. Strict customs prevail till now. A girl to be married or a young bride came out to sweep the yard or the area in front of the gates with the first rays of the sunshine. Dust and leaves not swepted up in front of the gates means one thing: either the mistress of the house is ill, or a lazy woman lives here. Life in urban apartments relieved many women from this necessity but however sometimes one can still see a young woman sweeping courtyard near a high-story building. This means that in this family a wedding was celebrated not long ago.
If you go around the mahalla, all the kiddies and passing strollers will certainly greet you. It is custom to respond to these greetings and you will feel the necessity of it yourself, without any advice.
One wants to say something pleasant to the smudgy half-dressed smiling children. A house provides people with the corresponding status and respect and more importantly those customs and norms of human relations which were formed through centuries.
Mahalla today
At present times mahalla committees of respected citizens are created which decide the questions of allocation of welfare among the poor and families having many children and help organize traditional family holidays. Many committees have created clubs of interest for teenagers, repair shops, workshops, worktables and studios.
Many mahallas have their own sports grounds and as decades ago in mahallas there are clean streets with ariks (small irrigation ditches), fruit trees, which in spring abundantly cover the streets with white and pink petals and in summer with small fruits of cherries, apricots, apples. The fruits are usually not gathered from trees but are left to the children.
Source: Tashkentnama by Abdulaziz Muhammadkarimov
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