Pap: ancient sites and the road to the Kamchik pass

Most travellers only glimpse Pap from the window of a train or car descending into the Fergana Valley after the Kamchik pass. Yet this district town in the west of the Namangan region is an interesting stop in its own right. Ancient burial grounds and settlement mounds have been found around it, the mountain gorge of Chadak lies close by, and the town has a busy bazaar where people stock up before the journey. Here is why it is worth lingering.

Where Pap is

Pap lies in the western part of the Namangan region on the right bank of the Syr Darya, about 45–55 km from Namangan. The drive from Namangan takes about an hour. North of the town rise the spurs of the Kurama range, and Pap is the valley end of the Angren–Pap railway with its tunnel under the Kamchik pass. Since the mid-2010s that line has linked the valley directly with Tashkent without crossing neighbouring countries, so for many people Pap is the first station in the valley after the tunnel.

Why people stop here

For drivers and passengers travelling between the valley and Tashkent, Pap and its surroundings are a natural place to pause:

• Fuel and a snack. Before climbing to the pass or after coming down from it, many people take a break to refuel, have tea and eat samsa or shashlik.
• Food to take along. At the local bazaar fruit, dried fruit, nuts and fresh bread are cheaper than in the capital, and people buy them as gifts for relatives in Tashkent.
• Changing transport. Roads to Namangan, Kokand and the mountains meet here, so some travellers switch from train to car or the other way round.

Archaeology: hills with a history

The area around Pap is well known to archaeologists. The most famous site is the Munchaktepa burial ground near the town. Excavations here began at the end of the twentieth century, and it became known for the remarkable preservation of its finds: thanks to the dry conditions, textiles, wooden objects and jewellery survived in graves from the first centuries AD. Some finds are kept in museums; on site a visitor sees the mounds and traces of the excavations.

There are other tepes around Pap too: weathered mounds that hide the remains of ancient settlements. To a non-specialist they look like ordinary rises among the fields, so it helps to read about the site in advance or arrange a visit with a local historian.

The rules are simple: do not dig or pick anything up, do not climb into excavation trenches, and respect the private plots around the sites.

Chadak gorge

If you have half a day, go to Chadak, a mountain village in a gorge north of Pap. A fast river runs through it, walnut groves and orchards cover the slopes, and in summer it is noticeably cooler than the valley. The gorge has long been a place to relax: seasonal teahouses and tapchan platforms line the river, and families come here for the day.

What to do in Chadak:

1. Walk along the river and up the paths into the orchards.
2. Drink tea on a tapchan over the water, the main pleasure of summer.
3. Buy local apricots and walnuts in season.
4. Photograph the mountain villages with their clay houses.

Remember that higher up in the mountains the border areas begin, so do not set off on long hikes without a local guide.

The town and its bazaar

Pap itself is a quiet provincial town. Its heart is the bazaar, where rice, vegetables, fruit from surrounding villages, spices and crockery are sold. The market is busiest in the morning. Next to it are teahouses that cook plov, shurpa and lagman. As everywhere in the valley, order plov at lunchtime, since by evening it may be gone.

When to go

• Spring: April to May brings green hills, blossoming orchards and comfortable temperatures for walking around the ancient sites.
• Summer: the valley is hot, but Chadak stays cool, making it a good time for the gorge.
• Autumn: September to October is the season for grapes, pomegranates and walnuts.
• Winter: the road over the Kamchik pass may close or operate with restrictions because of snow, so check before you travel. The railway through the tunnel is especially useful at this time.

How to get there

Minibuses and taxis run from Namangan to Pap, and on the Pap – Namangan route drivers post shared rides on Yo'ldosh. This is convenient if you want to leave at a set time or come back in the evening after a walk in Chadak. From Tashkent you can arrive by train through the Kamchik tunnel or by car over the pass, roughly 4–5 hours depending on weather and traffic.

Practical tips

• The weather on the pass changes quickly: even in summer bring a sweater if you set off early in the morning.
• There is little shade in Chadak or at the ancient sites, so carry water and a hat.
• Mobile signal can be weak in the mountain villages; agree on a meeting time with your driver in advance.
• Cash is easiest at the bazaar and in teahouses.

Pap is a good example of a "transit" town that turns out to be more interesting than it looks from the window. Stop here for half a day and you will see ancient mounds, a mountain gorge and a real valley bazaar. Look for trips on the Pap – Namangan route and other connections under all routes.

Cover photo: Shuhrataxmedov, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.