Boghara agriculture, due to which inhabitants of Uzbekistan supply themselves with grain and fruits, probably had originated at the foothills of Pamirs and Tien Shan earlier than the first settlement and cities-states in the oasis of Baktria and Sogdiana appeared. The word «boghara» itself originated from the Persian «behar» or «bahor'that means «spring», since arable lands and orchards at the clay foot hills were irrigated only by the spring rains and streams, i.e. sais, flooded in March-April. By the middle of May their beds were fully dried up, water remained only in the springs bringing up to the surface groundwaterfilled up by snow and ice melting at the remote mountain heights. That's the reason why each spring in this land is deemed to be a holy place, with which special cult, tradition or legend is connected. Blooming Orchards of Bakhmal There are many such places in the valley of Bakhmal located between Molguzar and Turkestan mountain ridges in the south of Djizak region of Uzbekistan. Hundreds of pilgrims and simply campers every day come to the spring lake near the village Avlie, covered with legends about Said ibn Abu Vakkos, associate of the Prophet Muhammad, furious warrior and preacher, who by sword and word propagated Islam in the Ustrushan, principality of mountaineers-fire-worshippers, who repulsed Caliphate's attacks up to the middle of the IX century. However, there are some places, the legend of which supposedly doesn't connect with the life and deeds of the Muslim Saints. For example, in worship of the holy source flowing from the underground grotto in the neighborhood of the Noukat village clearly traced remains of the ancient agricultural cult.

Noukat Village
According to the legend once a daughter of the ruler of Balkh, ancient city in the north of the modern Afghanistan, went together with her girlfriends to the mountains, where she found a pure spring, icy water of which only she had a courage to taste. Later on it was appeared that she became pregnant. Since nobody believed in her assurances that she was innocent, the ruler wanted to put her to a death according to the drastic oriental custom to beat her by the stones. But some wandering wise man, magician and astrologer, who appeared at that time at the court persuaded him not to punish her at the heat of the moment. Shah agreed, however to avoid a shame he turned her out of the home, put her on the camel and ordered to ride following her nose. Camel carried her to the north to Mavarounnahr and stopped only in many months later when reached Bakhmal valley. Among lifeless and bare hills finally exhausted animal breathed his last, and the outcast felt beginning of the labor pains and hid in the hollow overgrown with thornbushes, where she gave birth to a boy, but she couldn't feed him because she was exhausted with the thirst. She had to leave the boy under the shadow of a pistachio-tree and went to search water. In an hour she came back in despair getting ready to die. But suddenly she saw that from the stones, on which a newborn was laying, welled out a powerful spring. However, wonders didn't cease on this. As soon as the mother plunged the baby into water to give him a bath he turned into fish, slipped out of her hands and disappeared in the depth of the underground grotto. The spring surely began to well out stronger turning into a flow in the course of time watering the valley, in which orchards started blooming. And unhappy woman remained to live at the spring becoming the first local anchoress. Today at the spring in Noukat like in the other pilgrimage places there are a mosque built as long as in 1909, and khanaka, a kind of the hotel for all who want to stay here for a night. Women coming here believe that a gulp of water from this spring can recover them from their sterility. Pursuant to the legend holy fish behave themselves accordingly, they are hiding in the dark depth of the grotto until the evening namaz ,i.e. daily pray at the end of the day.
Mosque in Noukat
In the Middle Ages Sufi, cunning mystics of Islam, many of whom led eremitic lives and lived on handouts, developed majority of the similar corners in the Central Asia notable for their favorable natural conditions or some specific features. In such a way external contradiction between severe doctrine of Islamic monotheism vigorously banning stone, spring and trees worship, and remnants of the pagan faith, which in essence ineradicable from the folk mind, has been resolved. Legend about the spring in Noukat is bearing clearly expressed traces of the ancient agricultural cult, probably, connected with Anakhita, goddess of water and fertility, more ancient than even spirits of zoroastrizm elements, underground temples of which have been recently found not far off in the place of Jomonjar.
About existence of the ancient culture witness also astonishing artifacts, namely: sundials, which faces on the granite stones have an ideal round form only without divisions. Age of these dials is not subject to determination, but their functional purpose is disputable. There is a multitude of stones, their sizes are impressive, near some of them one can find also stone rods, obviously being used as clock hands, placed in the center of the circle and cast a shadow. Finds in Bakhmal could provide food for thoughts to frame different hypotheses by archeologists and historians, but until present they have been serving only as a thing for the trembling worship. By the way it protects them against destruction and preserves for the future generations. Mosque in Noukat
At the end of 90-ties Bakhaml is nearly on the edge of breaking out a fever of the treasure hunting when out of the underground passage suddenly opened in the middle of the village Jargokh some ancient things including arms and golden coins had been got. However, excitement turned into tragedy. Pretended researcher had disappeared without trace in catacombs, and after that authorities ordered to cover grotto with earth, and local inhabitants did it willingly.
- «All wonders occur at the will of the Most High», - explains Sheikh before offering a prayer.
- In our land water is everything. In Nokaut there are a thousand and a half families, but there is only one source of water. In 1997 in winter a terrible flood had happened, mudflow from the mountains destroyed the spring, and closed it with stones and clay. Canyon appeared to be buried. But men dug everything with their hands, cleared all ponds and planted trees again.
In spring the valley is plunged into apple orchards blossom. Local apples are not less famous than Namangan ones and all year round they are sold along the road leading from Tashkent to Samarkand. In each yard there is a thick and sour apple aroma of the stores preserved from the last year yield. Lands on the hills are continued to be ploughed and also under the wheat fields, which by the middle of July must be harvested. However dry farming like a thousand years ago is a risky business fully depending on whether heavy rains, or frost and hail during blossom and ripening period
occur or not.
Besides backbreaking work the
farmers need also a favorable nature disposition. This year it is kind so far. Rain floods generously water the earth, the weather is warm, but it is not hot, tulips on the hills are ready to open their burning buds. If some misfortunes have happened in any family of the local inhabitants, all of them are accustomed to gather for the traditional ceremony, i.e. khudoi. The family being in need of the Divine Mercy is to buy and cut a fat sheep, only one third of it this family can leave for its proper needs, and the two thirds are obligatory to distribute among the poor. The Fathers being full up with the fat soup are to utter a prayer, which will be heard for sure.