Uzbekistan

The city of Tashkent—once an important centre for trade along the ancient silk road—is the capital of Uzbekistan. It is a city of mosques and churches, of beautiful broadways, inviting parks and fountains. Its culture—shaped by a 2,200-year old history—is marked by a warm and generous hospitality in which visitors quickly become welcomed friends. It seemed fitting then, that the Bahá’í community begin the afternoon’s celebrations by serving the traditional Uzbek dish ‘plov,’ a fragrant and delicious mixture of rice, carrot, onion, and meat cooked over a fire. The programme included a screening of the film *Light to the World*. Noticeable to those gathered was the youthfulness of the community and the ways in which the many young people worked alongside the adults in a spirit of friendship. Others were moved by the account of the life of Bahá’u’lláh and His teachings and recognized in His writings concepts long held in their own hearts.