Chiluchor Chashma, which translates from Tajik as «Forty-Four Springs,» is a revered pilgrimage site located near the city of Shaartuz in Tajikistan. This sacred place, also well-known in the surrounding regions of Uzbekistan, is set in a dry, desert area where five relatively large springs emerge from the base of a small hill and split into 39 smaller streams. These waters combine to form a river, which locals have channeled into a 12-13 meter wide canal. Near the sources of the springs, a significant population of fish, particularly from the genus Schizothorax (belonging to the Cyprinidae family), thrive and reproduce. These fish are considered sacred, and it is strictly forbidden to catch or eat them, as local legends warn that those who break this taboo face death. These cold-water-loving fish prefer to stay near the cool spring sources rather than venture downstream. The area around the springs at the foot of the hill is surrounded by trees, including willows and mulberries, creating a small yet remarkable oasis. The fish are especially fond of the ripe mulberries that fall into the water.
A legend among the local population explains the origin of these springs. According to the tale, when Hazrat Ali visited the area to preach Islam, a nearby river, the Romit, dried up. Ali cursed the river, renaming it Kofarnikhon, which translates to «hiding the unbelievers» (from Tajik «kofar» meaning «infidel» or «non-Muslim»). This name arose after Islam spread to the region, as the valley of this river was inhabited by Buddhists and Mazdaists (worshippers of Ahura Mazda), who were considered infidels by the Muslims. The Russian geographical name for this river is «Kafirnigan.» The Kafirnigan River originates on the southern slopes of the Hissar Range and flows into the Amu Darya.
Upon reaching the site of the current Chiluchor Chashma, Hazrat Ali, praying to Allah for water, pressed his four fingers into the rock, causing four pure springs to burst forth, which form the core of the revered group of springs.
Visitors to Chiluchor Chashma come to pray, perform ablutions, offer sacrifices, and bathe in the springs. It is believed that the waters of 17 of these springs possess healing properties. Each spring has its own local name and is associated with specific medicinal uses:
On the hill from which the springs emerge, there is a mausoleum with a long tombstone. According to local tradition, it is the resting place of a saint named Kambar Bobo, who, according to legend, was the groom of Hazrat Ali and cared for his legendary horse, Duldul. Pilgrims perform ritual circumambulations of the tomb. Nearby are the graves of four more saints, whose names are unknown.
The well-known ethnographer and scholar of religion, Gleb Pavlovich Snesarev (1910-1989), who was part of the Khorezm Archaeological and Ethnographic Expedition, wrote in his book Khorezm Legends as a Source for the History of Religious Cults of Central Asia (Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Institute of Ethnography named after N.N. Miklukho-Maklay, Science Publishing House, Moscow, 1983) that Kambar Bobo was revered by both indigenous farmers of Central Asia and the nomadic population that transitioned to a sedentary lifestyle as the patron of horses and horse breeders.
The presence of sacred fish in the springs near these holy sites is a common phenomenon in the agricultural regions of Central Asia. It preserves the ancient pre-Islamic fertility cult associated with water (springs and rivers), upon which the life of farmers entirely depended. This ancient cult can be seen among Zoroastrians in the form of worshiping the goddess of fertility, Ardvishur Anahita. Fish, as inhabitants of the water element, were likely regarded as intermediaries between people and the water deities that provided fertility and prosperity. During the Islamic period, remnants of this cult manifested in the construction of religious buildings (small mosques and tombs of saints) near water sources. Some of these small oases surrounding a water source were, according to local legends, places of seclusion and contemplation for Sufi mystics (Muslim philosophers who practiced meditative techniques).
One such small oasis is Chor Chinor (Tajik for «Four Plane Trees»), located on the outskirts of the city of Urgut near Samarkand (Uzbekistan), where a spring, according to local tradition, was brought forth by Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and wife of Hazrat Ali. Giant ancient plane trees (genus Platanus of the family Platanaceae) grow around the spring. Inside the trunk of one of these trees is a small chamber where a revered Sufi is said to have engaged in meditation. A small mosque stands nearby. The fish living in the spring are considered sacred. In addition to the Schizothorax, ornamental goldfish (introduced by people) can also be found here. The mosque’s imam explained that the fish are considered sacred because of the holiness of the place and as creations of the Almighty. We encountered a similar site on the road from Karshi to Sherabad in southwestern Uzbekistan.
A well-known sacred site in Uzbekistan is the Sultan Uvays Bobo complex in Karakalpakstan (within the territory of ancient Khorezm), which includes a sacred pool (hauz) containing fish, fed by a spring (bulak) that emerges from the ground near the mausoleum of Sultan Uvays Bobo (Muslim saint Uwais al-Qarani). In this place, there is a custom of burying the fish from the hauz when they die. The fish are wrapped in a white shroud and buried in the cemetery surrounding the mausoleum of Sultan Uvays Bobo.