Christian and his wife Elvira never expected to stay in Kyrgyzstan for nearly six months when they arrived last March to celebrate the Nowruz festival. But they expected even less the incredible discovery they would make a few months later, in September: this Belgian couple of tourists found, completely by chance, a large pitcher dating from the Karakhanid era!

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Christian and Elvira decided to extend their stay in Kyrgyzstan after their planned circuit with Kyrgyz'What. They then multiplied their trips throughout the country, taking advantage of this exceptional situation to explore Kyrgyzstan. And what a good decision! In September, Christian and Elvira headed to the little-explored region of Talas for a photography tour. They returned with something far more precious: an immense pitcher in perfect condition dating from the 9th or 10th century.

Surprisingly, it wasn't even buried deep. A small piece of the pitcher was protruding from the earth, which allowed Christian to spot it. They then began to unearth it and weren't expecting to see such a large ancient artifact, and so well preserved. You can still see the carved motifs around the pitcher and only a small crack mars its perfection.

« It was very unusual and we felt great joy at having the chance to find such an ancient object, » Elvira said during a television interview. Elvira and her husband made their surprising discovery on September 11, and they immediately decided to donate the artifact to the city of Talas, wanting it to remain in place. They were then received by the Minister of Culture, Information and Tourism upon their return to Bishkek.

Lockdown, then discovery

« We came to Kyrgyzstan to photograph wildlife and nature, and especially the Nowruz festival, » says Christian, who is credited with the discovery. « Unfortunately, because of coronavirus the festival was cancelled and we found ourselves in lockdown upon arrival. Unable to find a way to return to Belgium, we decided instead to travel throughout Kyrgyzstan in order to discover and photograph wildlife. »

Christian is a wildlife photographer and didn't expect to make an archaeological discovery during his trip to Kyrgyzstan. But while strolling across a plateau in Talas, he came upon a spillway that was slightly protruding from the ground. « At first I didn't understand. I called my wife and my friends, who said it was ceramics. We thought it was just a piece, but when we cleared it away, we discovered the vase was intact. And I immediately said: this vase must absolutely stay in this region.» Their discovery would join the ranks of a museum in Talas and remain long engraved in their memory. Crossroads of the Silk Road, Kyrgyzstan holds numerous treasures and mysteries within its lands...