Photography
in Central Asia is risky. You might easily direct your camera towards an object
that is off limits for photography. And the list of objects not to be
phtographed is long. Perhaps the length of the list of forbidden fruits
reflects the degree of suppressed freedom.
Allow me to
tell you more about restrictions that apply.
Turkmenistan
It's a bad
idea to photograph the entrance of an airport. I admit, I did it on arrival at
Ashgabat and not knowing the rule I had been caught at once and after a few
months in detention camp I was released again. No, but I had to erase the
photograph. I had my revenge in Dazavauz, I didn't have to erase this
photograph. Of course military installations, bridges, communication buildings,
military, police are a bad idea for photography, too. In some streets in
Ashgabat, you may take a picture on the right side, but not of the left side.
Don't try to make a photograph of the president's palace! And the bazaar is off
limits, too - this nearly broke my heart! And no wedding couples. But you may
photograph the golden statues of the country's first dictator, eh president.
Leaving the country, please don't try to make a photograph of the border. Never!
Uzbekistan
Military
installations etc. are a bad idea in Uzbekistan, too. But all in all the list is
shorter. But one shouldn't stop at a cotton field to take pictures of cotton pickers. The metro
in Tashkent is off limits, too. And you shouldn't take pictures of the islamic
administration building in Tashkent.
I agree
that one of the first copies of the holy quran (really one of the few original written qurans!) shouldn't
be photographed out of preservatory and religious concerns.
Kyrgyzstan
Simply
leave out the border; else you can shoot at nearly everything and everyone
(with camera) - usual discretion applies of course.
Kazachstan
Also leave
out the border. In Almaty you shouldn't take pictures of the Green Bazaar -
actually nobody seemed to notice or made a fuss about it; but maybe it was just
that I took photographs at the fruit & veggie section and not at the jeweller's.
You might take pictures inside the metro in Almaty, but please not of the jeton
selling booth; the ladies looked dapper with their side caps.
Some
restrictions on photography are understandable, others are arbitrary at best.
Some really are a nuisance. Maybe I shouldn't complain too much, having
returned with more that 4000 pictures.
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