Obi-Togmat

Tajikistan


Around 20km west of Ayni, this characterful roadside teahouse has capitalised on the mountain water that rushes through the premises. Cauldrons of chicken boil on minimal cooking facilities, attracting those-in-the-know to the indoor and outdoor tables.

This spot is famed for the purity of its water and legends have sprung up about its powers. A former emir of Bukhara called Olimkhon killed a soldier (or so the story goes) for falling short on his mission to collect water from here. He was identified in having taken a short cut because a clever local sheikh would slip a piece of gold into Obi-Togmat water to be sure of future business.

Other establishments have sprung up alongside selling salted yoghurt balls (25TJS per kilo) and dried apricots while soft drinks cool in the flowing streams.