Michael Hayes
Berkshire teacher David Dahari traveled to Central Asia with support from the School's Strom Grant, an endowed fund designed to promote a wider understanding of Asian cultures and languages among the School's faculty. He's pictured here with his fellow travelers.
When Berkshire science teacher David Dahari boarded a flight in early June, he was embarking on a three-week journey across one of the most historically rich yet under-traveled regions in the world. Supported by the Strom Grant—an award that funds faculty travel to enrich school life—Dahari set out to explore the "Five Stans": Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
For Dahari, the trip was a unique opportunity to immerse himself in a region where history, science, and culture have converged for centuries.
“I wanted to see what the region was like. I wanted to see the culture. I wanted to see the people. I wanted to taste the food. I wanted to see the geography,” Dahari said.
Beyond the breathtaking landscapes, the primary inspiration for his journey was the region's historical role as a cradle of ancient astronomy and physics, two subjects that Dahari teaches at Berkshire. Positioned at the heart of the Silk Road, Central Asia was once the global crossroad where technology, language, and scientific ideas flowed freely between East and West.
During his travels, Dahari visited the ruins of ancient observatories and toured historical madrasas—traditional Islamic schools of learning where early scholars laid the groundwork for modern geometry and physics. Standing under the region’s breathtaking dark night sky, he reflected on how early astronomers in the region observed the stars, deepening his appreciation for the scientific heritage he teaches his students today.
"We got to see original texts and books from that time period with all the astronomy and physics drawings," Dahari said. "Leatherbound, wrinkled pages, in a madrasa that looks like an old temple. The setting was amazing to look at these artifacts."
Dahari visited The Darvaza Crater in Turkmenistan.
Dahari was joined on the trip by a small group of teachers, scientists and business owners from places like Europe, Australia, and Iceland. The group was led by the tour company Adventure Bound.
"In order to visit all five countries in such a short amount of time, you have to have a guide or a tour," Dahari explained, noting that the area's tourism infrastructure is still developing. "There are almost no English signs, and most people don't speak English. So you need to know how to get around."
Despite being routinely grouped together as former Soviet republics that gained independence in 1991, each country revealed its own distinct identity. Dahari experienced the strong Russian architectural influence in Kazakhstan, stayed in traditional yurt camps amid the rugged mountain landscapes of Kyrgyzstan, and navigated the arid deserts of Turkmenistan. In Uzbekistan, he walked through preserved, thousand-year-old Silk Road cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. Meanwhile, in Tajikistan, his basic study of Farsi allowed him to connect directly with local vendors in the markets.
Among the trip's many striking sights—ranging from pristine mountain snowballs in June to free-roaming desert camels—was the famous Darvaza Crater in Turkmenistan. A massive, 100-foot-deep natural gas crater set ablaze by Soviet geologists in the 1970s, it has been burning continuously ever since. "It's like opening a hot oven when you're at the edge," Dahari recalled.
"I feel really lucky and honored to have been chosen for this grant because it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity."- David Dahari, Strom Grant Recipient
Dahari’s travel was also driven by a personal connection within Berkshire's community. Having mentored Central Asian students at the school, he wanted to better understand their heritage and bring awareness to a region that remains largely underrepresented in American education.
The Ulugh Beg Observatory in Uzbekistan was built around 1429, later destroyed, and rediscovered in the early 20th century.
Ultimately, the journey changed how he views his work as an educator. By experiencing Central Asia’s legacy as an international meeting point, Dahari returned to Sheffield with a renewed vision for his own classroom.
As the new academic year begins, he is excited to apply this global perspective to his teaching—fostering an authentic international environment where students from all backgrounds can share their unique experiences and learn from one another.
"It makes me see Berkshire in a different way," Dahari reflected. "I don't really see myself as just a teacher anymore who's teaching kids from different places. I see myself as a facilitator, like one of these countries where people cross paths through me and through this school... I think it just gives me a deeper appreciation for this place as a crossroads, and my classroom as a crossroads."
All photos and videos provided by David Dahari.