Tashkurgan Stone City

Tashkurgan means stone fort in Turkic, and the ruin the town is named for stands on a rise above it at around 3,100 metres: walls, towers and foundations of rough stone enclosing a compound, built and rebuilt over many centuries at a point where routes toward the Wakhan, Gilgit and the Tarim basin met, which made it a natural place to control traffic. Some identify it with the stone tower described by Greek geographers as a marker on the route east. Below the fort spreads a wide green wetland grazed by yaks, crossed by boardwalks, with the Pamir ranges standing white on every horizon.

What to look for

• The stone fort - walls and towers of a much-rebuilt frontier stronghold.
• The wetland below - green pasture crossed by boardwalks, grazed by yaks.
• The Pamir horizon - snow ranges surrounding the plateau town.
• The Tajik town - Sarikoli-speaking community around the ruins.

When to go

June to September, when the passes are clear and the wetland green; winter on the plateau is severe. Sunset light on the fort and wetland is the reason many stay a night.

What to expect

Altitude at 3,100 metres and the drive up from Kashgar make it a long day. The fort is ruins rather than standing architecture. Border-zone travel arrangements apply and should be checked in advance.

Nearby

Karakul Lake lies north on the highway; the Khunjerab pass is south.

Key facts