Istaravshan

Istaravshan is one of the older towns in Central Asia, and unlike most Tajik towns it kept a substantial old quarter: a warren of mudbrick lanes and courtyard houses on the slope, with the Kok Gumbaz madrasa and its blue dome, the Sari Mazor complex, and the Mugh Teppa citadel mound above, where a gate has been reconstructed. The town has a long-standing craft reputation, particularly for knives, still made in the bazaar.

Background

Until 2000 the city was known as Uroteppa, or Ura-Tyube. It sits at 992 metres among the northern foothills of the Turkistan range, on the main road between Khujand and Dushanbe, 78 kilometers southwest of Khujand. The city's administrative area covers 1,830 square kilometers and ten jamoats, with 273,500 people, 76% of them in the countryside around the town. Istaravshan marked its 2,500th birthday in 2002. It is one of three suggested sites for ancient Cyropolis, which Cyrus founded in the 6th century B.C. on the north-eastern edge of the Achaemenid Empire. About 400 mm of precipitation falls each year, more of it in winter than in summer.

Source: Wikipedia, "Istaravshan"

The main sights

• The old quarter - mudbrick lanes and courtyard houses on the slope.
• Kok Gumbaz - the blue-domed madrasa at the heart of the town.
• Mugh Teppa - the citadel mound with its reconstructed gate.
• The knife makers - the workshops in the bazaar the town is known for.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the most comfortable. Summer in the Fergana approaches is very hot. Fridays are busiest at the mosque.

Practical notes

The Mugh Teppa gate is a modern reconstruction on the old mound. Parts of the old quarter are decaying. Summer heat here is severe.

Nearby

Khujand is north, and the Shahristan pass is south.

Key facts