Kampir-Tepe

Kampir-Tepe stands on a bluff above the old course of the Amu Darya west of Termez, a fortified settlement and river crossing founded in the Hellenistic period after Alexander's campaigns and abandoned when the river shifted, which left the mud-brick streets, houses and citadel unusually intact rather than built over. The excavator argued it was the Alexandria on the Oxus of the sources; the identification is disputed but the preservation is not.

The main sights

• The intact street plan - mud-brick houses and lanes left when the river moved.
• The citadel - the fortified core above the old riverbank.
• The Hellenistic foundation - a settlement dating from after Alexander's campaigns.
• The identification debate - the argued case for this being Alexandria on the Oxus.

When to go

March to April and October to November are the workable months. Summer heat is extreme. Border zone permits may be required.

Good to know

The site is in a border zone and permits are sometimes required. There is no shade, water or interpretation. Mud brick erodes fast and parts are backfilled.

Nearby

Termez is east, and the Amu Darya runs below the site.

Key facts