Tajikistan -Turkmenistan - Uzbekistan - Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (Uzbekistan)

The Silk Roads extended over 6500 km and connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world and served as historical network of interlinking trade routes, intercultural dialogue, exchange of traditions, sciences, art, religions, languages and human values. The “Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor” is located along the Zarafshan river, its wider hydrological basin and the Karakum desert. It was identified in the Silk Roads ICOMOS Thematic Study as the 4th and 5th corridors out of 54. It is linked to the Tien-Shan corridor in the North, the Fergana Valley corridor in the East, the Amudarya corridor in the South and via the Southern Aral Sea to the Caspian corridor in the West, as well as from Merv to the Khorasan corridor (once called Great Khorasan Road in early Islamic period. The corridor starts from Khisorak in Sogd province in the Republic of Tajikistan and ends in Kushmeihan in Mary province in Turkmenistan. The length of the corridor is about 866 km and it lies in the three Central Asian countries Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It crosses geographical zones such as the highland zone, piedmont zone, plains zone, artificial irrigation zone, oases zone, wormwood-steppe zone and desert zone.

The corridor consists of 31 component parts: Khisorak, Castle on Mount Mugh, Kum settlement, Gardani-Khisor, Tali-Khamtuda, MukhammadBashoro Mausoleum, Toksankoriz, Sanjarshakh, Ancient Town of Penjikent (Tajikistan); Jartepa II Temple, Suleimantepa, Kafirkala settlement, Dabusiya settlement, Qosim Shaikh Complex, Mir-SayidBakhrom Mausoleum, Rabati Malik Caravanserai and Sardoba, Deggaron Mosque, Chasma-I AyubKhazira, Vardanze settlement, Vobkent Minaret, BahouddinNaqshband Architectural Complex, Chor Bakr Necropolis, Varakhsha settlement, Paikend settlement (Uzbekistan) and Amul settlement, Mansaf Caravanserai, Konegala Caravanserai, Tahmalaj, Akja Gala Caravanserai, Gyzylja Gala Caravanserai and Kushmeihan (Turkmenistan). In addition, there are three World Heritage properties, the Samarkand-Crossroad of Cultures, the Historic Centre of Bukhara and Ancient Merv State Historical and Cultural Park, situated along the corridor. Samarkand and Bukhara have been the major cities in this region from the 6th century BC and Merv from the 3rd century BC onwards. All three of them possess significant archaeological remains from pre-Islamic period as well as outstanding architectural monuments of the Muslim time. In addition, the world heritage property Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz, medieval Kesh, is located somewhat to the south, but it is also profoundly related to the corridor. Although there are not included as component parts of this World Heritage nomination their attributes and relevance are highlighted throughout the nomination dossier.

Tajikistan - Buddhistic cloister of Ajina-Tepa

"The cloister has a right-angled form (100 x 50 m.), it consists of two parts, there is a square yard surrounded buildings, in the center of it. There is a room in the middle of every side of the yard. The room consists of two parts too. The first part is an ivan (summer-house). There is a passage to the square cell in the back side of the ivan. These twin rooms are simmetrically situated face to face. The ivons are connected with crank corridors. The exits led from the corridors to the yard, other buildings, small monk cells of one or two rooms, economic premises. There was the second floor where it could be gone with a pandus but it didn't remain."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Tajikistan - Khulbuk – the capital of ancient Khuttal

Khulbuk is located 175 km south of Dushanbe – the capital of the Republic of Tajikistan. On the actual map the domain of Khutal with the capital city of Khulbuk is correlated with the Khatlon region in the Republic of Tajikistan. The city of Khulbuk lies in the valleys of the Surkhob and Yakhsu Rivers in the central part of the Mekhrobod Village (Kurbonshaid), 7 km north-west of the regional center Khulbuk (Vose). In the south and east the territory of the palace complex borders on the Dushanbe-Kulyab-Pamir highway, in the north – the Bokhtar-Kulyab railway, and in the west – the residential buildings of the village of Mekhrobod (Kurbonshaid). The territory of shahristan is located northeast of the palace. In the southern side, it adjoins the Dushanbe-Kulyab highway, on the eastern – the Surkhob River, on the northern and western – residential quarters of the Mekhrobod Village (Kurbonshaid). The territory of the buffer zone covers the entire historical core of the city of Khulbuk.

Tajikistan - Zorkul State Reserve

Territory of the reserve referred to the Central Asian natural climatic range with highland Zorkul Lake of glacial origin. This lake situated on the altitude of 4100-4200 m. Within the territory of the reserve there are three more average lakes with the common name Chakankuli, which reached out along one of the gorge of Vakhan mountain ridge. Upper reaches of this ridge are referred to the territory of reserve up to the Soglasia Peak (6000 m). To the South of the lake there is the territory of Afghanistan Islamic Republic so called Afghan Badakhshan.

Tajikistan - Zakaznik Kusavlisay

The botanical zakaznik (reserve) Kusavlisay situated on the North slopes of Turkestan mountain ridge to the north direction from Shahristan pass of Dushanbe – Hodjent road. It is contiguous with Republic of Uzbekistan on the west. True altitudes in the pass points reach 2700-3000 m. The north steep slope is very stony. The main of establishment of the reserve is conservation of juniper forest massif. Its vegetation is represented by three species of juniper: zerafshan, turkestan and semigloboza. The fauna of the zakaznik is very rich. Juniper forests are the place of habitat of tolai hare, bears, wild boars, mountain sheep, goats and others.

Tajikistan - Tigrovaya Balka

The reserve situated in the undercurrent of Vakhsh River between Pyandj and Kafirnighan rivers at the board of Afghanistan. Its territory elongated for the 40 kms from south-west to north-east. Its relief has the shape of valley floodplain terrace with falls which contain many cutoff lakes, formed during meandering of Vakhsh River Climate Climate of the reserve is sharply continental and dry. During the winter the air masses of temperate latitudes and in summer – tropical are prevalent. The average annual temperature makes + 14-17degrees, the temperature of coldest month (January) + 2-0 degrees, the hottest (July) + 28-32 degrees. Duration of the frost-free period is 250-310 days, and with the temperature more than +10° C – 200-250 days.

Tajikistan - The Site of Ancient Town of Takhti-Sangin

The site of ancient town consists of strongly fortified citadel (165 x 235 m.) and south and north parts stretched at the distance of 500 m. The excavations carried out in the west and central parts of the citadel elicited many interesting facts. There it is found monumental building - "Temple of Oxes" (Greek geographical name of Amu-Daria river). In the temple the square four-columned White Hall (12x12 m.) was excavated completely. Walls are 5 m. high. White Hall was encircled with two rows of corridors from south, west and north. It was oriented by the sides of the world. An entrance was situated from the east side, there was a portico with two rows of columns, four ones in the row, in front of the entrance. From the south and the north the portico was limited with blocks each of them consisted of two neighbouring rooms, one of them had an entrance to ivan (summer-house). There was a temple yard to the east from the portico. In the late period of the existance of the temple the portico was separated with a brick wall with a passage. The walls of the building was made of big bricks (60x80x15 cm.). They were repaired many times and then they gained thickness of three meters. The columns have bases consisting of stepped pedestal and torus, compound trunks, beautiful Ionian capitals. The columns were 6 m. high. Apertures were decorated with stone Thresholds and pilasters. In the one of the angle of White Hall were placed large stone compound altars of local types there. In all probability the temple was decorated with statues on special pedestals.

Tajikistan - The Site of Ancient Town of Shahristan (Kahkakha)

The site of the ancient town of Shahristan (Kahkakha) was a capital of ancient Ustrushana of VI-IX centuries. It consisted of the complex of castles, united in a system encircled with defensive wall with towers. In the north part there is Sharistan proper with the palace of governor (its name is Kalai Kahkakha I). There is an old fortress in the south part (its name is Kalai Kahkakha II). They are separated by wide and deep moat of natural origin. There is Rabad (Kalai Kahkakha III) there. Side by side with dwelling houses in the territory of Shahristan it was found a cult temple of idols. After Arab conquest it became the mosque. The territory of the site of ancient town was devided by wall into two parts. There was a defensive complex in the west part. It consisted of guard buildings and barracs and a drill ground. There was a sardoba (reservoir) there. The site of ancient town had two gates. The north one was main, and west one was reserve. There was a palace of Bungikata in the east part of the site of ancient town (the highest part). The territory of the palace was 38x47 m., and it rise above the river bed on 57 m. The palace was built of raw-bricks. Interiors were covered with adobe plaster. The palace had about 20 premises, in that number the main three-storeyed hall (17.65 x 11.77 m.) with throne loggia, a small hall (9.65 x 9.5 m.) for meetings, a donjon, some dwelling and house-hold premises, a large system of wide and long corridors, conducting them. There were temple and arsenal in the palace. It was found 5000 stone balls of 32-48 kg. Weight and stone balls for slings. The palace was encircled with defendence wall, there was a gate in the west wall of the palace. The halls, rooms and corridors had sufas (right-angled dais, interlocutors were situated on its surface), tambours with wooden screens, which in combination with wall painting, carving of columns, frieses and ceilings gave smart appereance to the interior of the premises. The hall of the palace is many-columned, with a wide entrance; it was decorated with carving and a beautiful carved wooden tympanum. The tympanum was situated in front of the trone loggia near the north wall. A planning of the hall is reminiscent of basilicas of Ancient Rome. Walls of a corridor leading to the hall is decorated astonishing subjects of many-colored painting. It's a picture of shewolf, nursing babies. Other subjects are warriors, fighting against demons, etc. Thus the site of ancient town of Shahristan (Kahkakha) is a unique archaeological monument, where the elements of structure of towns of IX-XII centuries is expressed very clearly. Kahkakha was political, economical and cultural center of Ustrushana.

Tajikistan - The Site of Ancient Town of Pyanjekent

The site of ancient town of Pyanjekent is the center of one appannage possession of Sogd of V-VIII centuries. It consists of a vast citadel with three belts of fortifications; the city proper- shahristan, defended by fortress wall and suburban country houses and grounds, and a necropolis. The site of ancient town was built in the V century. Primery idea was enlarged several times and was broke up outside and inside town. The total area is 35,5 hectares. From V century central part of Pyanjekent's shahristan was formed as a sacred place with two temples. They were identical by planning. Every temple had two yards; west and east one. It can go out into the street through the east yard. The temple rebuilt many times, but the main paculiarities of its planning were kept. The base of a composition of the temple yard was a road from east to west, from the entrance column portico to narrow ramp, by means of it they climbed a platform of the main building. The building of the temple had a wide portico, after that there was four columns hall, which had no east wall. There was a door in the depth of the hall, which opened into the right-angled cell of the temple. There is a gallery from three sides of the hall and the cell. There was a special place for the sacred fire in the south temple (number 1); in the probability the north temple (number 2) was devoted to water element. Vast blocks of buildings with shops, bazaars, workshops, network of streets and side-streets occupied the most part of the shahristan. The buildings had different number of rooms. Area of an ordinary dwelling is about 60 sq.m. a dwelling palace of a rich man have a territory of 2100 sq.m. One third part of the building was intended for cerimony, the rooms were decorated by carving and wall-painting. The houses belonged to landowners and merchants. Meeting halls usually had an area from 30 to 250 sq.m. they are square or right angled. In the suburb the town necropolis was investigated. Archaeologists found nauses; they are small right-angled vaults; there were ceramic ossuaries with bones of the dead.

Tajikistan - The Site of Ancient Town of Baitudasht IV

The site of ancient settlement has oval - rhombic form, area is 10 hectares. From three sides it is cut through with river-beds, reaching the valley to the west. They are 40-50 m. deep. There is an only narrow way in the gully from the east side. There are remains of a town wall in the form of a mound there. It's 40 m. long, 9-10 m. wide, 2-3 m. high. Situation of the gates isn't found. There are 7 semicircular ledges in the form of towers along the north edge of the hill. A surface of the site of ancient settlement is smoothed out with ploughing. Only in the west part there are contours of ploughed hills. There is a higher round hill of 10 m. in diameter and 1,5-2 m. high there. As a result of three field seasons the hill was excavated completely. It was a complex of cult building which consists of two isolated and two neighboring rooms with entrance into the corridor extended from the south to the north. Two isolated rooms were situated in the west part of the corridor. There were sufas (right-angled dais, interlocutors were situated on its surface) of 0,5-1 m. high and 0,9-1,2 m. wide in the rooms along the perimeter. There was a wide sufa with an altar pedestal in the form of caisson in the north room between the side sufas.

Tajikistan - State reserve Dashti Djum

Territory of reserve situated in the mountains at the altitude 1000-2000 m, on the slopes of Hazratishoh mountain ridge. The extension of the reserve from north to south is 18 km; from west to east – 25 km. Its territory is unified lot located to the undercurrent of Pyandj River and found on its left bank. According to the geological division into districts the territory of the reserve located near to the border of Tajik dejection and the Pamirs (including the Darvaz). The relief is indented by deep gorges and streaming down to south west rivers with steep precipitous slopes. Pyandj and Obihingou Rivers are the main water streams on the territory of the reserve.

Tajikistan - Mausoleum of "Mukhammad Bashoro"

Mausoleum of "Mukhammad Bashoro" of a connaisseur of khadices in the first Islamic centuries was built (without portal) in XI-XII centuries as a building, which combined functions of a mausoleum and a mosque for making mention. It consists of a spacious centra cupola hall, where there are a row of vault premises on both sides (on the left and on the right). They are grouped along two axes, which are parallel the middle central axis. The left group of the premises of three rooms has individual entrance in the main façade. A portal with rich decoration made of teracotta appeared in 1332. The portal has an arch niche of lancet form. A heel of the arch leans on capitals of three-forth columns, which are inscribed into the inner angles of its abutment.

Tajikistan - Mausoleum of "Khoja Mashkhad"

It is one of the not numerous pre-Mongol madrasah of XI-XII centuries, which was kept until nowadays. There are premise of the mausoleum, mosques and yard ivans (summer-house) round the right-angled yard, from the north to the south. There are two large cupola buildings united with arch Ivan in the north part of the territory. This construction built with burnt bricks (25x25x4 cm.) is known as the Mausoleum of Hodja Mashkhad or "Double Mausoleum". Other parts of the madrasah built of adobe bricks was broken and was excavated. The total territory of the madrasah is (68 x 48 m.) The south façade of the mounument has two round towers in the corner of the cupola building. It was excavated some arch rooms (3,5-4 m.) surrounding the large yard, ivans in the north, east and west sides of the yard. The ivans are 4 m. wide. Brittleness of the adobe bricks is a cause of the destruction of many monument in Tajikistan. That is why the kepts ones made of burnt bricks are of great value. The mausoleum part of the madrasah consist of two building (10,4 x 10,4 m.) they have sphere cupola. The foundations of the cupolas have arch windows fro the south side, and round opening in the keystones of the cupolas. The east mausoleum is earlier (IX-X centuries), it's a typical Central Asia central-cupola building of the early middle ages. Its west and east walls have doors. The west mausoleum has some little differences in detail, such as ornament of the walls.

Tajikistan - Mausoleum of "Hodja Nashron"

The mausoleum (XI - XII centuries) consists of two burial places contained in two premises. The first of that is square, it has size 6x6,8 m. with portal. The height of the kept part is 2,8 m. The second room is 11x16,35 m. and consists of square burial place and portal. The walls are 5,15 m. high. These two buildings show artistic possibilities of non-masked brickwork typical for Tajik architecture of XI-XII centuries. The large mausoleum is a part of the complex of Hodja Nashron, it consists of two mausoleums situated at an angle one to another. It is a portal-cupola memorial building. A deep entrance arch bay has an arch, the next square room has cupola on the octagon. The south-west, south-east and north-east façades are identical: there is ordinary brickwork, then four rows of the twin brickwork, then there is a pattern brickwork over the ordinary one. It begins from the height 1,45-1,78 m. to 3,52-3,81 m. There are right-angled windows in all three façades. In the south-east and north-east façades they begin at the height of 5,3 m. in the south-west one they begin at the height 5,07 m. The window are 45 cm. high. B.A.Litvinski dated the mausoleum the second half of XII century. The mausoleum has a large (more than 3,5 m.) portal. It is an independent architectural element. Peculiarity of the monument is its breaking up on two parts - the mausoleum proper and the portal. Other monuments of XII century have no such peculiarity of the monument. The portal does not cover all portal wall, but it as if projects over the wall. It's rarity among the monuments of pre-Mongol period, for example, the mosque Zulfia near Termez, the mausoleum of Abdul Fazla in Sarakhs.

Tajikistan - Mausoleum of "Amir Khamza Khasti Podshoh"

The architectural complex of "Khazrati Shoh" i.e. mausoleum was built on the place of the grave of the saint, whose name was Khazra posho mir Khamza. There are many fragments of artistic carving on the ceiling, therefore the scientist suppose that the mausoleum was built of an old building or near it. Primarily it was square wooden mausoleum. There were columns in the south-west part, and adobe walls in the north-east one. Koranic inscriptions on the perimeter purlins and on the board friese is evidence about it. The columns have some right-angled deepenings for decorate gratings and mosaic. Elements of the façade was badly kept because of weather influence. An ornament of the columns isn't made out, the wooden surface is decolorized.

Tajikistan - Fann mountains

The territory of the projectible national park is situated within the limits of Zeravshan and Hissar mountain ranges of the Pamir-Alai. Fann Mountains are the most significant mountain massif among the whole system of Zerafshan and Hissar mountain ridges. This relatively small but high mountain junction situated between 390 021 ? 390 181 N and 680 021 ? 680 381 W, represents the group of short but high ridges. The orographical scheme of Fann massif are as the follows: the Zerafshan ridge ranges from west to east as irregular arc and crossed by two ??? ?????????? ??? meridional ridges– west, connecting Zerafshan and Hissar ridges, and East – beginning from Pasrud river on the South and going up to the Iskanderkul Lake. In the crossin places of these ridges there are the following higher mountain tops – Chimtarga (5487 m), Ganza (5415 m). This is the place of concentration of seven peaks of 5000 meters high and several tens of peaks over 5000 m. Territory of the park contains beautiful and unique mountain landscape which is still intact by the economic activities of the man. The special allure of territory created by wonderful mountain lakes Chapdara, Alaudin and others, glacier, ancient obstructions, juniper forests and groves.