eco tj6+.qxd - Economic Cooperation Organization

380
Republic of TA J I K I S TA N
Top 10 Places to Visit
shore of the Kafirnigan River.
Yavroz
Holiday center "Yavroz" is located at 50 km from Dushanbe (direction to
Romit Gorge) at the altitude 1,150 meters above sea level. It is famous for its
own thermal spring, which contains silicic acid, boron, hydrogen sulfite, and
radon.
HISSAR
The regional center Hissar is located in
25 kilometers to the west of Dushanbe,
and just in 7 kilometers south of Hissar,
near the site of confluence the Hanaka
River to the Kafimigan River, there lies the
remains of a fortress tower above the valley
which is known under the title "Hissar
Fortress". This well protected fortress was
a residence of a governor of Bukhara Emir
- Hissar Bek (barony) in XIX century. In its
early nineteenth century heyday, the town
had some 15,000 inhabitants and maintained
trade contacts with Afghanistan, China, Arabia and India. Inside the
fortress, there was a pool and a garden, and opposite there was a market, caravan
shelter and a lot of small shops. The gate of the fortress with portal and
arch, old one-storied madrasa and the two-storied building of new madrasa of
XVIII-XIX centuries have lasted till the present day.
Mahdumi Azam mausoleum is located not so far dating to XVI-XVII centuries,
in which there is simple alabaster gravestone of local Sufi teacher. It is
still a place of worship. The fortress was occupied in 1924 by basmachi (local
bands of freedom fighters, today they would be called mujahed) leader
Ibragim Bek until the Red Army destroyed it completely. Only the gate
remains though you can still clearly see the structure of the fortress when you
climb up the hills.
The building of Madrasa Khuhna ("old madrasa") now is a museum with
ancient utensils, a "model Tajik national room", jewelry and an interesting
archaeological map of Tajikistan. The present "Hissar Fortress" was opened in
1982, with the most recent restoration carried out in 2001. Today this place is
also popular for visits during marriages. The colored ribbons that people attach
on the trees symbolize prayers and an example of the animist influence.
50 meters from the gate of the fortress there is a national teahouse, the interior
of which is magnificently decorated by the national masters. If you do not
prefer sitting inside the house, you can drink tea and eat directly in open air
under shadow of two huge plane- trees, age of which are not less than 500
years, and which are remarkable monuments of nature themselves.
An asphalt highway leads to the "Hissar Fortress", by which from/to Dushanbe
or from/to Tursunzade you can reach there in 20-30 minutes by public transport
or shared taxi. In Hissar town, take the shared taxi from the bus station
and ask for the kala (in Tajik) or krepost (in Russian).