Khujand (or Xojand), as the second largest city in Tajikistan and the largest industrial and cultural center of northern Tajikistan, is situated on the beautiful lands stretching along the Sir-Darya river at the height of more than 300 meters above sea level.
Due to its climate and beneficial geographical position the Ferghana Valley where the city lies is called "the pearl of Central Asia". Its green mountainous countryside and clean air, the running waters of the Sir-Darya as well as the abundance of fruit and grapes and other gifts of nature make it an ever young-park -city.
Khujand is home to one of ancient civilizations in Central Asia and beside Samarkand and Boukhara is one of the major culture centers of Tajik people.
As the golden entrance to Ferghana Valley, Khujand enjoyed prosperity and its riches spawned palaces, grand mosques and a citadel before the Mongol’s steamrollered the city into oblivion in the early 13th century.
Having more than 2500 years old of civilization, passing historical ups and downs, possessing a creative culture, Khujand has attained a very high status in Tajikistan's splendid history and civilization.


The Old Town

Remains of city citadel from 10th century surrounded in a pleasant park. You find it at the south bank of the river, 200 meters western the bridge, along the river.

The mosque, medrese and mausoleum of sheikh Muslehiddin in the Old Town are worth seeing.

Khujand historical museum.

Khujand botanical garden
Established in 1985. With area of 6,6 ha, this garden is arranged within the limits of city. Botanic collections consist of more 300 species of plants.
The Tajik traditional Tea houses with beautiful ceiling paintings.

Theater house

Promenade on the bank of the river in town

Finishing in the Sir-Darya river is a pleasant local hobby.

Old Town:
Today Khujand remains a rather picturesque Central Asian town bearing characteristic features of both ancient and modern times styles of architecture, in everyday routine of urban life, in people's customs and dress. The old town was spared by time in some places.
They are, first of all, the remains of the citadel on the left bank of the Sir-Darya river an architectural and artistic monument which was built in early Middle Ages and used as a fortification work up to the beginning of the XX century.The citadel surrounded by clay walls with thick towers occupied the area of 64 thousand square meters.
The remains of the walls date back to the XVIII-XIX centuries.
The 30-year long archaeological excavations resulted in finding cultural layers of early urban fortifications dating back to the remains of the walls erected by the troops of Alexander the Great in the IV century B. C. The excavated household utensils of different epochs, armaments and samples of ancient building materials are being exhibited now in the halls of Museum of Regional Studies.


Southeast of the citadel at a fairly large distance from it there is one more section of the old town, which is of interest -" Panjshanbe Bazaar" (meaning "Thursday market-a busy market day"). Like many centuries ago the main city market continues its functioning here nowadays. Once a lot of quarters of craftsmen entirely depending on the market were concentrated in this part of old Khujand. It is here that public buildings such as caravanserais, teahouses, bathhouses and mosques typical of Eastern market squares appeared gradually.

The old market square named "Corahai Mardon" ("Courageous Crossroads") survived mainly due to the partly preserved surroundings (the Muslehiddin Mausoleum architectural assemblage) and to the efforts of artists and architects who have erected a new Market Complex in the traditional Eastern style.

Next to the Mausoleum there stands a XX century mosque with a 20-column hall and painted ceiling and although a twenty one meter high minaret of the XIX century. Local masters Mirzorahmat and Usto Mallabek took part in its construction.


Swimming in the Kairakum Lake, some few kilometers eastward from Khujand.
Ruins of ancient Penjikent, (some 1.5 km from the modern town of Penjikent) a major Sogdian town arose in the 5th century A.D. More about
Penjikent -Khujand route is a fantastic scenic route through the high mountains, climbing in places to over 3500 meters.
Samarqand (Samarkand) is the major cultural and industrial center of Tajik people (now in Uzbekistan). A majestic and beautiful city, Samarkand is the city of legends. The city is situated in the blossoming Zerafshan Valley. Samarkand is part of a region that historically was known as Sogdia, and whose ethnically Iranian (Tajik) merchants for centuries seem to have played a key role in the commerce along the Silk Road.


For alpine climbing, high level walking tours and Lakeland scenery the Fansky Gory (Fann mountains) in the North West of the country, just a couple of hours from both Penjikent and Dushanbe. This is a favorite place for TREKKING and climbing.

Sogdiana, a people of Iranian language (the Tajiks) ranging among the most important peoples of pre-Islamic Central Asia between 1,000 and 500 BC. The ethnic and territorial name "Soghd/Soghdian" occurs in historical sources as early as in Iranian Achaemenid times (6th century B.C.).
Sogdiana, a distinct region that intermittently existed as a combination of separate oasis states and sometimes was subject to other states. Two important cities in what is now northern Tajikistan, Khujand (formerly Leninabad) and Penjikent, as well as Bukhoro (Boukhara) and Samarqand (Samarkand) in contemporary Uzbekistan, were Sogdian in antiquity.
In their heartland, the Zerafshan valley, they founded several city-states, as well as colonies along the ancient Silk Routes from Eastern Europe (Crimea) to the Chinese border and Mongolia.
Alexander the Great took this area in the 4th century BC. The Arabs conquered Sogdiana in the early 600s. Under Muslim rule, especially with Samanid support, Sogdiana grew to encompass Maymurgh, Kabodian, Kushaniyya, Boukhara, Kish, Nasaf, Samarkand, and Penjikent, each a virtual kingdom.
The Tajiks came into prominence as a people under the rule of the Samanid’s (875-999) who undermined and, to a great degree CENTRALized the government. They also revived the ancient urban centers as Boukhara, Samarkand, Merv, Nishapur, Herat, Balkh, Khujand, Penjikent, and Holbuk which, in turn, elevated the socio-political, economic and, necessarily, cultural dynamics of the new and progressive Samanid state.


From the early days of its establishment situated at a crossroads of old trade routs of the East Khujand turned to be one of the most important economic, strategic and cultural centers in Central Asia. The so-called "Great silk rout" went via it connected ancient Greece, Rome, Asia Minor and Egypt with China, Persia and India. Goods of silk and jewelers manufactured by Khujand craftsmen were well- known far beyond the COUNTRIES of the East. And today the old names of different city quarters reflect the importance of the once so much popular crafts: Pillakashon (silk-weavers), Zargaron (jewelers), Sangburron (stone-masons), etc.
An unknown medieval author called Khujand "the dwelling of the astronomical science stars" was born here.
In later years Khujand appeared to become the center of different historical events. Ruined by the Arabs in the eighth century it strongly resisted the Mongol hordes five centuries later having thus provisionally stemmed their advance to the West.


In the year of 1866 Central Asia was occupied by Russia. In 1929, after establishing of soviet system in Central Asia, the Tajiks got their Autonomous SSR (ASSR). Although only a satellite of the Uzbek SSR. In 1929 this was upgraded to a full union republic, although (perhaps in reprisal for the basmachi revolt) Samarkand and Boukhara, two Tajik culture canters, where the population are Tajiks, remained in Uzbekistan. As recently as 1989 the government of Tajikistan was still trying to persuade the Soviet leadership to return these areas.
The Bolshoviks never fully trusted this troublesome republic and during the 1930s almost all Tajiks in positions of influence within the government were replaced by stooges from Moscow.