Category Archive: Hisor

SATURN

Sanatorium “SATURN” – a new and modern clinic built on the Shambari spring in Hisor region against the background of the country’s clear mountainous nature. The boarding house is specialized for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, taking into account the provision of conditions for recreation and entertainment for 250 people.

TO GUEST SERVICES

Comfortable rooms for accommodation (standard, deluxe)

3 meals a day (buffet)

Bathroom and toilet in each room

Set of bed linen and towels

Refrigerator in every room

Electric kettle and tableware set

Free treatment (11 types of procedures

Conference hall and cinema

Chic and cozy restaurant and bar

High-speed Internet and satellite TV

Hisor City Tour

The guide will meet you at your hotel in Dushanbe and arrive in Hisor in 30 minutes.

You start the tour from the main forts. Today you will visit:

Tourists

5

10

Per person in USD

50

25

Included

Guide

(speaks your language)

 

Entry tickets

Hissar Fortress, Old Madrassah

 

Transport

One Minibus

New Madrassah

Both Madrassah is built of brick and topped with domes. Inside is a wide area with cells built along the inner walls. At the beginning of XX, century madrassahs host about 150 students and were closed by 1921. In Old Madrassah still remain the library premises. New Madrassah building is known has only two store facades that still overlook the square while the rest of the building was destroyed.

Khoja Obi Garm

Khoja Obi Garm – Balneo-climatic resort in Tajikistan in the gorge of the Khoja-Obigarm River accepts patients with diseases of the circulatory system, movement, and support, the nervous system, gynecological diseases with arms wide open.

There are hydropathic establishments (baths, showers, pools).  Picturesque resort surroundings, diverse and shrubby vegetation, cascades of waterfalls of mountainous rivers create favorable conditions for recreation. Along with the mountain climate, in addition to the natural, free-flowing steam, thermal, slightly mineralized, nitrogen chloride-hydro-carbonate and chloride-hydro-carbonate-sulfate sodium waters are used for baths, showers, and irrigation which give the best treatment.

 

 

Shirkent

Shirkent is a delightful mix of unique flora and fauna, geological objects, red sandstone and historic charm.

Location – Tursunzoda District. About 60km west of Dushanbe.
Shirkent valley which is famous for the historical-natural park “Shirkent” is not far
from the town of Tursunzoda, preserves the area’s unique flora and fauna,
ecosystems and natural and cultural structures as well as for the careful study of the
South-West Hisor area.
Natural and historical monuments in the Shirkent River valley are of great
scientific and recreational importance and, together with the scenic landscapes,
from the main content of the historical-natural park. The most significant
geological objects are three sites of dinosaur footprints from various eras
containing more than 400 footprints. The first location with the footprints of these
giant, ancient reptiles is located in one of the right tributaries of the Shirkent River,
slightly above a village with the same name. Two lines of pterodactyl footprints
are seen here on the surface of erinaceous limestone.
This whole mountain structure, formed out of red sandstone, is decorated with
groves and individual dark-green juniper trees. Stone Age and Middle Ages
monuments such as the sites of primitive peoples, ancient mining of copper and
copper-tin ores, cemeteries, and irrigation facilities are interesting archaeological
sights in this valley.
Interesting ethnographic objects, localized mainly in Pashmi Kuhna village,
demonstrate some of the cultural and religious traditions of the present-day
the population of the Shirkent River valley.

Qaratag

Qaratag Valley

The valley is famous for its diverse scenic nature and rich vegetation with a noteworthy grove frequented by nightingales and on the mountainside an abundance of wild grapes, apple, mulberry, cherry and plum trees.

Qaratag Valley begins approximately 8km from Shahrinav near a highway, along the right bank of the Qaratag River. Qaratag village in ancient times was a centre of silk-weaving production. Bright and colourful locally produced silks, famous for their quality, were in big demand in Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkey’s markets.
Payron and Timur-Dara lakes are situated among wooded slopes with bright-blue water and one of its shores is covered with coarse-grained granite sand which make an excellent beach.
Qaratag Valley is a wonderful place for one- or two-day hikes. Footpaths and horse paths ending near the glacier zone are wide and safe enough; the climate is mild, and there are suitable places for stops or overnight stays. There are many interesting routes of all levels of complexity which are best travelled between May and November.

Sangin Mosque

One of the most interesting monuments of the Hisor historical and cultural reserve is the domed Mosque of Sangin. This monument of architecture is not only one of the most interesting, but also one of the oldest. It is also found not far from the Hissar Fortress.

The construction of the Sangin Mosque started in the XII century and lasted until the XVI century. The mosque’s name is translated as “Made of stone”. Its name is connected with one of the unique features of the building. The mosque’s lower masonry is laid with stone blocks to half of its height.

The mosque is a square building with an entrance portal. Inside the mosque, there is a traditional courtyard. The mosque itself is located opposite to the portal. The entrance portal is skillfully decorated with inscriptions and paroemias from the Koran.
A unique feature of the mosque is four bottomless jugs, immured under the mosque’s dome. The jugs act as resonating holes, designed to improve the acoustic features of the hall for prayers and sermons. A local legend is connected with the Sangin Mosque. The Sangin Mosque is believed to be built in the VII century by the order of holy caliph Umar.

Caravanserai

Caravanserai, Hisor
The medieval Hisor was one of the trade junctions located in Central Asia. It was crossed by numerous trade routes with waving seas of caravans passing it. Tired travelers arriving to Hisor, stayed in the famous Khishtin caravanserai.

The caravanserai Khishtin is one of the extant monuments of the Hisor historical and cultural complex. This medieval guest house was built in 1808 next to the Kukhna madrasah. “Khishtin” is translated as “made of brick”, since the fragments of the buildings foundation extant up to date as well as the ruins of the walls were completely laid of burnt brick. This is rather unusual, since burnt brick was more often used in construction of rulers’ palaces, madrasahs and mosques.
The caravanserai’s building did not fully survive up to date. Its initial state was captured in 1913 on the only photo based on which the architectures-renovators are restoring the monuments. Fragments of walls with height not more than a meter are only left from the original building. Up to date the renovators managed to restore the walls of the caravanserai almost fully.

In its sizes the guest house follows the Kukhna madrasah located next to it. The entrance portal was presumably of rectangular shape. The rooms were located along the perimeter. Inside the guest house there was a courtyard with a well in its center. The caravanserai’s rooms were different in sizes and comfort level. Common camel drivers and rich merchants could stay there. Though the caravanserai was remarkable for its comfortability, it was built without windows; however there were fire-places in some rooms while some other rooms came with fixtures for heating chauffers.

Mausoleum of Makhdumi Azam

Mausoleum of Makhdumi Azam, Hisor

In the territory of Hisor historical and cultural reserve not far from the Kukhna madrasah there is the Makhdumi A’zam Mausoleum. Makhdumi A’zam is not a name but a title in a way, which is translated as “Supreme Lord”. There are several mausoleums under this name in the Central Asian territory. One of these mausoleums is located in Samarkand and is a burial place of Said Jalal ad-din Akhmad al-Kasani ad-Dakhbedi, the founder of “Dakhbedia” Sufi school of nakshbandia’s teachings.

Who was buried there is not known for certain, most probably, it was khoja Muhammad Khayvoki. No reliable information оn the identity of this man preserved, but according to some sources he was a statesman and religious public figure, respected by the people.
The construction of the mausoleum started at the end of the XV century and completed at the beginning of the XVI century. The mausoleum’s total area is 609 m2. Traditionally the building was constructed from burnt brick. The mausoleum’s entrance portal is not large and of square shape, behind it, there is a gurkhana and ziyaratkhana (hall for praying). Later on the building was added with a domed hall with a separate portal entrance. The architecture of the building is rather unusual, since there are no elements of décor there.

Old Madrassah

Opposite to the entrance to the Gissar Fortress, there is the Kukhna madrasah (Old madrasah), built in the XVII century and extent up to date. The Kukhna madrasah prepared scholars-theologians and clergy representatives. They learned the Koran, Arab language, khadises (Prophet’s sayings), kalam, Sheriat, and history of Islam. By Central Asian standards the Kukhna madrasah was rather large because it taught up to 150 pupils.

Inside the Museum

Apart from the building itself, a rather large library which nowadays is a museum in some way is also preserved in the Kukhna madrasah. The library’s major part is devoted to the religious subject. Not far from the Old madrasah’s building there is the Nav Madrasah (New madrasah) with the two-storeyed façade only survived up to date. The new madrasah was built in the XVIII-XIX centuries, but in the course of the civil war, it was almost completely destroyed.