Category Archive: Iskandarkul Lake

Fann Mountains

The area is ideal for organizing hiking tours lasting several days. Going from one valley to another, from one beautiful lake to another no less stunning, via numerous rocky outcrops with occasional hanging glaciers, tourists can’t help but recognize the fantastic environment through which they are travelling.

The Fan Mountains are a popular tourist destination situated in north-west Tajikistan. The Fan Mountains area is convenient for visiting. A paved road from Dushanbe going to the largest Pamir-Alai Lake — Lake Iskandarkul — leads to this place via the 3,372m Anzob Pass. Another paved road runs from Panjakent. One more road from Khujand runs through Istravshan (formerly Uroteppa), and the 3,351m Shahriston Pass. The Fan Mountains area road system includes both paved and unpaved roads.

Among the most beautiful and interesting peaks (from a mountaineer’s point of view) are Chapdara (5,050m), Bodkhona (5,138m), Zamok (5,070m), Maria (4,970m), Mirali (5,120m), and Zindon (4,800m). Both the good and the ordinary routes on the south and west sides of Chimtarga (5,487m), the highest peak of Fan Mountains, lead to its top.

Besides the high peaks and narrow valleys with their noisy streams, which are typical for the Fan Mountains, there are also about 30 clear lakes of a variety of colours. To the south of the main range is Lake Iskandarkul — 2.5km in length, 1km wide, and about 72m deep, at an altitude of 2,255m — on the shores of which a hostel with the same name is situated. Apparently, this lake came into existence several thousand years ago as the result of a landslide. The water in the lake is bluish-green, slightly turbid and very cold, so only the bravest dare swim there.

From the north, the Serima River flows into the lake, from the west, the Saritag River (with the largest volume of water), and from the south, Hazor-Mech River. Only one river, Iskandar-Darya, flows out of the lake. It has a waterfall which cannot be seen from the road and one has to come close to it to enjoy its charming beauty. There are almost no fish in the lake because of the concentration of minerals in it. Only small loach (similar to catfish), survive in such water.

Istaravshan

Istaravshan is a museum city, the ancient center of trade and crafts, one of the most ancient cities of Central Asia. In 2002 Istaravshan widely celebrated 2,500 anniversary of the city. The city was founded in the sixth century B.C. by an Akhemenid king Cyrus who fortified the settlement by means of three wall lines and a citadel.

Only the gate with a dome and columns on the sides has survived on Mug Hill where the residence of the local governor used to be. During the years of Arabian sovereignty, Istaravshan became a province Arabian Caliphate. It was at this time when Islamic architectural structures of portal-dome design such as mosques, madrasahs, mausoleums, minarets, etc. started to appear.

In the second -seventh centuries B.C. the ancient sentiment Mugteppa was located on the territory of Istaravshan. Mugteppa was the residence of the local aristocracy who erected there numerous palaces distinguished by original expressive architecture. The evidence of that was found in Bundzhikat (Kala and Kakh-Kakh) and Chil’khudzhra settlements which had fortified structures with palaces and cult buildings decorated with paintings and carved panels. For example, in Bundzhikat the archaeologists found the painting with the image of a she-wolf feeding two babies — the symbol of contacts between the West and the Orient.