Tajikistan: Istaravshan

Istaravshan is another ancient city only 80km south from Khujand. It has a few tourist sites around the old town, none too exciting, though Istaravshan more than makes up for it with hospitality. Everything we read said so, and amazingly that's exactly how we experienced it.

Walking around the old town, we quickly learned that at our normal level of greeting people we come across, we could end up with invitations for tea that we would then have to decline. While we didn't see so many people around the old town, at prayer time we came across many men going to the mosque, even though it was not a Friday, it was the second day of Eid (end of Ramadan). We had learned that in Central Asia only men go to the mosque, so when we came across several nice ladies standing around outside a house with the door open, we both thought maybe this is how women get together and pray. In our normal curious ways, we asked if I could go in. To make a long story short, we landed ourselves in the post funeral mourning of a family matriarch. The hospitality ensued was unparalleled, from the senior ladies down to the toddlers. I was very much moved.

Notes to fellow travelers: the marshrutkas from Istaravshan to Khujand must not be allowed to park and wait in the Khujand station. Catch them as they drop off passengers in the station.

On bus 314 (1st and 2nd below) from Khujand to Istaravshan (Истаравшан), we passed the Mug Tepe Fortress (3rd below), high on a hill to our left, but following other traveler's reports, we did not visit, and then were dropped off in front of the Market (4th below).








We walked (1st below) towards the Shahr-i-Kohna (Old Town) and then to the Hauz-i-Sangin Mosque (2nd below) with its dried up pond (hauz).




Then onto the Madrasa Abdulatif Sultan (Kuk-Gumbaz) which no longer has students, where a friendly caretaker gave us a short tour.










Friday prayers at the Maschidi Khazrati Shokh and its beautiful brick minaret.






Adjacent to the mosque, there is a Soviet era (presumed) mosaic mural.


City Center.


Our new friends from the post funeral mourning. The two young men at right are old enough to wear the traditional male coats and hats.


Continuing to the Chor Gumbaz Mausoleum with its four domes and filled-in pond in the front (I'm guessing).


The Sary Mazar Complex consists of an older mosque with a wooden iwan, a newer mosque with a pond/pool, a very large tree (which we sat under for a long rest), and two tombs with pleasing ceramic tile facades.