Khujand

Introduction

Khujand, sometimes spelled Khodjent, sits in the far north of Tajikistan as the capital of Sughd province. From 1936 to 1991 the city was known as Leninabad, and you may still see the older name Khodjent in use.

Before you go

Khujand sits in the Ferghana Valley on both banks of the Syr Darya, the river classical sources call the Jaxartes. It is an old city, probably founded by Alexander the Great as Alexandria Eschate, and its southern bank marks the northernmost point he reached. It grew on the Silk Road at the exit of the valley, a position suited to taxing trade and resisting invasions, though it was always a secondary Silk Road city. Later it belonged to the Khanate of Kokand before the Russians took it, and it played a significant part in the Basmachi Revolt. Bear in mind that despite its age, modern Khujand has very few authentic pre-Soviet historical sites: the fortress you see today is a contemporary reconstruction, and the main nod to Alexander is the local bank chain, Esxata Bonk. There are a handful of Sufi sites in and around the city, but architecturally most of it resembles other Soviet-built cities.

Plan your trip around what the city is good for: it makes a solid base for visiting nearby historical sites such as Istaravshan and Isfara, and it is a four-hour drive to Panjakent. Its proximity to Tashkent and the Ferghana Valley makes it an easy stopping point on the way to or from Tashkent and eastern Uzbekistan. On language, expect Tajik to dominate, as it does across most of Tajikistan; a few villages around the city are populated by ethnic Uzbeks who may speak Uzbek as well as Tajik. Russian is spoken by most people in Khujand, especially those over the age of 30, while English is becoming more understood every year as more people study it in schools, though very few people can hold a full conversation in it.

Getting there

Getting around

Khujand is a pretty walkable city, and both of the main bridges across the Syr Darya in the centre of town have sidewalks, so crossing the river on foot is straightforward. Distances can be deceptive, though — what looks short on a map often takes longer in practice. If you base yourself near the fortress or Panjshanbe Market, much of the central sightseeing is within comfortable walking range.

For longer hops, marshrutkas (minibuses) are the workhorse of local transport, linking Panjshanbe with places such as Somoni Park and Kamoli Khujandi Park. Each vehicle displays a placard in the window with the route number and major destinations in Tajik; rather than memorising numbers, look for the place name you want. Useful landmarks include Универмаг (Univermag, the main shopping street), Ёва (Yova, where many marshrutkas congregate), Панҷшанбе (Panjshanbe, the main market near Univermag and the marshrutka "nest"), Атуш-Сомон (Atush-Somon, a major bazaar), Ҷумъа (Jum'a, a major market on the north side of the river), Автовокзал (Avtovokzal), Аэропорт/Чкаловск (the airport, in Chkalovsk) and Кардиалогия (a landmark for routes towards the eastern "Jubilee" bridge). At the Panjshanbe marshrutka station, note that Сомони and Сомон are different destinations — the former a city park, the latter a clothing bazaar on the outskirts.

Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive, and are the easiest way to cross the river or reach outlying spots; short cross-river rides are the cheapest, a trip within the "fortress-to-Panjshanbe" area costs a little more, and runs to Somon Bazaar, the Avtostantsiya and the airport in Chkalovsk cost more again. Some companies that operate in Dushanbe also serve Khujand, such as Rakhsh, and can be ordered by phone, while Maxim Taxi operates only in Khujand and surrounding villages and has an efficient phone app. Hailing a cab by waving your hand or whistling is rare, so ordering by phone or app is the norm. For onward travel, marshrutkas and shared taxis to Istaravshan and south gather at the Автовокзал; services to Isfara and Konibodom leave from the Автостанция just before Somon Bazaar, paid when you disembark; and for Buston, Mastchoh and taxis to the Oybek border crossing towards Tashkent, head to Абрешим.

Where to stay

Khujand's sleeping options cluster around two areas: the central plaza between the Theater and the Qala (Fortress), and the Univermag shopping district near the main bridge across the river. On the central square, the Vahdat Hotel is a Soviet-era place whose second-floor facade carries a mosaic worth a look, with cafés surrounding it. The Khujand Grand Hotel sits on the same plaza and is probably the most modern in the city, popular for its location and home to the Omar Khayyam restaurant. The Sugdiyon is an affordable Western-style hotel near the Citadel and the Rudaki monument, with rooms showing their age but arguably the best location in town, plus a basement pool and sauna open to guests and outsiders at different rates; it is usually lit up at night, so it doubles as a landmark. Budget travellers can consider the Somoni-Hostel on Ave Ismoili Somoni, basic but well placed next to the museum, parks and river, and serving breakfast.

In the shopping district, the Kheson is a nice hotel in the heart of the Univermag area, not far from the main bridge and easy to spot from the main street. The Qalai Khujand Hostel sits inside the Khujand Fortress — the fortress is new but a pleasant place to be, though the hostel's interior quality is uneven in spots such as the showers, and the fortress gate is locked for the night, so if you plan to go out late, arrange your return time with the gatekeepers beforehand. The Ehson Hotel is an older property showing its age that functions more as a landmark than a place to stay, positioned where the two roads to the two bridges converge. For a splurge, the Khujand Grand Hotel and the Parliament Palace on the north bank of the Syr Darya are the high-end choices, while the Firuz Hotel is modern but rather far from the major sites, just past the sign welcoming you to Khujand when arriving from the south.

Food & drink

What to see and do

Khujand rewards you with a compact cluster of sights around its reconstructed fortress and the adjoining Kamoli Khujandi Park. The Khujand Fortress, rebuilt in the medieval style, holds a large public square, a museum and monument to local history, and small shops selling knives and souvenirs. The Historical Museum of Sughd Region occupies the same fortress complex, with part of its gallery set inside the reconstructed wall, and traces the area's story back to the time of Alexander the Great. Next to Panjshanbe Bazaar you'll find the Mausoleum of Sheikh Muslihiddin, resting place of the author of the Sahih-e Bukhari. In Kamoli Khujandi Park itself are a mausoleum-like building holding earth from the poet's grave, carved wooden music stages, springs, and a reconstructed house exhibit devoted to Kamol Khujandi. Across the main square stands the Kamoli Khujandi Theatre. Elsewhere in town, Arbob Palace, a government building modelled after the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, is where Tajikistan's independence and flag design were drafted. Near the river, the Independence day monument pairs a stele with a very tall flagpole, and just to its east is a monument to the poet Rudaki. Somoni Park, on the right bank of the Syr Darya, centres on a hilltop monument to Ismail Somoni ringed by fountains, while Victory Park is home to a giant Lenin statue and war memorials, and turns into an amusement park for locals in the evenings. Stella Khujand, an observation tower shaped like the Tajik crown symbol, sits in the middle of a roundabout and makes a handy reference point. North of the river the districts are mostly Soviet and contemporary residential and commercial sprawl, though the Nur-i Islom Mosque, among the city's largest and finest, is worth the crossing; women are not usually admitted, though female visitors may have some luck outside prayer times.

For a different view of the city, ride the Kanatnaya Doroga aerial tramway between Kamoli Khujandi Park and Somoni Park, crossing over the Syr Darya. River cruises along the Syr Darya run periodically, but swimming is not advised: the currents can be deceptively strong and the water is polluted, even though you may spot locals fishing. The city's many parks are pleasant places to pass a few hours among residents, and you can haggle with locals in the bazaars. Most travellers treat Khujand as a jumping-off point for the Fann Mountains, where hiking and natural attractions abound. Further afield, the village of Istiqlol to the northeast was built by German prisoners of war and later hosted a uranium mine supplying Soviet nuclear projects; its abandoned mines and Northern Italian/Southern German architecture draw those interested in obscure Soviet history, and a giant Lenin bust hides in a stairwell of the local theatre. To the east, the Kairakkum reservoir, known as the "Tajik Sea", draws locals to Guliston to swim and sunbathe when the weather is warm, with sanatoriums lining the beach.

When to go

Khujand has a temperate semi-arid climate, so what you pack depends entirely on when you arrive. Winters are cold and snowy, and this is also one of the seasons when the light precipitation generally falls, so you should expect wet or snowy days alongside the lowest temperatures of the year. Summer sits at the opposite extreme: hot and dry, with rain scarce enough that most days stay dry and heat becomes the main thing you meet.

Autumn is the other season when that light precipitation generally falls, bringing some wet days alongside the seasonal change. If you want to avoid both the cold and the peak heat, the milder stretches on either side of summer are your best bet, though you should still be ready for rain in autumn.

Three days in Khujand

Day one: Start in Khujand, also known as Khodjent or Leninabad, the second city of Tajikistan and the capital of Sughd. It sits in the Ferghana Valley on the Syr Darya, the river the Greeks called the Jaxartes, and it was here that Alexander the Great founded Alexandria Eschate. Later it was part of the Khanate of Kokand before the Russians took it, and it saw the Basmachi Revolt during the Soviet years. Spend your first day getting your bearings, walking the centre and the riverside, and trying Esxata Bonk, the local plov.

• Khujand
• Khodjent
• Leninabad
• Sughd
• Ferghana Valley
• Syr Darya
• Jaxartes
• Alexander the Great
• Alexandria Eschate
• Khanate of Kokand
• Basmachi Revolt
• Esxata Bonk

Day two: Use Khujand as your base for the wider region. The Silk Road past runs through Istaravshan, Isfara and Panjakent, and you can plan a day out to one of them. Its position makes it a natural stop between Tashkent in Uzbekistan and the rest of Tajikistan. Bear in mind that Tajik, Uzbek and Russian are the languages you will hear most, with English less common.

• Silk Road
• Istaravshan
• Isfara
• Panjakent
• Tashkent
• Uzbekistan
• Tajik
• Uzbeks
• Uzbek
• Russian
• English

Day three: Round off your stay in Khujand itself, then plan your onward travel. Khujand Airport, coded LBD, connects the city, and Buston lies nearby. From here you can head on into the Ferghana Valley or back toward Tashkent in Uzbekistan, depending on your route.

• Khujand Airport
• LBD
• Buston
• Ferghana Valley
• Tashkent
• Uzbekistan