Shahrtuz

Shahrtuz sits in the extreme south-west of Tajikistan and is one of the country’s hottest cities. Summer temperatures regularly soar above 45 °C, so the region’s climate resembles that of northern Afghanistan and Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya basin more than the rest of Tajikistan. The town of around 30,000 lies just 30 kilometres from the Panj River, which here forms the Afghan border. Shahrtuz is the economic centre of a region defined by extensive cotton cultivation, alongside rice, watermelons, and pomegranates. Nearby are significant archaeological sites, including the Buddhist site of Chiluchor Chashma and the ancient fortress of Kafyrkala. Its most important religious destination is the Khoja Mashhad Mausoleum, a 9th- to 11th-century twin-domed sacred structure. The town also serves as a key border post for traffic into Afghanistan via the Panji Poyon bridge.

Nearby cities

Kulob

Kulob is a historical city in southern Tajikistan and a center of the Khatlon region.

Bokhtar

Bokhtar, formerly known as Qurghonteppa, is the capital of the agriculturally rich Khatlon province.

Danghara

Danghara has seen significant investments and urban modernization in recent years.

Farkhor

Farkhor is an agriculturally oriented center near the Afghan border in the Khatlon province.

Vose'

Vose' is a rapidly growing city that benefits from the fertile arable lands of southern Tajikistan.

Nurek

Nurek is world-famous for the Nurek Dam on the Vakhsh River, one of the tallest earth-fill dams in the world.

Yovon

Yovon has developed into a center of modern industry in Tajikistan due to its chemical factories.

Qabodiyon

Qabodiyon is known as the discovery site of the famous Oxus Treasure and has a deep ancient history.

Levakant

Levakant is home to the largest fertilizer plant in Tajikistan, located on the Vakhsh River.

Hamadoni

Hamadoni, formerly Moskovskiy, secures the southern border with Afghanistan as an important outpost.

History & landmarks

Takhti Sangin

An ancient archaeological site near the border with Afghanistan.

Nurek Dam

One of the highest earth-fill dams in the world on the Vakhsh River.

Childukhtaron

A spectacular valley featuring bizarre rock formations that, according to legend, represent forty girls turned to stone.

Nature

Pyanj River

This wild river forms the natural and historic border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan through the Pamir.

Vakhsh River

One of the most important rivers for hydropower in Central Asia, flowing through deep gorges in the southwest.

More places

Khoja Mashkhad Mausoleum

One of the few preserved wooden structures in Central Asia, featuring a double dome and a madrasa.

Takhti-Sangin

The ancient Temple of the Oxus on the Amu Darya bears witness to the rich Hellenistic history of Bactria.

Nizhny Pyanj River Port

A major border crossing and trade port on the Panj River, connecting Tajikistan with Afghanistan.

Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve

One of the last large riparian tugai forest ecosystems in the world, once home to the Caspian tiger.

Panj Free Economic Zone

A special economic zone near the Afghan border focused on logistics and cross-border trade.

Vakhsh Valley Cotton Fields

Vast agricultural lands in the south of the country, where the intensive irrigation system allows for the cultivation of 'white gold'.

Ajina-Tepa Buddhist Monastery

An archaeological site where the remains of a 7th-century Buddhist monastery were uncovered.

Vakhsh Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant

A chemical enterprise in the Khatlon Region, central to Tajikistan's agricultural production.