Qabodiyon

Qabodiyon lies in southern Tajikistan in Khatlon Province, about 50 kilometres west of Bokhtar, and can trace its history back more than 2,500 years. In antiquity it was part of Bactria, and on the nearby banks of the Amu Darya the famous Oxus Treasure was discovered in 1877, a hoard of around 180 gold and silver Achaemenid artefacts, now mostly housed in the British Museum. Qabodiyon is also the birthplace of Nasir Khusraw, one of the most influential 11th-century Persian poets and Ismaili theologians, making the town a spiritual touchstone for the Ismaili population of the Pamirs. With about 30,000 inhabitants, Qabodiyon today is an agricultural centre focused on cotton, rice, and pomegranates, and it is increasingly seeking to harness its ancient heritage for cultural tourism.

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.

Shahrtuz

Shahrtuz is located in the extreme southwest of the country and is known for its hot, almost desert-like climate.

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

Takhti-Sangin

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

Khoja Mashkhad Mausoleum

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

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.