Khujand
Encyclopedia
Khujand (Greek: Alexandria Eschate
(Ἀλεξάνδρεια Ἐσχάτη)), also transliterated as Khudzhand, , formerly Khodjend or Khodzhent until 1936 and Leninabad (Leninobod, Ленинобод, لنینآباد) until 1991, is the second-largest city of Tajikistan
. It is situated on the Syr Darya
River at the mouth of the Fergana Valley
. The population of the city is 149,000 (2000 census), down from 160,000 in 1989. It is also the capital of the northernmost province of Tajikistan, now called Sughd
.
called the city of Alexandria Eschate
(Ἀλεξάνδρεια Ἐσχάτη) or "Alexandria The Furthest" - modern Khujand. It would have formed a bastion for the Greek settlers against the Scythia
n tribes to the north of the Syr Darya
, which the Greeks called the Jaxartes River. It became a major staging point on the northern Silk Road
.
During much of its history Khujand like the rest of Central Asia
was once a part of old Iran and its history is a part of the history of old Iran
. Some of the famous Persian poets and scientists come from this city.
Khujand was captured by the Arab
s in the 8th century and strongly resisted the Mongol hordes
five centuries later. Timurids ruled the area including the whole Tajikistan
before it became part of the Kokand Khanate. In 1866, Central Asia was occupied by Russia
, pushing back the borders of Kokand Khanate.
The city was renamed Leninabad on October 27, 1939, and re-established on December 23, 1970. It reverted to its original name in 1992 after the breakup of the Soviet Union
, and is now in the republic of Tajikistan
.
(Köppen
BWk) with long, hot summers and short, cool winters.
Alexandria Eschate
Alexandria Eschate or Alexandria Eskhata was founded by Alexander the Great in August 329 BCE as his most northerly base in Central Asia...
(Ἀλεξάνδρεια Ἐσχάτη)), also transliterated as Khudzhand, , formerly Khodjend or Khodzhent until 1936 and Leninabad (Leninobod, Ленинобод, لنینآباد) until 1991, is the second-largest city of Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
. It is situated on the Syr Darya
Syr Darya
The Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...
River at the mouth of the Fergana Valley
Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Divided across three subdivisions of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse, and in the early 21st century was the scene of ethnic conflict...
. The population of the city is 149,000 (2000 census), down from 160,000 in 1989. It is also the capital of the northernmost province of Tajikistan, now called Sughd
Sughd
Sughd Province is one of the four administrative divisions and one of the three provinces that make up Tajikistan. Centered in the historical Sogdiana, it is located in the northwest of the country, with an area of some 25,400 square kilometers and a population of 2,132,100 , up from 1,870,000...
.
History
Authors state Alexander of Macedon founded a Greek settlement near the site of today's Khujand in 329 BC329 BC
Year 329 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Privernas and Decianus...
called the city of Alexandria Eschate
Alexandria Eschate
Alexandria Eschate or Alexandria Eskhata was founded by Alexander the Great in August 329 BCE as his most northerly base in Central Asia...
(Ἀλεξάνδρεια Ἐσχάτη) or "Alexandria The Furthest" - modern Khujand. It would have formed a bastion for the Greek settlers against the Scythia
Scythia
In antiquity, Scythian or Scyths were terms used by the Greeks to refer to certain Iranian groups of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who dwelt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe...
n tribes to the north of the Syr Darya
Syr Darya
The Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...
, which the Greeks called the Jaxartes River. It became a major staging point on the northern Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
.
During much of its history Khujand like the rest of Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
was once a part of old Iran and its history is a part of the history of old Iran
History of Iran
The history of Iran has been intertwined with the history of a larger historical region, comprising the area from the Danube River in the west to the Indus River and Jaxartes in the east and from the Caucasus, Caspian Sea, and Aral Sea in the north to the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and Egypt...
. Some of the famous Persian poets and scientists come from this city.
Khujand was captured by the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s in the 8th century and strongly resisted the Mongol hordes
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
five centuries later. Timurids ruled the area including the whole Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
before it became part of the Kokand Khanate. In 1866, Central Asia was occupied by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, pushing back the borders of Kokand Khanate.
The city was renamed Leninabad on October 27, 1939, and re-established on December 23, 1970. It reverted to its original name in 1992 after the breakup of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and is now in the republic of Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
.
Climate
Khujand experiences a temperate desert climateDesert climate
A desert climate , also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.An area that features this climate usually experiences less than...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BWk) with long, hot summers and short, cool winters.
Sister Cities
| City | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Shymkent Shymkent Shymkent , formerly known as Chimkent , is the capital city of South Kazakhstan Province, the most populated region in Kazakhstan. It is the third most populous city in Kazakhstan behind Almaty and Astana with a population of 629,600 . A major railroad junction on the Turkestan-Siberia Railway, the... |
 Kazakhstan |
|
| Bukhara Bukhara Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time... |
 Uzbekistan |
|
| Samarkand Samarkand Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came... |
Uzbekistan |
See also
- State of Hua (Hephthalite)
- Khudzhand Airport
- Technical University of TajikistanTechnical University of TajikistanThe Technical University of Tajikistan is a university in Tajikistan. It is located in Dushanbe. A branch of the university is also based in Khujand....
- Khujand prison riotKhujand prison riotThe Khujand prison riot began on 14 April 1997 when prisoners at Khujand Men's Correctional Labor Colony 3/19 in Khujand, Tajikistan began to protest living conditions and perceived injustice in the prison system...
Sources
- Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilue 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265. Draft annotated English translation. http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/weilue/weilue.html (See under the heading for "Northern Wuyi").
External links
- Official website
- http://www.angelfire.com/pe/rudaki/khujand.html
- Khujand travel guide
- http://www.greatestcities.com/Asia/Tajikistan/Khujand_formerly_Leninabad_city.html
- OpenStreetMap
- MSN Map - elevation =325m