Roshtqal'a district
Encyclopedia
Roshtqal'a District or Nohiya-i Roshtqal'a (: Ноҳияи Роштқалъа / ناحیۀ راشت قلعه, also spelled Roshtkala from Russian transliteration
) is a district in east Tajikistan
, in the south-western part of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province
(GBAO). It stretches along the Shakhdara River between the Shughnon Range to the north and the Shakhdara Range
to the south, enclosed within GBAO, without international borders. The population of Roshtqal'a district is 26,400 (1 January 2008 estimate). Its administrative capital is Roshtqal'a (Roshtkala) in the west part of the district, about 30 km south-east of the provincial capital Khorugh.
The district is equivalent to the valley of the Shakhdara River. It is bounded on the north by Shugnon district, on the west and south by Ishkashim district
and on the east by Murghab district
. Unlike the neighboring districts, it does not go all the way west to the Panj River.
Roshtkala town, the district capital, is about 30 km upstream from Khorog. The name means 'red fort'. The fort, built in the 9th-10th century (ruins only) was once the capital of Shugnan.
The Shakhdara River defines the district. Its valley is between the Shugnon Range in the north and the Shakhdara Range
in the south. It flows into the Gunt River above Khorog
a few miles before that river flows into the Panj River
. Going upstream, it first goes southeast for about 40 km(straight line). At Bidiz there is a gorge and one of the few forests in Gorno-Badikshan. The river turns east. At Sindev is the fort of the last Mingbashi or ruler of Shakhdara. The head of the river is the Jawshangoz plain where there were clashes between nomadic Kirghiz and settled Tajiks in the 18th and 19th centuries. There is a ruined fort from the 2nd or 3rd century and views of Karl Marx Peak
to the south. A road of some sort goes north to the Koitezek Pass on the Pamir Highway
with a branch west to Turumtaikul Lake and another route goes over the Maz pass to the Pamir River
.
Romanization of Russian
Romanization of the Russian alphabet is the process of transliterating the Russian language from the Cyrillic alphabet into the Latin alphabet...
) is a district in east 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....
, in the south-western part of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province is an autonomous, mountainous province in the east of Tajikistan. Located in the Pamir Mountains, it makes up 45% of the land area of the country but only 3% of the population....
(GBAO). It stretches along the Shakhdara River between the Shughnon Range to the north and the Shakhdara Range
Shakhdara Range
Shakhdara Range lies in the extreme south-western Pamir in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province. It runs roughly in the east-west direction between Shakhdara River to the north and Panj on the border with Afghanistan to the south, rising toward Mayakovskiy Peak in the west and Karl...
to the south, enclosed within GBAO, without international borders. The population of Roshtqal'a district is 26,400 (1 January 2008 estimate). Its administrative capital is Roshtqal'a (Roshtkala) in the west part of the district, about 30 km south-east of the provincial capital Khorugh.
The district is equivalent to the valley of the Shakhdara River. It is bounded on the north by Shugnon district, on the west and south by Ishkashim district
Ishkashim District
Ishkashim District is one of the 29 districts of Badakhshan Province in eastern Afghanistan. The capital is the city of Ishkashim . The people of the region are called Tajiks and some of them speak the Ishkashimi language...
and on the east by Murghab district
Murghab District
Murghab is a district situated in the northeast of Badghis Province, Afghanistan. The district capital is Murghab.-Demographics:The estimated population of Murghab District in 2003 was roughly 109,381...
. Unlike the neighboring districts, it does not go all the way west to the Panj River.
Roshtkala town, the district capital, is about 30 km upstream from Khorog. The name means 'red fort'. The fort, built in the 9th-10th century (ruins only) was once the capital of Shugnan.
The Shakhdara River defines the district. Its valley is between the Shugnon Range in the north and the Shakhdara Range
Shakhdara Range
Shakhdara Range lies in the extreme south-western Pamir in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province. It runs roughly in the east-west direction between Shakhdara River to the north and Panj on the border with Afghanistan to the south, rising toward Mayakovskiy Peak in the west and Karl...
in the south. It flows into the Gunt River above Khorog
Khorog
The town of Khorugh , also transliterated as Khoroq, Khorogh, Khorog, or Xoroq) is the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan. It is also the capital of the Shughnon District of Gorno-Badakhshan. It has a population of 28,000...
a few miles before that river flows into the Panj River
Panj River
The Panj River , also known as Pyandzh River or Piandj River , is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The river is 1,125 km long and forms a considerable part of the Afghanistan - Tajikistan border....
. Going upstream, it first goes southeast for about 40 km(straight line). At Bidiz there is a gorge and one of the few forests in Gorno-Badikshan. The river turns east. At Sindev is the fort of the last Mingbashi or ruler of Shakhdara. The head of the river is the Jawshangoz plain where there were clashes between nomadic Kirghiz and settled Tajiks in the 18th and 19th centuries. There is a ruined fort from the 2nd or 3rd century and views of Karl Marx Peak
Karl Marx Peak
Karl Marx Peak rises to in the Shakhdara Range in Pamir Mountains, in the south-west of Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province , near Panj River on the border with Afghanistan. The highest summit in the Shakhdara Range, it was discovered and named in 1937 by Soviet geologist and...
to the south. A road of some sort goes north to the Koitezek Pass on the Pamir Highway
Pamir Highway
The M41, known informally and more commonly as the Pamir Highway is a road traversing the Pamir Mountains through Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia...
with a branch west to Turumtaikul Lake and another route goes over the Maz pass to the Pamir River
Pamir River
The Pamir is a river in Tajikistan and Afghanistan. It is a tributary of the Panj River, and forms the northern boundary of Wakhan.The river has its sources in the Pamir Mountains in Gorno-Badakhshan province in the far eastern part of Tajikistan. It flows between the Wakhan Range and the Southern...
.