Exploring Hisor Fortress, Tajikistan- a Gateway to the Distant Past

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Tajikistan is an amazing country, hidden far away from the ocean, one of the gems in Central Asia. It features giant mountains and stunning nature, as well as a unique culture with ancient history. So, if you travel to Tajikistan and want to taste the most essential of this country, dive into its history too. And one of the best spots to do this is the splendid Hisor Fortress.

What is this place?

Tajikistan is a land with traces of many civilizations, kingdoms, and empires. Traces of ancient cultures have been found in many spots, and they are today exposed in the two museums in Dushanbe. But there are also ancient ruins scattered in various locations, mostly in the western part of the country. Most of them have remained as they are, slowly destroyed by time, weather, and human activities.

However, one of these ruins has been restored to its full glory. This is Hisor Fortress, now one of the most popular points of interest in Tajikistan, one of the mandatory places to visit in Dushanbe, although it is not exactly in the city but about 30 km west of it.

But to get a full impression and taste of Hisor Fortress, you need to dive into its history, to know exactly what you are going to explore.

Deep into the history

Hisor Fortress has about 2500 years of history. From the time of its establishment until today, it has passed through multiple times of destruction and restoration, so its earliest remains are very difficult to identify. That’s why nobody knows the exact time of its erection, but since it is mentioned for the first time by the Achaemenid Persian Empire, we know that it already existed during that era.

The area around Dushanbe has been on one of the Silk Road routes for thousands of years. We can guess that the ancient people, probably from the cultures before the Persian conquest have seen Hisor Hill where the fortress is located today as a good and strategic spot.

So, they built something, most probably very different than what we see today. Then, the Persians came around 550 BC, and after them- the Macedonians led by Alexander the Great around 330 BC.

The following empires and kingdoms include the Kushan Empire, Hephtalite Empire, Gokturk Khaganate, Arab Caliphate, Samanid Empire, Qarakhanid Empire, Mongol Empire, Timurid Empire, Khanate of Bukhara, until the Russian conquest. In addition, there were some periods when Hisor Fortress was under the control of a local kingdom.

Some of these empires took the fortress peacefully while others conquered it by siege and partially destroyed and then restored it. Each time it happened, the fortress changed its image. The new empires added new cultural elements to it until it became completely different from its earliest version.

Legends and stories

Various legends and real stories were written about the fortress dating from various dates of its timeline:

• A legend mentions the conquest of Hisor Fortress by Alexander the Great- around 328 BC.
• Another legend mentions Hisor Fortress in the story about two heroes from the ancient Persian mythology “Book of the Kings”- Afrosiyob who restored the fortress and killed Rustam who wanted to conquer it. Historical dating- probably around the 3rd century BC, during the time of the Greco-Bactrian kingdoms.
• A third legend talks about Caliph Ali who came to preach Islam here. His enemies tried to capture him but he was saved by his horse Dul-Dul. Historical dating- the end of the 7th century AD.
• A real history: the fortress was used by the emirs of Bukhara as their winter residence. Historical period: 16 to 18th century.

The latest history of Hisor Fortress

The last destruction of the fortress was about 100 years ago. It was caused by the Red Army. Obviously, they tried to “remove” the “past years of decay” and to impose “the new era of Communism”. Fortunately, they still haven’t destroyed everything but most of its gate still remained.

So, recently, during the last restoration of Hisor Fortress, the remaining gates gave an accurate picture of what the fortress looked like during the last few centuries. The latest version that we can see today followed this style and today we can turn back in time to the Bukharan era from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

Hisor Fortress today

Today, we can see the latest version of Hisor Fortress. For the first time in its history, it doesn’t serve as a military fortification or a ruler’s residence but as a tourist attraction in a museum-style, for education and leisure purposes.

Yes, some travelers can feel like visiting the fortress is useless since it is not the “original” one but a restored version, more like a theme park, rather than a “real” historical site. But who knows, probably the previous generations in history have thought the same when the fortress was restored after the last destruction.

Nevertheless, although today Hisor Fortress looks a bit “touristy”, with a local “Disneyland vibe”, it still has enough potential to bring us on a journey to the historical and cultural past of Tajikistan.

Exploring the Hisor Fortress

The site of Hisor Fortress consists of several sections. First, of course, it is the fortress itself- with its main gate, the walls, the main street and the arc behind it, the top of the hill, and the other elements inside. Then, there is a square in front of the main gate, a wedding palace, a caravanserai, a museum with Madrasa, and a mausoleum. Let’s get into the details.

The fortress and its interior

When you approach the fortress, the main emblematic image you can see is the main gate of Hisor Fortress and the hill on its right side behind it. This gate is what has partially remained from its previous version from the 16th century. Of course, today the gate itself is renovated, its towers are restored, and the walls on both sides are rebuilt.

From the gate, a newly built alley leads to the second gate- two towers and an arc between them. This is another spot for taking photos. Souvenir shops were established on both sides of the alley that connects the two gates, in buildings following the same Bukharan style from the 16th-18th centuries.

Behind the inner gate, there is nothing old, only something like a small park and a new amphitheater “in ancient Greek style” for some cultural events.

But that’s not all. You can back to the main gate and hike the hill on the stairs leading to the top. There is another new “old” building. Probably, it was built to be a museum or something else but currently, it is closed and empty. However, the most rewarding part of hiking to the top is the panoramic views of the area around the fortress.

The Old Madrasa and the Hisor Museum

When you go out of the fortress, on the main square, you can see another old building. This is the Old Madrasa, a traditional school with a main gate, a small mosque (today not functioning as a mosque), and many cells (probably classrooms).

The whole site is square-shaped, the mosque is located on one of the corners, and the cells are ordered on the four sides of the square.

A large section of this site is today occupied by a History and Ethnography museum. When you enter inside through the main gate, the museum section is on your right side, in the right half of the Old Madrasa.

Here you can see some artifacts discovered in this area from various periods of the Hisor’s timeline. You can also see some documentary photos showing how the latest version of the fortress was restored. Finally, the ethnographic part of the museum is established mostly in the cells.

The New Madrasa

This is another old building, heavily destroyed but today restored, located at the bottom of the main square. It dates from the 18th century, it is taller than the Old Madrasa and also has served as a school.

The Caravanserai Khishtin

During the long history of the Silk Road, many trade stations, the so-called caravanserais were established in various spots on the trade routes. One of them is this one, built next to the Madrasa, and called Khishtin. It has a square shape too but only ruins are left of it, without a roof. Today, only the outer wall, as well as the walls of the inner “rooms” are restored but it still can give you some idea of how it looked like in the past.

Makhdumi Azam Mausoleum

This is another historic building, heavily damaged but now restored. It is located behind the Madrasa and you have to walk a bit on a side street to reach it.

This is probably the best-preserved “original” structure of the whole complex. The Mausoleum is a type of “luxurious” tomb. It is unclear who’s is this tomb, the name “Makhdumi Azam” simply means “the Great Master”. The locals say that it belongs to a man called Khoji Mohammed Hayvoqi.

The main square

There is nothing special in the main square between the main fortress and the Madrasas unless you come on the weekend. In recent years, Hisor Fortress has become a favorite place for weddings. There is even a wedding palace beside the fortress. But the most attractive part of it is the happy traditional dances of many people that follow this or that couple, under loud Tajik music. This is something that definitely adds to the whole local vibe, combined with the historical architectural environment around.

Entrance fee

There are two places where you have to pay an entrance fee, these are separate tickets.

Hisor Fortress main gate: 10 TJS

Old Madrasa and the Museum: 10 TJS

Working hours: from 8:00 to 18:00

How to get there

Hisor Fortress is easily accessible from Dushanbe but if you travel independently and don’t have your own vehicle, there are still some steps you have to follow.

Step 1:

Reach the starting point for shared taxis and minibuses (marshrutkas) in Dushanbe. There are two starting points. The first one is Zarnisor. You can go there by bus No. 8- its route passes through the center of Dushanbe and reaches Zarnisor. And the second one is Zaravshon 2. City minibusses (marshrutkas) go there, and many shared taxis are waiting there too.

Step 2:

From Zarnisor, you can get a marshrutka or a shared taxi. From Zaravshon 2- only shared taxi. All of them go to the town of Hisor, and the price is usually between 20 and 30 TJS. You can find them easily- marshrutkas have a sign (Dushanbe – Hisor), and shared taxi drivers usually will approach you and ask you “Hisor?”

Step 3:

All the marshrutkas arrive in the center of Hisor town. All the shared taxis- too. But it is not the fortress yet. There is another 6 km road to the village with the same name and to the fortress that is inside the village. Only shared taxis go there, no marshrutkas. Again, it is easy to find a shared taxi from the town to the fortress, usually for another 20-30 TJS. 

However, you can also find shared taxis going from Dushanbe directly to the fortress, although it is more difficult.

The way back is the same- taxis are waiting beside the fortress, going to the town center, and from there- marshrutkas to Dushanbe (Zarnisor). Keep in mind that some drivers can tell you something like 100 TJS only from the fortress to the town. It is too inflated, don’t accept it, there always will be a cheaper taxi.

This is in short the most essential about Hisor Fortress. Different travelers have different points of view concerning its authenticity. Nevertheless, it still has its value and the experience of visiting it (especially during the weekend) can give you a unique impression as a part of your trip around Tajikistan.

Take a look at the video about Hisor Fortress and Dushanbe below: 

Check some travel books about Dushanbe and Tajikistan:

    

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