Gorno-Badakhshan
(with kind permission from
Markus Hauser)
Gorno-Badakhshan is in the far Eastern
part of Tajikistan. It borders Afghanistan in the South and West,
China in the East and Kyrgyzstan in the North. The Southern and
Eastern boundaries are determined by the Pamir and Pyanj rivers. The
Pyanj is better know by its ancient name of Oxus, and becomes the Amu
Darya after being joined by the river Kunduz from Afghanistan, before
continuing along the Uzbek border on the way to the Aral Sea.
Gorno-Badakhshan offers:
The following itineraries are
recommended (click on the link and then on the place names for
“virtual sightseeing”):
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The
Wakhan corridor, with views across
the Pyandj and Pamir rivers to the peaks of the Hindu Kush in
Pakistan; the Wakhan contains many traces of the multicultural history
of the Silk Route and the spread of major religions (see also the
section on Archaeology)
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The valleys of the
Shokhdara and Pamir rivers; here, in
beautiful natural surroundings, there are vestiges of the
centuries-long struggle for control of the fertile lands of the Pamirs
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The
Pamir Highway, the lifeline to
markets in Kyrgyzstan (and, in future, China); this is the real Pamir:
high plateau desert and multi-coloured rock formations resembling more
a moonscape than mountains; this region used to be at the bottom of
the sea and was pushed up by the geological phenomenon of continental
drift and the clash of tectonic plates.
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The unspoilt and undiscovered beauty of
Murgab, Rangkul, Madyan and Shaimak (Little
Pamir), with the legendary Dragon Lake known to Chinese geographers
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The
Bartang valley, the longest in
Gorno-Badakhshan, with idyllic villages nestling against the valley
walls and access to Lake Sarez. Bartang designated among 2014 Global Top 100 Sustainable Destinations -
see
here and
here.
For most travellers, a visit to the
Pamirs is likely to be different from any previous travel experience.
This is in itself one of the attractions of the region, but a few
words of warning may be necessary, since the experience is both
physically and mentally challenging.
Travellers should be aware that the distances involved in just getting
to Gorno-Badakhshan are enormous (up to 7 hours flying time from
Western Europe to Dushanbe, then some 16 hours by road to the regional
capital, Khorog).
Osh-Khorog takes 14 hours by road and
distances between destinations within Gorno-Badakhshan are
significant. A visit to the Pamirs can not be hurried and travellers
must be prepared for much driving over difficult roads at high
altitudes.
The road from Dushanbe travels a considerable distance along the
Afghan border and offers magnificent scenery and views of life in
Afghan villages.

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Afghan villages |
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The
road from Osh in Kyrgyzstan is
uninhabited between the last Kyrgyz town of Sary Tash and Murghab. A
short excursion West from Sary Tash to the village of Saryk Mongol on
Kyrgyz territory (inhabited by very hospitable Tajiks from Murghab)

offers spectacular views of
Pik Lenin (7,134m).
The road from Sary Tash to Ali Chur follows the Chinese border for
about 200km and goes over some very high passes (of which the highest
is Akbaital 4,655m)
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The Murghab/Aksu River |
The archaeology
of the region is barely explored and most of the work that has been
done has not been reported in Western languages. This means that there
are as yet no comprehensive guidebooks on what to see and do – the Lonely
Planet book is good but only scratches the surface. Odyssey Publications will, however,
fill this gap in mid-2007with the first guidebook devoted exclusively to Tajikistan
and the Pamirs. See
here.
Gorno-Badakhshan is almost “virgin territory” for tourism. Do not expect an organised
programme of cultural visits and events: the
culture
is found in the eyes and hearts of the people and in their singing and
dancing.
Sanitation in most private houses is relatively primitive: corresponding elementary
precautions should be taken. See section Health and other practical advice.

House in Tusyan
Travellers to Murghab district may be able to stay in a yurt.
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There are hot springs in:
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Garm Chashma (near Anderob, 30km from
Khorog on the road to Ishkashim)
-
Oudzh (30km from Ishakashim on the road
from Khorog)
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Bibi Fotima (Yamchun - 72km from Ishkashim above
the Wakhan)
Issyk-Bulok-Madyan (10km West of Murghab)
-
Djelondi (about 110km from Khorog on the
road to Murghab)
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Shaimak (126km from Murghab)
The Botanical garden in Khorog is the
second highest in the world.
The rewards for the unhurried and open-minded traveller are:
-
a wealth of new visual impressions
-
a new perception of the meaning of some
common-place terms such as “happiness”, “poverty”, “joy”, “hope”,
“faith”
-
a chance to get some current political
and economic terminology in better perspective: “fundamentalism”,
“capitalism”, “communism”, “free enterprise”, “progress”,
“development”
-
an understanding of the strategic
importance of this region (from the time of the Silk Route and the
“Great Game”
to contemporary geopolitics)
-
and, perhaps, time for self-discovery
Have your fortune told


All text and
photographs (c) Robert Middleton 2002
Web master Romanyuk
Mikhail
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