The site of Kum (to be visited on the third day)
The program includes visits to the most outstanding archaeological and architectural monuments of this ancient land of the Orient, its museums, mountain lakes and valleys where remains of ancient peoples survive, ongoing excavations and many more. The tour is authored and will be guided by Dr. Pavel Lurje (State Hermitage museum, St.-Petersburg), the leader of the Panjakent archaeological expedition and curator of the exhibition Expedition Silk Road in the Hermitage – Amsterdam.
The trip will cover both northern and southern Tajikistan with particular attention to its middle part, the Zeravshan valley which is famous for its archaeological monuments of Sogdian epoch, Panjakent in the first instance.
Costs (excluding air fare)
€ 1695 – single room
€ 1595 – double room
The Friends of the State Hermitage and Hermitage-Amsterdam get €100 discount.
The detailed plan with a handful of photos follows.
04.09. Arrival to Dushanbe early in the morning (with Turkish Airlines TK254 from Istanbul), transfer to the hotel, free time; visit to the national Museum of Antiquities, city tour, the Blue Bazaar. Overnight stay in Dushanbe.
The giant Buddha from Ajina-tepe (7th century) in the Museum of Antiquities
with the members of Panjakent archaeological team
05.09. Early breakfast, departure from the hotel to the north, via Varzob valley and Anzob pass to the valley of Yaghnob, where the dialect close to Sogdian is still in use. Overnight stay at the camping on Iskander-kul, the biggest lake in the Fan mountains.
Mulloqodir, the Yaghnobi storyteller with his nephew at the shepherds’ campsite
06.09. Mountain walks and swimming on Iskander-kul; departure to the Zarafshan valley. Visit of the site Kum and the castle on the Mount Mugh, where the most important Sogdian texts concerning the events of Arab conquest were found; arrival to Panjakent and overnight stay there.
The castle on mount Mugh (in the center) with Zarafshan flowing below.
07.09. Tour on the excavations in Ancient Panjakent, the most celebrated Sogdian town of 5th – 8th century CE, the bazaar and city museum. Overnight stay in Panjakent.
Satellite view of the Ancient Panjakent
08.09. Tour on the chalcolitic site of Sarazm (the nominee of the Unesco World heritage list), Sogdian town of Sanjar-shah, the classical Muslim mausoleum at Mazari Sharif, trip to the Seven lakes, rest and overnight stay at the campsite there.
One of the Seven Lakes
09.09. Departure from the Seven lakes to the Shahristan pass. Visit of Kalai Kahkaha ruins and Chilkhudzhra in Shahristan (9th century palace and castle, famous for the wall-paintings), a tour in Ura-tyube and arrival to Khujand.
Ura-tyube (Istravshan) is famous for its knifesmiths
10.09. Walks in Khujand, a trip to Isfara with its 9th-century mausoleum, evening on the Kayrak-kum lake, overnight stay in Khujand.
The citadel of Khujand about hundred years ago. Probably, it is located on the place of Alexandia Eschata,
the ultimate town erected by Alexander in 328 BCE
11.09. Flight to Dushanbe in the morning. Visits to the National Museum, Hissar fortress, Botanical garden. Overnight stay in Dushanbe
The brand-new National Museum (opened in 2013)
12.09. The trip to Khulbuk (12th century city now restored), Kulyab, Khoja-Mashad, overnight stay in the Tigrovaya Balka national park on Amu-darya.
Khoja-Mashad, the mausoleum of 10th – 11th century
13.09. Visit of the Oxus temple, the Hellenistic town and sanctuary on the confluence of Panj and Wakhsh, the town of Kurghan-tepe, Buddhist cloister of Adzhina-tepe (8th century), return to Dushanbe in the evening.
The Oxus temple (Takhti Sangin) with Oxus (Amu-darya) and Afghanistan on the background
14.09. Dushanbe: walks in the town, bazaar, botanic farden, free time, the final dinner
The fontain in Dushanbe shaped after image of lute-player in Panjakent wall-painting
15.09. Early departure to Istanbul (fligh TK255).
The group leaving Mt. Mugh in 2013
The travel cost includes all overnight stays (3 to 4 star hotels in Dushanbe and Khujand, “Indian inn” in Panjakent, camping bungalos in other places), part of the meals (all breakfasts; lunches and dinners in remote places; final festive dinner), ground transportation in offroad vehicles with air conditioning, flight from Khujand to Dushanbe on 11.09, all excursions and lectures, admission to the museums, English/Russian/Tajik translation. 20 % of the price beсomes a donation for archaeological investigations and conservation in Tajikistan (paid with a separate bill).
The price does not include flights to/from Tajikistan, visa fee (25 US$), health insurance.
Contacts:
http://www.haftkul.tj (check for updates). Please send requests, questions etc. toarchaeology_tajikistan@googlegroups.com
Explore on the map: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zOCToSIoSfj8.kzzedMsXoOGY
No comments:
Post a Comment