The Wakhan Valley

Introducing The Wakhan Valley

The Tajik half of the superbly remote Wakhan Valley, shared with Afghanistan, is a fantastic side trip from Khorog, either en route to Murgab or as a loop returning via the Gunt or Shokh Dara Valleys. The route’s many side valleys reveal stunning views of the 7000m peaks of the Hindu Kush (Killer of Hindus), marking the border with Pakistan. Marco Polo travelled through the valley in AD 1274.

You will need to have Ishkashim marked on your GBAO permit to travel this road. There are military checkpoints at Khargush and near Namadguti.

Some 46km south of Khorog, and 7km from the junction at Anderob, the hot springs of Garam Chashma make for a nice soak and there are several homestays nearby.

Continuing south of Anderob towards Ishkashim, you’ll see the Koh-i-Lal ruby mine from the road. The region’s gem mines were mentioned by Marco Polo (who called the region Mt Shugnon) and Badakhshani rubies are still famed throughout the region. There are good views of Afghanistan from here, with its pyramid-shaped hay stacks and donkey caravans.

Ishkashim is the Wakhan’s regional centre and largest village. Every other Saturday there is a transborder market at the bridge crossing to Afghanistan, 3km west of town.

Some 15km from Ishkashim, near the village of Namadguti, is the impressive Kushan-era Khakha Fortress, dating from the third century BC and rising from a platform of natural rock. The fort is currently occupied by Tajik border guards, so ask before taking pictures, though the lower parts of the fort are generally accessible. Just 300m further on is the interesting Ismaili mazar (tomb) of Shah-i-Mardan Hazrati Ali, one of many places in Central Asia that claim to be the final resting place of the Prophet’s son-in-law.

Seven kilometres from Namadguti is the valley’s major checkpost, across from a ruined fortress. A further 20km, is the village of Darshai, where trekking routes lead over the mountains to the Shokh Dara Valley.

A further 57km from Khakha, 3km past Ptup village, is the turn-off for the ruined 12th-century Yamchun Fort (also known as Zulkhomar Fort), the most impressive in the valley, complete with multiple walls and round watchtowers. The site is a 6km switch-backed drive from the main road and sits about 500m above the valley. Climb up the hillside west of the fort for the best views. About 1km further uphill from the fort are the Bibi Fatima Springs (8am-6pm; admission locals/foreigners 1/5TJS), probably the nicest in the region and named after the Prophet Mohammed’s sister. Women believe they can boost their fertility by visiting the womblike calcite formations. Bring a towel and keep an eye on your valuables as there are no lockers. Men’s and women’s bath times alternate every half hour.

Yamg village is worth a brief stop for the tomb and reconstructed house museum of Sufi mystic, astronomer and musician Mubarak Kadam Wakhani (1843–1903). You can see the stone that he used as a solar calendar. If the museum is closed, ask around for Aydar Malikmadov.

Vrang is worth a stop for its fascinating 4th-century Buddhist stupas (some say fire-worshipping platforms). All around the ruins are the sulphurous remains of geothermal activity, as well as dozens of hermit caves. Walk through the village, cross the water channel and it’s a steep scramble to the site. Locals can show you the village’s water-driven mill. There’s a small museum and shrine at the base of the hill.

Four kilometres further on, along the Wakhan plain, is Umbugh Qala, used by the Tajik military and so off-limits. Some 16km from Vrang you’ll pass a colourful hot springs area, where locals stop for a hot bath. Four kilometres further, look across the river to the ruined Afghan fort of Qala-i-Panja, once the largest settlement in the Wakhan.

A further 29km (4km before Langar) is Abrashim Qala (Vishim Qala in Wakhi), the ‘Silk Fortress’ of Zong, built to guard this branch of the Silk Road from Chinese and Afghan invaders. The fort offers perhaps the most scenic views of all those in the valley. It’s a steep 45-minute hike up the hillside, though 4WDs can drive part way via Dirj village.

Langar (population 1800) is strategically situated where the Pamir and Wakhan Rivers join to form the Pyanj, marking the start of Afghanistan’s upper Wakhan, or Sarkhad region. It’s an excellent base to visit surrounding sites. For a half-day hike, hire a local guide (US$5) for the hour-long walk uphill (500m vertical ascent) to a collection of over 6000 petroglyphs. The village jamoat khana is easily recognisable by its colourful wall murals. Across the road is the mazar of Shoh Kambari Oftab, the man who brought Ismailism to Langar.

Ratm Fort has a strategic location, surrounded on three sides by cliffs. It’s 5.5km from Langar and a 15-minute walk off the main road through bushes. Its name means ‘first’ as it is the first fort in the valley.

From Langar the road continues 77km to a military check post at Khargush. En route keep your eyes peeled for Bactrian camels on the far (Afghan) side of the Pamir River. At Khargush the main road leads uphill over a pass (look behind for stunning views of the Koh-i-Pamir massif in Afghanistan) to the salt lake of Chokur-Kul, 25km from Khargush, which is normally teeming with bird life. From here it’s 12km to the main Pamir Hwy.

The protected area of Zor-Kul, further up the Pamir Valley from the Khorgush checkpost, can only be visited with a permit from Dushanbe and permission from the border guards (though there are actually no checks if you approach the lake from its eastern end, via Jarty-Gumbaz). The lake was determined to be the source of the Oxus River during the 1842 expedition of Lieutenant Wood, when it was named Lake Victoria.

Last updated: Jun 3, 2009