In the northeast of the city, rising above low-level housing, this grassy, flat-topped hill once boasted a fine citadel. Stormed by Alexander the Great in 329 BCE, Arabs in 772 CE and Russians in 1866, only minimal mud-wall traces remained until 2018 when a fanciful recreation was constructed. With its golden-topped gateway and crenellated walls, the site looks impressive from afar and provides a good vantage point from which to survey the city's mountain horizon.
However, close up, the brickwork is slapdash, and the far-from-authentic interior is falling apart already. Access is from the east beside what was briefly Istaravshan's best hotel (the Kirovpol, now closed). From the bazaar, take marshrutka 5A.
