Day Tour To Panjakent From Samarkand

Day 1: Samarkand, Uzbekistan to Panjakent, Tajikistan

Meet our Uzbekistan driver at 08:00 in you hotel and transfer to Jartepa border. Arrival at the border at 09:00 Cross the border to Tajikistan side that will take you around 30 min. Meet our Tajikistan team at Tajikistan side of the border at 09:30. Drive to Panjakent. Panjakent: an ancient welcome to Tajikistan! Panjakent was once the capital of the Sogdian Empire, a Zoroastrian civilization well predating Islam in the region. Though most people travel to Tajikistan for trekking, there are several ancient sites in the area worth visiting on your way to the mountains. Places you visit in and around Panjakent: - Sarazm: A stone’s throw away from the border crossing are the UNESCO-listed ruins of Sarazm. More than 5,000 years old, they’re remains of the first agricultural society in Central Asia. A remarkably tall human skeleton, dubbed the “Princess of Sarazm”, was found here with some of her ornaments. Archaeologists also found artifacts indicating ancient trading routes stretching as far as modern day Iran and Pakistan. - Panjakent Bazaar: This bazaar has a beautiful central building ringed by brick archways. It’s a good place to stock up on trekking snacks like nuts and dried fruits, or get your first taste of Tajik hospitality. - Mosque and Madrasah of Olim Dodkhoh. Traditional mosques for Central Asia. - Rudaki Museum. The museum is about a thousand exhibits, most of which - the objects of ethnography and arts and crafts of Tajiks. A significant part of the exhibition devoted to the history of Rudaki village at the end of XX century. Poster of the talks about the Great Patriotic War, veterans of war and labor area, sports achievements. The museum has a Leninsky Area, the basis of which form the subject of the Soviet Leninist - Old Panjakent ruins. Ancient Panjakent is located near present-day Panjakent and represents a unique early Middle Ages monument. In the 5-8th centuries it was the easternmost town of Sogdiana – the ancient country of the Sughdi (Sogdians), who spoke an East-Iranian language and were ancestors of the Tajiks. - Visit Lenin statue - stop at Sovietic mosaics made on wall of houses. After completing the tour driving back to the border. Cross border back to Uzbekistan side and meet your driver for further transfer to your place in Samarkand End of tour.