Levakant

LEVAKANT – THE RE-REVIVAL OF THE ANCIENT CITY

A brief historical information of the city.  The revival of the Levakant city (in past Sarband) goes back to the period of independence days. This city is located in the southern part of the Republic of Tajikistan, in the Vakhsh valley, and with the decision of the Majlisi Oli (Supreme Assembly) of the Republic of Tajikistan from February 2, 1996, under the decision No. 247 the city was established in the Khatlon region, by decreasing the areas from Bokhtar and Jomi districts with its administrative center of Kalininabad. Until February 2, 1996 Sarband was named after Kalininabad, locating in Qurghonteppa Region, and was one of the leading industrial cities in the republic. Then in 2018 the city was named after Levakant. The area of the city is 131, 09 кm² with its estimated population of 46225 persons at the beginning of January 2018.

The population of Levakant is consisting of mainly from Tajiks — 38543, Uzbeks 7342, Russians 158, Kazakhstan 6 and other nationalities. The city is bordering with Danghara, Bokhtar, Vakhsh, and A. Jomi districts. The distance between Levakant city and Khatlon-Bokhtar city center is 17 km, and from Dushanbe to the city of Leakakant, is 117 km. The city consists of Levakant city center, the Jamoats of «Gulistan» and «Vahdat». More than 16,000 people live in the city center.

Attractive travelling areas of Levakant. In Levakant, there is an interesting attractive place for tourists and astronomers, known as Ushtursang. Ushtursang located in Istiklol village of Vahdat area in Levakant city. It is known from folktales that, there was a camel which turned into a stone (in that area there is a rocky hill that appears in the eyes like a shape of camel) which belongs to Khojamastoni Vali. In the ancient times, in Arabs, first Muawiya and his son Yazid, who had been enemies of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), were constantly trying to destroy the linage or family of the Prophet (pbuh).

Due to the insecurities of that time, Khojamastoni Vali with his three brothers and sisters, who were Ali’s grandchildren, in order to be safe, riding their camels escaped to Central Asia. There with brothers, they decided to stay close to the Vakhsh River, but there they face their enemies, and in order to be alive they ran away leaving their camels behind. Khojamastoni Vali along with one of his brother and sister, escaped to the right side of the river and another two of his brothers escaped to the left direction of the Vakhsh River. After surviving from the enemies, they realized that one of their camels which was loaded with books, was captured by enemies.

The brothers became sad and disappointed and made supplication in order their camel to get released from the enemy. Their supplication was accepted and Khojamastoni Vali’s camel turned into a stone. Since then, centuries have passed, and this Ushtursang (camel shaped stone) become a place to visit for people who believe to the story. Until nowadays some people with the hope of getting treatment visit this stone, and even some people take mud from its ground for the treatment of their injuries.

Infrastructure service. Levakant is mainly industrial city and nowadays there are 29 industrial enterprises. In the city there are all kinds of living services, including large and medium-sized hotels, bathhouses (the famous one is «Faroz Hotel») cultural and leisure facilities, including libraries, museum and music school. Also, Levakant is one of the electricity supply cities, with its hydropower “Vakhsh”, “Levakant” and “Central”.

Folk craftsmanship and skills. The residents of the city of Levakant posses different kind of skills. In particular, people in the city traditionally are involved in blacksmithing. Blacksmithing stores are mainly located in the streets, markets and also in the masters’ houses. In regard to the Year of Tourism and people’s crafts, people of the Levakant’s city begun to develop the handicraft skills, woodworking, jewelry, flowering blacksmithing and etc. In addition, women of the Levakant city are highly qualified and skilled in handcrafting and cooking national dishes.

The particularities of the city. Levakant is mostly well known with its Asian fertilizers Factory. It is the largest factory in the country, which covers not only population’s needs but it also being exported to abroad, to be used to fertile land with mineral fertilizers. As mentioned above, the city has a hydroelectric power station that makes the city as an industrial place. Also there is lyceum of the chemical industry where current President and Leader of the Nation Emomali Rahmon used to study.