Kulob

A brief historical information. It is called one of the most ancient cities of Central Asia; with its ancient history, there are many years, that it is attracting the attention of erudites of the area-studies, ethnographers and the tourists around the world. The history of more than 2700 years old has been witnessed by many of archeological excavations and Kulob is mentioned as a prosperous city with the crafty (skilled) and at the same time courageous and valiant people in the history. In 1993-1994 the archaeologists Pavel Samoylik and Muzaffar Azizov have found a kiln next to Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani’s shrine, that belonged to the seventh century BC, to talk more specifically, it was 2700 years old. The study of Kulob’s history has been started by the support of the national Leader, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, respected Emomali Rahmon in 2001and it is continued till the present. The archaeologists have chosen over 200 trenches for the studying purpose around Kulob city, which five of them are stored inside of the tomb’s kilns of Miri Kabir. The archeologists have found the large number of piece of potteries in each layer of the digged trenches, which have the size of 1, 5-2 meter and that they are the evidence of the civilization of Hakhomanishiyon reign. The acquisition of the ancient castle, named as “Kulob Castle” in today’s locality “Charmgaron” ward is one of the most ancient cities in Central Asia, being the evidence of Kulob’s ancient existence. Other memorials, which have been discovered, are the evidences of Qushonian, Bactrian, Hakhomanishiyon, Haytalian, Sosonian and etc. reigns, that about each of these epochs there have been preserved the detailed information with the real facts in the Museum of 2700 Anniversary of Kulob city. Around the ancient city of Kulob, there are cities such as Hulbuk, Munk, Bubakon, Tandircharogh, Iskandara, Langar, Maranda, which had been known in Central Asia in IX-VII centuries — BC yet. This city with its pedigree horses – heading as “Aspi Khatli” (a racing horse) and the warrior and proud people was famous in the history in Khurasan and Warorud countries. About the relationship of Aspi Khatli to Khatlon (Khutalon) province (region), there are clear interpretations and explanations in the most cultures (dictionaries). Also in “Untrammeled Burhan” is written with the structure as “The horse, which has been brought from Khutal”, in “Sharafnoma e Monir” with an expression of “The horse, which will be brought from Khatlon” and in “Ghiyas-ul-Lughat” as “A good horse”. The author of “Tarikh-i Bayhaqi” (Bayhaqi’s history) has interpreted the expense of Khatli origin horse this way: “….. and 50 wisps of  Indian blade and the golden goblet from thousand of misqol (historical measure of weight, equal to 4, 68 gram) full of pearls, two pieces of  rubin and twenty pieces of  Badakhshan lapis of too much good quality and ten horses of Khurasan and Khatlon ….”

            The city frontier consists of 272, 9 square kilometers, and there live the representatives of other nations like Russians, Uzbeks, Ossetians and others equally with Tajiks. Kulob city consists from 4 village councils and 63 blocks, that there live more, than 200000 thousand inhabitants. Presently Kulob is considered the third biggest cities of Tajikistan.

            Attractive travelling areas of the city. There are many interesting places to attract the tourists in Kulob, that the famous ones are these: Center of The 2700^th anniversary of Kulob; Museum of the national poet of Tajikistan – Saydali  Valizoda, Museum of national poet of Tajikistan — Ashur Safar; Monument of the King – Ismoili Somoni, Monument of the poet of  the classical Persian – Tajik literature; native born of Kulob – Shamsiddin Shohin, Boulevard of  Heroes, Squares of the National Flag and State Symbol; Statue “Mother”, Statue “Family”, Statue “World War II”; Botanic Garden of the city, The river full of fish “Devonachanor”; Tomb of the oriental Wiseman Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, Tomb of  Khoja Ishoqi Khatloni, Tomb of  Khoja Ghoib (the well-known people of Kulob are buried there) etc.

            Infrastructure service. There is a favorable condition of services provided for the domestic and foreign guests, in Kulob city. Also, concerning the transport service, it should be noted, that International Airport, Railway Station and the Passengers Terminal are there, active in Kulob city. It is worth to mention, that the city transport is in move with a specific route to all parts of Kulob city and outside of it with an accessible price. There are shops and shopping centers in all villages and blocks. Also there are 4 big markets named “Sakhovat” market, “Somoni” market, “Yakumi May” (The 1^st of May) market and “Dehqonbozor” (Peasant market) market are provided to serve the inhabitants and guests. In these markets, the traders essentially offer the variety of clothing, food, construction materials, agricultural products and other essential goods to the customers.

Medical service level also is modern and the total number of healthcare centers is 101 in Kulob city and its villages. Within Kulob city there are 80 drug-stores as well, that each of them has a certificate of quality. It is necessary to mention, that glory to the cultural rational policy of the Founder of  Peace and National Unity, the Leader of nation, respected Emomali Rahmon, Kulob city is known as the Capital of the Commonwealth of Independent States, where many cultural enterprises are there, active in that city. In this context, one can remind such big cultural enterprises as: Palace of Culture with 550 seats and 150 working rooms, a large conference and meeting hall with 200 seats, dance hall for 100 people and gym for 100 people too, the region theater of music and comedy of Kulob city named after Saydali Valizoda, which was established in 1936 on the basis of the club of talents of the pedagogical college of Kulob city, has 300 seats and demonstrates two theater programs a week. The musical college named after Karomatullo Kurbonov is busy with teaching and educating of young artists. There are ensemble of the melody and dance “Falak” (type of Khatlon’s folk music), special art schools and dance and melody groups, Amphitheater for 9000 seats, and also there are culture halls and libraries in the village councils of Ziraki (two), Dahana and Kulob, active there. In the center of the city there are libraries for children and youth and a library named after Sadriddin Ayni, located there.

There are also three public baths as well as one covered swimming pool in Kulob city. The sports complex of Kulob city was built and given for the use in 2014, which has gushtin (national belt wrestling) hall, billiard hall, exercise hall, tennis hall and also there are two large halls have been arranged: on the first floor, the hall with 3500 seats and on the second floor, the hall with 300 seats for the spectators/audiences.

            There are seven hotels, guest-houses and campings active in Kulob city, they are equipped with all modern conditions and  titled as “Khatlon”, Kulob”, “Chinor”, Kulob-Pamir”, “Silk Road”, “Doro”, Kulob’s Evening”.

            Kulob city has a refreshing and pleasurable weather; many resting places, which are built there, give to this amazing climate a fascinating atmosphere. As well as, the cultural-resting park of Kulob city, park named after Ismoli Somoni, Botanic garden, decorated boulevards and squares such as: the boulevard next to Kulob museums’ complex and the park of the Victory of People to Fascism are the examples for the round-the clock walk.

            Folk craftsmanship and skills. Kulob city is known for its skillful craft artists from ancient time. Nowadays people in Kulob city are engaged with the various traditional and modern folk arts.  They are weaving (knitting, carpet-making, mat-making); sewing (chakan-sewing, piece-sewing, cap-sewing, needle-work, chodar-sewing, zarduzi-sewing, sheroz-sewing, shoemaking); felt production, carpentry, (making wooden kitchen stuff, sculpture-making, horse-saddle making, cradle-making, producing musical instruments); blacksmith work (household tools such as: axe, hammer, spade, mattock, sickle, traditional baking oven, standing traditional baking oven …); jewelry, cooking (special use of milk meat, dough and greens products…) and so on. As well as, Kulob crafty women make various types of national dishes, such as: qalama, tahmol (types of bread with layers), oshi burida (homemade dumplings), oshi palow (palow), qurutob, mantu, shirbat, soup, porridge, nishoista and so on very skillfully.

         Some of the particularities of the city and its inhabitants. Kulob as a city of valiants, can be equally called as a city of artists too. Because people of Kulob (no matter male or female, regardless of their profession and type of work or social status) are aware of playing any kind of musical instrument as a dutor (the two strained traditional musical instrument) or a tabla (drum) and are  able to perform a song or a dance in the way of “jumping”. Also, Kulob is known with its craftsmanship of “Chakanduzi” (needlework) and the decoration of dresses along with the scarf named “Gulbast”, in the world. Other peculiarities of Kulob city are that its blocks had been known with the folk crafts and those ancient namings, which point the craftsmanship of the people of those blocks, are still used (protected) by the local people. Such as: Charmgaroni bolo (highland leather-makers), Charmgaroni poyon (lowland leather-makers); Nonboyi bolo (highland bakery), Nonboyi poyon (lowland bakery); Sarosiyob (the main mill) and so on. These and other peculiarities of Kulob have attracted the archaeologists, ethnographers and the domestic and foreign guests.