Vose’

VOSE’’ – A LIVE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY

A brief historical information. Vose’ is a district of old kind, and has a long history. In historic chronicles the city of Hulbuk is mentioned as the center of Hutalan, which is now located in a distance of 7 km from the center of Vose’ district. The site of Hulbuk is known by the historians to be in the place of Mehrobod village of Vose’ district, a part of which is known by the locals as Khisht teppa. A king’s palace, fortification of a city, various buildings made from baked bricks and other constructions were found during archaeological excavations in the ruins of Khisht teppa of Mehrobod. Ruins of Hulbuk city are situated in an area of 70 hectares, and on a part of it there is a local market functioning these days. In the 50th and 60th of 20th century, due to the carelessness of the government of those days, in the area of Kurbonshahid many remnants of the old city could be found in the form of hills, which were destroyed by the locals who have dismantled them to take the bricks and use them for the construction of their residential houses. Ruins of Hulbuk city in Kurbonshahid village were first found and studied in 1953–54 by the historians B.А. Litvinsky and Е.А. Davidovich. More than 5 thousand broken pieces and various carved gypsum plates were found from the Hulbuk ruins, which were decorated with beautiful geometrical patterns named and with scripts written in kufic calligraphy. Among them, there is a bas-relief of two musicians found in 1984 in the hall of the kings’s palace of Khatlon, the original of which is kept in the Hermitage museum of Saint Petersburg. In relation to the celebration of 2700 years of Kulob city, historian Y.Yakubov has studied the ruins of Hulbuk in 2004–2005, and proved that the palace of governors of Khatlon was located in this site. As a result of Arab raids, and later Mongols and Shaibanid dynasty ancient cities of Vose’ were completely burned down to ruins, and later new villages were built in their places.   

Vose’ as a district was established in 1936. Its total area is 0,8 thousand square kilometers, and its population is about 200 000 people. 

Attractive travelling areas. In Vose’ there are many places to visit for tourist, the most famous of them being: historical citadel of Hulbuk, Manzarteppa, Nozkul – located in the town of Kaynar, historical sites of Emom Ali, Avghondili, Dashtidili, Sopkadili, rural tomb of Gelot, Goib Safarzoda’s tomb (Kaduchi village), tomb of Sultoni Kabir (Mehnatobod village), Museum of Hulbuk, Khojamumin salt mountain and others. 

Infrastructure service. Vose’ district provides favorable serving conditions both for international and domestic tourists. These include 14 major markets (district central market, district necessity society, Jumaa bazaar, Dehqon bazaar, Angurbogh market, Shanbe bazaar, «Guliston» market, «Sultan Kabir» trade center, «Silk Road» market and others) with high quality goods and services provided for tourists and locals. 

The level of medical care also meets modern requirements, and there the following centers and facilities available in the district: 1 central hospital, 5 general hospitals, a sanitary and epidemiological state control center, 1 family health center, 22 wellness centers, an emergency department, 38 rural health centers, 48 state and private pharmacies. 

The district has 193 sports facilities, including the central stadium, 21 gyms, a children’s and teenagers’ sports school, as well as dozens of public sports grounds. 

There are supplementary education centers, 5 kindergartens, 72 educational institutions, 55 secondary schools (state gymnasium, orphans’ boarding school, boarded school for gifted children) in the district. 

“Somon” hotel is located in Vose’ district center, and the “Bakht” hotel and M.C Hotel are located in Rudaki community, which all meet the modern requirements. 

In the village of Mirali Mahmadali of Vose’ district there is a famous holiday resort named Toskaala, which features healing methods involving use of mineral-rich clay and water (radon). There is also a beautiful cultural and recreational park in the district. 

Folk craftsmanship and skills. Vose’ district was famous for its folk crafts, and has attracted attention of both its countryman and neighbors. After announcing the year of 2018 as the “Year of development of tourism and folk crafts” by the government, all of the craftsmen of the district have begun to review ways of improving their crafts. Folks crafts like sewing, stitching, embroidering, veil sewing, adras weaving, sheroz waiving, jewelry, carpentry, blacksmithing, sculpture carving, cooking and others have been developing day by day. Also, the women of Vose’ district prepare the following dishes with utmost talent: kurutob, oshi buroda (atola), fatirmaska, kalama, shirbirinj, shirbat, shir ravghan, shakarob, nashoista and other national Tajik dishes.  

The particularities of the district. The historians adhere to an opinion that without learning the history of Khulbuk Citadel, it is not possible to know the history of Khatlon. Because the Hulbuk citadel may be thought of the cradle of city building culture of the Tajik nation. Moreover, Hulbuk being the symbol of national dignity and bravery of the people of Khatlon region, conquering Arabs for the first time in the course of their invasion lost a battle in this region and had to retreat with shame. The Arabian armistice in the late 17th century, headed by Ibn Qutayba, attacked Khatlon and had been faced by resistance fighters. He retreated from Hutalan (Hulbuk and Kulob) and reached to Balkh. The people of Balkh have made Ibn Qutaybah feel ashamed with such condemnatory and ridiculing statements. 

Also, Vose’ is famous with the salt mountain of Khojamumin, which being a reserve of clean and natural salt (there is no need for additional processing), can meet the demands of the whole world for minimum one century.