'''Penjikent''' is a city in Tajikistan.

Substantially closer to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, than to Dushanbe, Penjikent is the old center of the Sogdian empire. It lies at the entrance to Zeravshan Valley, one of Tajikstan's main touristic attractions. Around the modern town and in its museum you will find remains of the pre-Islamic, Zoroastrian civilization. The remains of this Sogdian city are just out of town, on a hill overlooking the valley. You can wander around the site without being bothered by anyone. Unfortunately,there are hardly any signs explaining what is what. The director of the museum just next to the site is able to explain everything in detail though. You may also find some excavators here, and students from St. Petersburg willing to tell you about their work and finds.

The town has a another small museum with Soviet memorabilia and stuffed animals as well as impressive finds from the excavations nearby -- wall paintings from the 5th century, with faded colors but recognizable motifs and hunting scenes.

You can also do excellent treks in the surrounding Fan Mountains and further up the Zeravshan Valley. Penjikent is usually visited from Samarkand as part of a tour along the Silk route, other entry points are Dushanbe in the South or Khujand in the North. For the latter routes, you will have to cross high passes though. This means that Penjikent is often isolated from the rest of the country during wintertime.

Get in

Most visitors enter Penjikent and the Zeravshan valley from Samarkand, which is just accross the border to Uzbekistan. You will need a valid Tajik visa to enter and a double/multi-entry Uzbek visa if you intend to return the same way you came. There is no public transport crossing the border and unless you have arranged your trip through one of the many uzbek tour agents, you will have to switch taxis at the border. From Khujand or Dushanbe, it is a spectacular but exhausting 7-10h trip to Penjikent in shared taxi. In 2009 the price for a seat is about 140TJS for Dushanbe-Penjikent bit. The roads range from virtually absent to spectacularly good, depending on wether you travel on the original road or one of the bits already repaired.

Penjikent also has a airport from which small planes occasionally fly to Dushanbe. There is no schedule. Normally, if the passes are closed and enough potential travellers have assembled, Tajik air runs a trip or two.

Get around

Penjikent is stretched along the south banks of the Zeravshan River. There is one bus line (not surprisingly bearing the number 1) which is running along the main Road (Rudaki) connecting the far ends of this small city. For other explorations you will have to rely on taxis or wave down any car going into the desired direction, which is common practice in Tajikistan. Note though that drivers will expect as small contribution to their fuel costs.

See

'''Old Penjikent''' -The archaeological site of the ruins of old Penjikent- a walled inter-city which stood 2500-years ago - was once a Sogdian trading city on the Silk Road. Today only ruins are left owing to the fact that the main construction material was clay-bricks. Often referred to as _gThe Pompeii of Central Asia_h, it is well worth a visit. Duplicates of old Sogdian art are exposed in the nearby museum. The director will also take you on a tour, which will open your eyes to many interesting details which will normally escape the laymen's eye.

'''Rudaki Museum''' - This interesting museum of local history has recently been rehabilitated and should not be missed. It is located 1km west of the City Administration on the main Rudaki street. Normal working hours 8am-5pm. Apart from showing artifacts and frescoes of the archeologial site nearby the city, it also features exhibits from Sarazm a neolithic site a few kilometers further west. There excavators found proof human settlement as old as 5500 years and - most notably - the richly decorated remains of a young women referred to as "princess of Sarazm".

Do

After having done the mandatory cultural tour, got stocked up on goodies on the bustling market in the center of town. Since it got modernized and reorganized, it lost quite a lot of its original charm, but it will still allow an impressive vision of traditional Tadjikistan on a busy day. Note that there is a another market (for clothes mainly further east (not far from to the main bus terminal). Products there are fancy and cheap, but of dubious origin and quality.

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

There is one Soviet Era hotel in the center of town which has seen some rehabilitation last year and now offers an about acceptable level of value for price. Let them show you several rooms to make the best pick. A double is coming at 35-50 USD /night with TV and hot water. Ask for "Intourist Hotel", though the offical one is "Hotel Penjikent". Travel agencies will also offer a variety of homestay accomodation (from 5 USD with breakfast) or let you a complete appartment (10-15 USD/night). This may often be a better pick.

Contact

There is a number of tour operators in Penjikent which can organize about everything in Penjikent and the Zerafshan Valley. Those having a webpage are listed below:

Zeravshan Tourism Development Association - A network of small providers offering Community Based Tourism products with special emphasis on cultural and ecological sustainability. Supported by international development organisations. Excellent for arranging custom made tours and accomodation for the individual and group traveller. http://www.ztda-tourism.tj

Pamir-Travel, one of the biggest and most experienced operators in Penjikent. http://www.travel-pamir.com (Nematov Niyozgul, Rudaki 22/16 - ask for ostanovka samarkand)

Get out