Old Citadel (ruins of Karshi fortress)

The old citadel of Karshi is the ancient heart of the city, the place where its history began. It is from the word "karshi", which means "fortress" or "palace" in the Turkic languages, that the name of the city itself originated. The remains of this citadel are the ruins of a powerful defensive structure built in the 14th century during the reign of Amir Timur and his successors.

The fortress occupied a strategically advantageous position on a hill, offering a wide view of the surrounding lands and the caravan routes connecting Samarkand, Bukhara and Termez. It served not only as a defensive point, but also as the residence of local rulers, where the palace, administrative offices, barracks and reservoirs were located.

According to the descriptions of travelers of the XVII–XVIII centuries, the walls of the citadel were built of large baked bricks and reached a height of up to 10 meters. The entrance was guarded by a powerful gate with towers, and inside there was a courtyard where military and officials gathered.

Over time and under the influence of the elements, the fortress has lost its former power, but even the preserved ruins allow us to imagine the scale and grandeur of the structure. Today, archaeologists continue to explore the citadel, finding fragments of ceramics, brickwork and household items of ancient Karshi.

Visiting this place allows you to feel the breath of history, imagine what the city was like in the Timurid era, and understand why Karshi was called the "guardian of the southern gates of Samarkand."