Termez

Termez (Termiz in Uzbek; Termes in German) is a city in southern Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan. It has a population of 140.404 (1st January 2005), and is the capital of the Surxondaryo Province. Its most famous native son is Al-Tirmidhi, born in its suburb Bugh.

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The river Amu Darya divides the two countries and the "Bridge of Appeasement" is the only way to Afghanistan.

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An ancient settlement was discovered near Termez, which was populated in the times of the Greek-Bactrain rules (3rd - 2nd c. B.C).

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It was center of Buddhism at the period of Kushans (1st -2nd c. A.C.) When Arabs came (in the 7th -8th c.) the city became the center of Islam. During Amir Timur's time Termez continued to prosper, however it was destroyed at the end of 17th century.

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In 1897 the modern city emerged with Russian fortress and garrison. Termez was a primary transit point during the Soviet occupation (1979-89) of Afghanistan.

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Historical and architectural monuments of Termez:

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• Kyrk-Kyz (out-of-town Palace Country Estate) (9th -14th c.)
• Palace of Termez rulers (11th -12th c.)
• Architectural Complex of Khakim-at-Termezi (10th -15th c.)
• Architectural Ensemble Sultan-Saodat (10th - 18th c.)
• Kokildora Mausoleum-Khanaka (16th c.)
• Kara-Tepe Monastery (2nd - 4th c. A.D.)
• Fayaz-Tepe Monastery (1st - 3rd c. A.D.)
• Zurmala Tower (1st -2nd c. A.D.)

Uzbek: Uzbeks (O'zbek, Pl. O'zbeklar) are a Central Asian group of Turkic linguistic and cultural origins found primarily in Uzbekistan, as well as large populations also living in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Xinjiang province of China. The Uzbeks belong to the...

Uzbekistan: The Republic of Uzbekistan is adoubly landlocked country in Central Asia. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....

Afghanistan: Afghanistan (Pashtu/Dari-Persian: ?????????, Af??nist?n) is a country in Asia. It is in Central Asia and fringes upon South Asia and is sometimes allocated to one of these regions and it is often considered part of the Middle East due to its location on the Iranian plateau. It is bordered by Iran in...