Istaravshan

Istaravshan
Overview of Istaravshan
Country	Tajikistan
Province	Sughd Province
Elevation	981 m (3,219 ft)
Population  (2007 est.)
• Total	60,200
Time zone	UTC+5

Istaravshan is a city in Sughd Province in Tajikistan. Located in the northern foothills of the Turkistan mountain range, 78 kilometers southwest of Khujand, Istaravshan is one of the oldest cities in Tajikistan, having existed for more than 2500 years. Before 2000, it was known as Ура́-Тюбе (Ura-Tyube) in Russian, Уротеппа (Uroteppa) in Tajik and Uratepe in Turkish.

Bordered by Uzbekistan in the north and west, and Kyrgyzstan in the east, the territorial area of Istaravshan stretches 1,830 square kilometers, and with an administrative population of 199,000 people, the majority of its citizens live in the outlying countryside.

The city lies on the main road connecting Tajikistan's two largest cities, Khujand and Dushanbe.

Historical importance

1923 map showing the Achaemenid empire at its greatest extent. The city of Cyropolis appears at the north-east corner of the empire, at the approximate location 40°N 69°E, essentially the same location as Istaravshan.

The accompanying 1923 map of gives the location of the ancient city of Cyropolis as being a very close approximation to that of modern day Istaravshan.

Istaravshan on stamps

• 
  Stamps of Tajikistan, 2002
• 
  Stamps of Tajikistan, 2002
• 
  Stamps of Tajikistan, 2002
• 
  Stamps of Tajikistan, 2002

See also

• Osrūshana

External links

• Official web site
• Istaravshan RISOL Internet Learning Center
• Istaravshan IREX
• OpenStreetMap