Isfana

The word "isfana" is believed to have come from the Sogdian word "asbanikat", "asbanikent" or "aspanakent" which means "the land of horses".[3][4] According to historian Numon Negmatov, from the 1st to the 9th centuries Isfana was known as Asbanikat. From the 10th to the 12th centuries it was called Aspanikent.[5] Starting from the 12th or 13th century the town's name gradually changed to Asbani, Aspana, Asvona, Isvona and, finally, to Isfana.[3]

Since "isfana" is not a Kyrgyz word, Kyrgyz nationalists have lately been calling for renaming the town in honor of Iskhak Razzakov who served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Kyrgyz SSR.[6][7]

An artistʼs rendition of the Isfana (Asbanakent) Fortress (12th century)

The history of Isfana dates back to the 9-16th centuries.[8][9] In 1957, archeologist Y. A. Zadneprovskiy found items dating back to the 14-16th centuries in the territory of the town.[8] According to Numon Negmatov, Isfana corresponds to the medieval town of Asbanikat.[8] The town was first part of Osrushana and was later conquered by the Samanids. In 1221, Isfana was sieged and conquered by the Mongol Empire. The northwestern part of Isfana through which the Mongols invaded is still known as "Moʻgʻul bosgan" which means "conquered by the Mongols".[10]

The medieval town of Isfana was in the central part of modern Isfana. It was home to a large fortress which was built in the 12th century.[3] The last remaining walls of the Isfana Fortress were demolished in the 1970s.[11]

Throughout history, Isfana was part of states that reigned the area that more or less corresponds to present-day Uzbekistan. From 1709 until 1876, Isfana was part of the Uzbek Khanate of Kokand. In mid-19th century, the Russian Empire began occupying the area of present-day Central Asia. By the late 19th century, imperial Russia had conquered all of the three states that dominated the territory roughly corresponding to present-day Uzbekistan.[12] The Khanate of Khiva was conquered in 1873 and the Emirate of Bukhara fell in 1868. The Kokand Khanate formally became part of the Russian Empire in 1876.

Russian linguist Mirsalikh Bekchurin wrote that in 1866 there were about 500 households in Isfana.[13] However, Uzbek historian Temirboy Yoqubov disputed this claim, saying that the residents of Isfana had historically paid taxes for 1,000 households.[14] Bekchurin wrote that Isfana was protected by a 200-men garrison whose members were armed "only with lances and sabers".[13]

Even though Isfana was historically an Uzbek settlement, it became part of present-day Kyrgyzstan. When Russians split the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic into autonomous oblasts, Isfana became part of the Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast, which was later reorganized into the Kirghiz ASSR and later into the Kirghiz SSR. After the dissolution of the USSR, the Kirghiz SSR became Kyrgyzstan. Thus, despite being a majority-Uzbek settlement, Isfana became part of Kyrgyzstan.

The main bazaar of the then village of Isfana in 1990

Some sources hold that the Soviets drew borders inconsistent with the traditional locations of ethnic populations so that people with historical claims to land would be dependent on the central power, that is Moscow, making them easier to control.[15] According to these sources, the creation of individual republics was meant to reduce the threat of pan-Turkic or pan-Islamic movements in Central Asia.[16] This strategy has been referred to as Joseph Stalin's "divide and rule" policy.[16][15] Currently, there are many traditionally Uzbek settlements in Kyrgyzstan. Many people in Central Asia believe that they should more appropriately be part of another country.[15] However, some scholars claim that since during the Soviet demarcation of Central Asia many places in Central Asia were ethnically mixed, it was impossible to clearly define ethnic and territorial boundaries.[17]

Isfana underwent significant changes during the Soviet period. Under the Soviet rule, Isfana was transformed from an underdeveloped Muslim settlement into a typical Soviet village. The selsoviet (rural council) of Isfana was established in 1937. During World War II, 571 residents of the village were sent to the front line, 385 of whom died fighting.[18]

The Isfana selsoviet was transformed into a village administration in 1996. In 2001, Askar Akayev issued a presidential decree to make Isfana into a town.

Mountains of the Turkestan Range to the south of Isfana

The area of Isfana is 2.52 square kilometers (0.97 square miles).[9] The total area of Isfana and the villages that are subordinated to the town is 5.88 square kilometers (2.27 square miles).

Isfana has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk) with sharp continental influences. The city has hot summers and cold winters. The spring and fall see significant rainfall, while the summers are hot and dry. There are many dryland wheat and barley fields in the Isfana area that depend on winter snow and spring rain to produce good crops.

Summers are long in Isfana, usually lasting from May to September. Isfana can be extremely hot during the summer months. The town also sees very little precipitation during the summer, particularly from June through September.

The Uzbek Gymnasium, one of the two gymnasium schools in Isfana

Isfana has many educational institutions. There are two gymnasium schools in Isfana: Gymnasium School No. 1 and the Uzbek Gymnasium. Both of these schools accept more academically-inclined students. There is also a boarding school for children from disadvantaged families, namely Ak Chyiyr Children's Education Center.

There are six secondary schools in Isfana. While in the majority of these schools students are taught only in Uzbek, some schools have both Uzbek and Kyrgyz classes. The largest secondary schools are Alisher Navoiy, Gagarin, and Isfana secondary schools. At Alisher Navoiy Secondary School, classes are taught in Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Russian. While at Gagarin Secondary School the primary medium of instruction is Russian, the school has Kyrgyz classes as well. At Isfana Secondary School, students are taught only in Uzbek. Amir Temur and Toktogul secondary schools have only Uzbek classes as well. Issyk Kul Secondary School is the smallest school in Isfana and has both Kyrgyz and Uzbek classes.

English is taught as a foreign language at all of the schools in Isfana. However, the quality of English teaching tends to be poor. The students also learn Kyrgyz and Russian, the two official languages of Kyrgyzstan. Thus, in Isfana Uzbek schoolchildren learn four languages and Kyrgyz schoolchildren learn three languages.

There is a branch of the International Academy of Management, Law, Finance, and Business (Russian: Международная Академия управления, права, финансов и бизнеса) in Isfana. The academy has its main campus in Bishkek. Isfana is also home to Vocational School No. 48 which trains seamstresses, carpenters, electricians, and drivers.

Public transportation is very poor in Isfana. Public vans (known in Russian as marshrutkas) run through the town. Private taxi cabs can be found along the main roads. Isfana has only one bus station. Buses, minibuses, and taxi cabs run to many parts of Kyrgyzstan from the station.

A very small portion of the roads in Isfana are covered with asphalt. The roads are not well maintained and require major rehabilitation. Isfana is connected with other settlements in Kyrgyzstan through highways. The road that connects Isfana with Batken and Osh was not maintained after Kyrgyzstan became independent in the early 1990s. The country has received funding from the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Asian Development Bank to rehabilitate the road that connects Isfana with Batken and Osh.[26] The distance from Isfana to the capital Bishkek is 960 km and driving non-stop from Isfana to the capital takes about 20 hours.

A Saab 340A operated by Sky Bishkek at Isfana Airport

Isfana is served by Isfana Airport built during the Soviet period. Currently it only offers flights to Bishkek. Isfana Airport started its operations in the 1940s as a landing strip near the town. After Kalacha Airport serving Sulukta was closed, Isfana Airport started serving the residents of Sulukta as well. The current runway and terminal of Isfana Airport were built in 1974. In the late 1980s, Isfana Airport stopped its operation because of technical problems. It remained closed for twenty years. In 2007, after the terminal and the track were repaired, the airport was reopened.[27] It was temporarily closed in early 2014, but was re-opened later that year.

Isfana Airport is a regional class 3C airport. The runway has a weight limit of 22 tons and has no instrument landing facilities and operates only during daylight hours. Although Isfana Airport is near the border with Tajikistan, it has no customs and border control checks and serves flights only within Kyrgyzstan.