Termez

The modern name of the city came through the Sogdian Tarmiδ dating back to Old Iranian tara-maiθa , which means "a place of transition" (tara-crossing, crossing; maiθa-place). In ancient times there was an important crossing on the Amu Darya river.

Some link the name of the city to Greek thermos "hot", tracing its name back to Alexander the Great.[1] Others suggest that it came from Sanskrit taramato , meaning "on the river bank".[2]

• Termez Archaeological Museum opened in 2002 to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of Termez.[5] It exhibits archaeological finds and other historic artefacts from sites across Surxondaryo Region. The modern building has a turquoise domed roof and an attractively tiled facade. It is one of the largest and best museums in Uzbekistan.[6] There are around 27,000 items in the collection.[5]

Much of the museum’s collection focuses on Termez’s Buddhist history, in particular the Graeco-Bactrian and Kushan eras. There are scale models of archeological sites including Kampir Tepe, Fayaz Tepe, and Khalchayan; and magnificent wall paintings and sculptures, as well as coins, ceramics, and even ancient chess sets.[7]

• Kyr Kyz (The 40 Girls Fortress) takes its name from a Central Asian legend about a princess and her 40 companions who defended their land against invaders.[8] Although this monument is called a fortress, archeologists believe it was actually either a caravanserai or a summer palace.[6] It was built during the 9th century in the Samanid period. Although it is now in ruins, it is still possible to see the 54m long mud brick walls, which in places are two storeys high. One section has been restored so you are able to compare the old and the new.[6]
• The Al Hakim At-Termizi architectural complex dates from the 10th to 15th centuries. It is centred on the mud brick mausoleum of Al Hakim At-Termizi, a Sufi saint, jurist, and writer who died in Termez in 859. The site was expanded and improved at the instigation of Timur’s son, Shah Rukh, in the 15th century.[6]
• The Sultan Saodat architectural ensemble developed in stages between the 10th and 17th centuries. It was the family necropolis of the Termez Sayyids, a politically and religiously influential local dynasty which claimed descent from Ali. There are approximately 120 graves in the complex, as well as a number of religious buildings. The mortar holding the mud bricks together is an unusual  mixture of clay, egg yolk, camels’ blood, and milk. There are pre-Islamic decorative symbols on some of the buildings, including a Zorastrian star motif which represents infinity and fertility.
• The Kokil Dara Khanagha was built by Abdullah Khan II of Bukhara in the 16th century. The building was created as a resting place for itinerant Sufi dervishes and other holy men. It has cultural links with various buildings in Afghanistan, including the styling of the vaulted ceiling. There is no central courtyard as this order of Sufis didn’t whirl, but instead focused on quiet, solitary meditation.[6]
• Kara Tepe is a rock cut Buddhist temple complex founded in the 2nd century AD on the hills outside Termez. It is right on the Uzbek-Afghan border, and so a permit is required to visit.[6] The site includes cave cells (which were used as burial sites once the temple was abandoned in the 4th century), a series of brick buildings, and small stupas. It is similar in design to other Buddhist temples built in Gandhara.[9]
• Fayaz Tepe is a Buddhist monastery, most of which dates from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. The main stupa (which is now encased in a protective dome) could be much older.[6] Fayaz Tepe was a regionally important site, attracting Buddhist scholars from along the Silk Road, as is evidenced by pottery finds inscribed with Brahmi, Punjabi, Kharosthi, and Bactrian scripts.[6] The Buddhist frescoes excavated here are now on display in the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan  in Tashkent.[10]
• The Zurmala Tower is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Uzbekistan, dating from the 1st to 2nd centuries AD. Its brick structure is 16m high and is the only remaining part of a vast Buddhist stupa which would have been originally clad in stone and richly decorated.[6]
• Kampir Tepe was a substantial city built on the Amu Darya river by Alexander the Great. Known as Alexandria on the Oxus, the city had an important harbour with a lighthouse, as well as a citadel, temples, and a gateway that is a replica of one found in Pamphylia in Turkey. The site is still being excavated by archeologists but is open to the public.

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  Greco-Buddhist frieze showing musicians, in the style of Gandhara.
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  The Buddha and attendants (original in the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, Tashkent).
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  Capital with Classical Garland bearers, 100-200 CE.
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  Saka warrior from the site of Khalchayan. Art of the Yuezhi.

The river Amu Darya divides the two countries of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan and the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge crosses the river to Hairatan in Afghanistan. Termez is also served by Termez Airport, with flights to Tashkent and Moscow. Termez is connected with Uzbek Railways to other cities of the countries and Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. Tashkent-Termez (No: 379) and Termez-Tashkent (No: 380) train runs every day.[11] Also Dushanbe-Kanibadam (No: 367) and Kanibadam-Dushanbe (No: 368) trains passes from Termez.

The officially registered population of Termez in 2005 was 140,404. Uzbeks and Tajiks are the largest ethnic groups.

Termez has a cold desert climate (BWk) with very hot, long summers and short, cool winters.

• Its most famous native son is Al-Tirmidhi, born in its suburb Bugh and buried 60 kilometers north of Termez, on the outskirts of Sherobod, Uzbekistan. He is one of the six canonical hadith collectors of Sunni Islam. He is locally known as Abu Isa At Termezi.
• Hakim-at-Termizi, one of the famous Sufi theologians, is buried in old Termez which is in the suburbs of modern Termez. He is also known as Termez Ota (a patron saint of Termez).
• Sayyid Ali Akbar was an Islamic saint, the son of the eleventh Shia Imam, Hasan al-Askari and the brother of the twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi. Sayyid Ali Akbar is Sultan Saadat (Sodot) who died in Termez. His burial place is located in the main mausoleum Sultan Saodat memorial complex in Termez.
• Adib Sabir Persian poet 12th-century.
• Said Baraka was from old Termez. He was a philosopher, war strategist and religious nobleman, and Amir Temur's teacher.
• Ali Termezi known as " Pir Baba " was a Tajik born in Termez, (1502–1583 CE), his mausoleum is in a village named Pir Baba after him in Buner District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
• Valery Khalilov (1952–2016) was born in Termez. He was a Russian general and a composer.

Stallholders in Termez Market

• Kyrk-Kyz Fortress (out-of-town Palace Country Estate) (9th–14th centuries)
• Palace of Termez rulers (11th–12th centuries)
• Architectural Complex of Al Hakim At-Termizi (10th–15th centuries)
• Architectural Ensemble Sultan Saodat (10th–18th centuries)
• Kokildora Khanaka (16th century)
• Kara Tepe Buddhist Monastery (2nd–4th centuries)
• Fayaz-Tepe Buddhist Monastery (1st–3rd centuries)
• Zurmala Tower (1st–2nd century AD)
• Abu Isa At-Tirmidhi Mausoleum (9th century AD), in the suburb of Sherobod, 60 kilometers north of Termez.
• Zul Kifl Mausoleum in the island Aral-Paygambar on the Amu Darya river. It is not possible to access it at the moment since it is in the military zone and the restricted nature reserve.

Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge

For many years after the Second World War the 108th Motor Rifle Division, the former 360th Rifle Division, was based in the town.

During the war in Afghanistan (1979–1989) over 100,000 Soviet troops were based in Termez. The airbase is currently the main support base for German and Dutch forces operating with the ISAF in Afghanistan.

• List of cities in Uzbekistan
• List of cities founded by Alexander the Great

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Termez.

• Archaeological Museum Termez (Uzbek, Russian, English)
• Termez Photos
• History of ancient Termez
• Karvon Saroy travel to Uzbekistan
• Travel tips to visit Termez
• local information, guide and interpreter in Termez