Hisor Fortress
Hisor Fortress
4
About
Hissar Fortress (3000 years old) — located 26 km from Dushanbe (West). The fortress is an open-air Museum. A number of legends from the work of A. Firdousi "Shahname"are connected with the Hissar fortress. Hissar is the capital of the province of Eastern Bukhara and was in the hands of the Governor of Emir Ibrahim Bey until 1924, when he was defeated by the red army.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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4.0
74 reviews
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32
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24
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Companion586435
12 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
The 2 fellows that picked us up and drove us to the fortress were excellent! They were kind, respectful and knowledgeable. However, that ended there. Our understanding was that we were supposed to stop in Hisor at the museum. Did not happen. We were supposed to stop at the melon tea house. Did not happen. The guide at the fortress spent about 1/2 hour with us, then took us over to the carpet shop where they tried to sell us items in the range of $50 - $800 USD. We felt really pressured to buy buy buy! After this, we really wanted to go out on our own, and then he wanted to know if we were going to pay him. A very uncomfortable situation.
Written August 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Only D
Turgen, Kazakhstan8 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Checked what they were, but really a complete waste of time and money. If you've been to epic places like Samarkand before, this fortress will disappoint you with a guarantee.
There's nothing to look at resolutely - an obscure fortress wall, just after the entrance a small alley of pavilions (now occupied by intrusive trade), an overgrown pool without water, wandering horses. Everything, actually.
You can climb the long staircase to the pantheon on the hill or to the wall - views of the three. Two more pavilions on the grounds with a separate entrance are like a museum, clunky exhibits can be seen from the entrance, didn't even go there.
All in the heat of hell even at 5 p.m. Day off, August, no one.
120c taxi on the counter from downtown Dushanbe one way.
10c entrance to the fortress.
150c taxi contracted back.
There's nothing to look at resolutely - an obscure fortress wall, just after the entrance a small alley of pavilions (now occupied by intrusive trade), an overgrown pool without water, wandering horses. Everything, actually.
You can climb the long staircase to the pantheon on the hill or to the wall - views of the three. Two more pavilions on the grounds with a separate entrance are like a museum, clunky exhibits can be seen from the entrance, didn't even go there.
All in the heat of hell even at 5 p.m. Day off, August, no one.
120c taxi on the counter from downtown Dushanbe one way.
10c entrance to the fortress.
150c taxi contracted back.
Automatically translated
Written August 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dirk W
Alexandra Headland, Australia10,147 contributions
Oct 2022
Hisor is one of the main historical sights of Tajikistan. It holds a strategic position and therefore it was attacked more than 20 times, from Cyrus The Great, Alexander The Great to the Russians. The Hissar Fortress houses the remains of the palace of the Bukhara Emirate Beghs. Its thick, baked brick walls once guarded a pool, garden and palace, and sat opposite a noisy market and caravanserai. What remains today is a portion of the wall and two monumental gate towers from the 18th century. As I saw so many times during my trip through Central Asia, the authorities confuse restoration with replication . . . What we see now is a sad concoction of both, with the majority new stuff, including a whole street of shops in the fortress.
UNESCO must be very unhappy. As am I,
UNESCO must be very unhappy. As am I,
Written November 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TAMAN1951
Liberty Lake, WA8,650 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
Ancient structure reflecting the SilkRoad. Sadly bombed by the Bolsheviks during the revolution but a-lot has been restored.
Really only one main road and a fort higher up.
Worth the time to visit.
Other historically significant buildings are in the same area.
Really only one main road and a fort higher up.
Worth the time to visit.
Other historically significant buildings are in the same area.
Written September 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
An
Moscow, Russia409 contributions
Jun 2018 • Solo
The fortress in one of the few sights, that can be interesting to tourists in Dushanbe. It is located near Dushanbe, 20 min by car. Entrance ticket is 10 TJS. Only main gates have some historical value, and original medieval materials. Other parts of the fortress are restored using modern bricks, which looks very strange. Most interesting parts of the fortress (like gardens, pools etc.) were not restored, so the place is rather dull, and not so interesting. But other sights in Dushanbe are even worse, so there is not much choice.
Written June 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ploumParis
paris105 contributions
Jun 2018 • Friends
This place is really worth a visit if you can go on a Sunday morning, which is the day weddings to to the fort to dance and pay tribute at the memorial for the fallen war victims.
This place of course cannot measure up with the marvels of Bukhara and Samarkand but it’s a nice atmospheric visit if you have the time, mostly to see the old (unrestored) city walls when you walk all the way to the end of the main access point. I liked the fact they have kids attractions and poney rides there, which gave it a “lived in” authentic feel.
Also nice that the medrasas have visibly unrestored parts and old “before” pictures.
Sadly the soviets took the top part of the caravanserail to build the old Dushanbe theater, according to our guide.
This place of course cannot measure up with the marvels of Bukhara and Samarkand but it’s a nice atmospheric visit if you have the time, mostly to see the old (unrestored) city walls when you walk all the way to the end of the main access point. I liked the fact they have kids attractions and poney rides there, which gave it a “lived in” authentic feel.
Also nice that the medrasas have visibly unrestored parts and old “before” pictures.
Sadly the soviets took the top part of the caravanserail to build the old Dushanbe theater, according to our guide.
Written June 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle A
25 contributions
Mar 2018
I will start by saying this Fortress is worth a trip - but to be honest there are more 'replica' and re-built areas than original.
Our guide was passionate about his country's history, legacy and turbulent past. The saddest thing for me to see was the way a lot of the existing 'original' archaeology was unprotected and left exposed to the elements. We were told that Tajikistan wants now to concentrate it's investment on it's future as a growing nation and not on preserving it's turbulent past. We were taken to see a portion of the 3rd century outer wall - only to be faced with a massive hole in the ground in which were signs of brickwork - this was totally unfenced and unprotected - it had litter, a broken bucket and various other bits of detritus in it. I don't think I've ever seen such a piece of historical architecture neglected this way.
To encourage more family visitors, and to raise much needed revenue, they have installed a small 'theme' park toward the outside of the original fortress walls - this was such a sad sight to see but, again, appears to be part of the future of Tajikistan.
Our guide was passionate about his country's history, legacy and turbulent past. The saddest thing for me to see was the way a lot of the existing 'original' archaeology was unprotected and left exposed to the elements. We were told that Tajikistan wants now to concentrate it's investment on it's future as a growing nation and not on preserving it's turbulent past. We were taken to see a portion of the 3rd century outer wall - only to be faced with a massive hole in the ground in which were signs of brickwork - this was totally unfenced and unprotected - it had litter, a broken bucket and various other bits of detritus in it. I don't think I've ever seen such a piece of historical architecture neglected this way.
To encourage more family visitors, and to raise much needed revenue, they have installed a small 'theme' park toward the outside of the original fortress walls - this was such a sad sight to see but, again, appears to be part of the future of Tajikistan.
Written March 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Abdul Moeed
Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan157 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
Beautiful and gorgeous place. Pakistani traveler exploring the world. Pakistani traveler in central Asia.
Written December 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary T
Buenos Aires, Argentina2,935 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
The fortress walls and gate are impressive, albeit heavily reconstructed. Once you step inside, however, you see totally new structures, having nothing to do with the original layout. They are souvenir shops built to evoke old Araby! It looks like the place is being made over into something somebody thinks is more appealing to tourists than the genuine buildings. Other people (ourselves included) feel like this will scare away the international tourist interested in the real Central Asia. Let’s hope nobody messes with the old madrasah outside the gates (not the newer one, which is empty and closed). This madrasah is partially reconstructed according to the original design. The individual rooms around the courtyard hold tiny museum displays of everyday life way back then: clothes, jewelry, furnishings, dishes, saddles, etc. We loved this place!
Written May 10, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
saronic
Zurich, Switzerland28,818 contributions
Jul 2017 • Solo
Although Tajikistan is full of mountains (Pamir), out of its capital city Dushanbe it is difficult to go for a day-trip into high altitude countryside, as it is so easily done out of Bishkek and Almaty. The best day-trip here is definitely the one to the Hisar Fortress.
First I will remember the drive with a young, very well English speaking guy, who works for the hotel I was staying. As so many I dealt with in Dushanbe, he was from Pamir, and when I asked him, why so many of these mountain people speak English, he said: 'It is such a poor area with nothing to do that we go and learn English by ourselves.' Others told me then that in this area English lessons start earlier in school. Anyway he was going at 150km/h on a motorway with more than one car driving on the wrong side. Not for the faint-hearted.
Once in Hisor I immediately saw that the enormous fortress was mainly a reconstruction. For me somewhat understandable in a country that is trying to find its past and its national identity. I took a local guide, who spoke well English and was well informed. Also I had the chance to ask several questions not immediately related to the fortress. Unlike the open-minded guides at Dushanbe's museums, here was a guide, who for my taste knew too well what was right. And the worst for him, as was soon clear to me, were the very bad Shia people of the Iranian cousins, who got it all wrong.
Besides reconstructed walls and towers there is also a Madrasa functioning as a museum with the pupil's cells containing various items like textiles or pottery.
More than in the site itself I was interested in the past. When this site was the summer residence of the Emirs of Bukhara nearby Dushanbe was nothing more than a market place for local farmers (always on 'Dushanbe', on Monday). It was the Soviets, who destroyed Hisor and made Dushanbe the new capital.
There is a cheap entrance fee of 5 TJS for the fortress and of 5 TJS for the madrasa (at the National Museum of Antiquities in Dushanbe the entrance fee is 50 TJS).
First I will remember the drive with a young, very well English speaking guy, who works for the hotel I was staying. As so many I dealt with in Dushanbe, he was from Pamir, and when I asked him, why so many of these mountain people speak English, he said: 'It is such a poor area with nothing to do that we go and learn English by ourselves.' Others told me then that in this area English lessons start earlier in school. Anyway he was going at 150km/h on a motorway with more than one car driving on the wrong side. Not for the faint-hearted.
Once in Hisor I immediately saw that the enormous fortress was mainly a reconstruction. For me somewhat understandable in a country that is trying to find its past and its national identity. I took a local guide, who spoke well English and was well informed. Also I had the chance to ask several questions not immediately related to the fortress. Unlike the open-minded guides at Dushanbe's museums, here was a guide, who for my taste knew too well what was right. And the worst for him, as was soon clear to me, were the very bad Shia people of the Iranian cousins, who got it all wrong.
Besides reconstructed walls and towers there is also a Madrasa functioning as a museum with the pupil's cells containing various items like textiles or pottery.
More than in the site itself I was interested in the past. When this site was the summer residence of the Emirs of Bukhara nearby Dushanbe was nothing more than a market place for local farmers (always on 'Dushanbe', on Monday). It was the Soviets, who destroyed Hisor and made Dushanbe the new capital.
There is a cheap entrance fee of 5 TJS for the fortress and of 5 TJS for the madrasa (at the National Museum of Antiquities in Dushanbe the entrance fee is 50 TJS).
Written July 22, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anvar Zamon
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Как добратся до этой крепости техника едет туда?
Written November 20, 2019
На своей машине нет проблем. А еще от Душанбе возят таксисты с " терминала" на выезде из города. Оттуда до Гиссара вся машина целиком стоит 30 сомони (25 км) и еще 8-9 км от Гиссара до крепости за 10 сомони. Итого 40 сомони, порядка 500 рублей за целую машину
Written November 20, 2019
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