Termez
“Walking” Termez, or the City that gave the world great preachers.
It arose several times, died in the course of fierce battles, and again revived from the ruins in a new place, but always in the area between two rivers - the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya. That is why we used the concept of "walking" to the city, as if it was slowly moving across the territory.
According to one of the theories of the origin of the city, the first settlements on this area appeared in the 5-4 century BC. Moreover, the Bactrian king Zoroaster put the city here. However, the official science refutes this information. From ancient sources it is obvious that the settlements appeared much later in the 4-3 century BC, when the great commander Alexander the Great made a trip to these lands. At that time, he built a large Greek-Bactrian city - Alexandria Transoxiana (Ai-Khanum). Today, the ruins of this city are located in the province of Kunduz in the Afghan region, where the rivers Amudarya and Kokchi merge.
A full-fledged construction of Termez began only in the second century BC thanks to the king of Bactria, Demetrius. At first, the first name of the city was Taramastha or Taramata. Translated from the Bactrian language, this means "river crossing". This city received its first name precisely because it was geographically located not far from the crossing of the Amu Darya River.
The first century of our era for Termez was “golden”. It was during the era of the Kushan kingdom when the city reached the highest development. At this time, it received a new name Termite and the city became the administrative and religious center. The rulers of the Kushan kingdom were tolerant towards the peculiarities of various peoples, nations and religions. Therefore, in Termez, besides Zoroastrianism, existed Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. It was in Termez where the great missionaries and preachers were born who carried the teachings of the Buddha almost all over the world. The most famous of them are Ji Jiang, who preaches in China and Dharmamitra, a Buddhist monk who influenced the development of Buddhism in Tibet.
On the territory of Termez there are a large number of attractions. One of the most famous and attracting the attention of tourists is - the fortress of Kirk-Kiz - the summer residence of the Samanid emir. The fortress was built in the 9-10th century AD and it is located on the outskirts of Termez, in the village of Nauma. The name "Kirk-Kiz" is translated as "Forty Girls" and this fact could not help occurring numerous legends in which the main heroes, of course, are women.
Tourists who want to go to Termez should definitely visit: Sultan Saodat ensemble, Dalverzintepe site of ancient settlement, Djarkurgan minaret, Karatepa complex, Khakim At Termezi mausoleum, Buddhist stupa Zurmala, Termez archaeological museum and many others.
Today Termez is a modern city with cultural and educational centers and entertainment facilities.