One of the oldest cities in Central Asia, Istaravshan, is situated at the foothill of the Turkistan mountain range. This settlement is located in the northern part of Tajikistan. Currently, Istaravshan is a modern city with established economic and well-developed food and consumer goods industries. However, the city has become most famous for its fruits and wine. There is enough historical data about Istaravshan in the past. Thanks to these old documents, we know that the settlement has a rich history. Nowadays, Istaravshan has many notable landmarks under the protection of the government, and tourists are welcome to explore them. The first settlement on the site of modern Istaravshan appeared yet in the 6th century BC. That settlement had another name – Kiropol, also known as Kireskhata and Kurushada. Many scientists think that Persian king Kir was the founder of the city. When Alexander the Great invaded Central Asia he had troubles capturing Kiropol because the city had a sophisticated protection system. The conqueror had to think of a tricky plan to get the city. Although Alexander succeeded in doing that, local people resisted the Macedonian rule and were continuously trying to fight the invaders. This made Alexander the Great to destroy Istaravshan. The city rose from ashes only in the 2nd century BC. At that time, it changed its name to Utrusan. This was not a mere city but a true country with a large territory. The city of Bunjikat, the forefather of modern
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