Fortress · 9th–10th centuries
Kyrk-Kyz Fortress
A square mud-brick building with corner towers and a central courtyard on the outskirts of Termez, whose purpose is still debated and whose name recalls a legend of forty maidens.
About
Kyrk-Kyz, the forty girls, is a large square building of mud brick, a little over 50 metres on each side, with corner towers, a gateway in each facade and a central courtyard surrounded by vaulted rooms. It dates from the 9th–10th centuries, the Samanid period, when Termez was a prosperous city on the Amu Darya.
Fortress, palace or caravanserai
Despite its fortified look, scholars are not sure what the building was for. It has been interpreted as a country residence of a local ruler, a caravanserai, a khanqah where Sufis lived and taught, or a fortified estate. The regular plan, the four entrances and the arrangement of the rooms leave room for each reading, and the question remains open.
The legend
Local tradition holds that the building was the stronghold of a young woman named Gulayim and her forty companions, who defended their land against invaders. The story belongs to a wider Central Asian legend of warrior maidens, and it gave the ruin its name.
Visiting
The walls have eroded into soft, rounded shapes, but the plan is easy to read from the courtyard and the vaults survive in places. There are no facilities, and the ground is uneven. It is a short drive from Sultan Saodat, and late afternoon light suits both.
What to see
- The square plan with four gateways and corner towers
- The central courtyard and remains of vaulted rooms
- Massive mud-brick walls shaped by erosion
- The legend of Gulayim and the forty maidens
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