According to legend, this citadel was built by Afrasiyab — the mythical hero of the epic Shahnameh — to defend himself against his rival Rustam. True or not, the fortress has stood on this hill for an almost unimaginably long time. It's believed to have been built around 2,500 years ago, back when caravans of the Great Silk Road passed by Hissar.
For a long period, the fortress served as the residence of the Hissar bek, the governor representing the Emir of Bukhara, and functioned as an important administrative and political centre of ancient Tajikistan. The main gate, flanked by two cylindrical watchtowers, was built on the orders of the Emir of Bukhara in the 16th century, and remains the most recognisable part of the complex to this day.
Two enormous plane trees, 500 to 700 years old, grow beside the fortress, and the site today forms part of the Hissar Historical and Cultural Reserve, which brings together the fortress, madrasas, mosques and a caravanserai. The fortress lies just 18 kilometres from Dushanbe, making it an easy day trip from the capital.
