EXPLORING THE CASTLES OF JIZZAKH

Uzbekistan, particularly the Jizzakh Region, has some beautiful and varied countryside. You might be surprised to hear that it also has some impressive castles and fortresses. In Europe we think our history is full of castles, princesses and knights, especially during the middle ages. It is little known that many of these old legends originate from central Asia. Folktales and fairy tales have indo-european and central Asian origins that even go back five thousand years. The European medieval princess with her pointed hat, for example, had central Asian origins.

Many people know the famous tourist sites of Samarkand, Khiva, and Bukhara, but impressive as they are, Uzbekistan has so much more than this and the lesser known Jizzakh region is worth exploring for its rich history and culture.

Jizzakh is located south east of Samarkand and north west of Tajikistan and was an important stop on the great Silk Route. The Jizzakh region includes several national parks, including Zammin, the ‘Switzerland’ of Uzbekistan. With its alpine meadows, bright red tulips, snow white acacias, hazelnut, birch, and fir trees, you can find Uzbekistan’s famous black storks in the Guralashsoy gorge. The region has over 370 cultural sites and also boasts the ‘iron gates’ of Timur and its intriguing fortifications dating back from the Silk Route days. There are also various yurt camps, Sanatoriums, and hotels, that join the rivers, lakes, forests, deserts, hills, valleys, and mountains, found in the region.

MYK FORTRESS

In the Zaamin district of the picturesque canyon Chortagna, in the headwaters of the Yettikachi river, sit the ruins of the ancient fortress of Myk. The ruins are at an altitude of about 2000m and consist of four locations called Myk I, II, III and IV.

It is listed as a Zoroastrian castle, though its various transitions and rebuilding continued through to Islamic times. The government of the region was historically run by a handful of aristocrats before Islam. The leader of these aristocrats was the ruler of Utrushana who bore the title of ‘Afshin’, or grand prince. The Afshin ruled with absolute power in the country, and he was deified even after the introduction of Islam.
The capital of Utrushana was Bundzhikat in what is now the ruins of the village of Shakristan (Tajikistan). Zaamin was the second largest city in Utrushana, after Bundzhikat. However, Zaamin was older and located directly on the Silk Route. Starting in the 10th century, the road through Zaamin became increasingly important. In the middle ages the region developed an important iron mining and smelting industry. The importance of steel and iron required the control and protection of the Afshins of Utrushana. This is what drove the importance of the fortress and political centre of Myk Fortress as it enabled the authorities to monitor and control the iron and steel production.

Myk is located 43 km south of the city of Zaamin, formed by the widening of the gorge by two lateral tributaries of the Myksava river. The history of Myk castle spans 500 years and consists of two castles of different periods, upper Myk 1 and lower Myk 2 and the industrial and residential settlement Myk 3. North of the ruins, until the mid 1930s, there was the village of Myk. Medieval ceramics and iron slag were also found in the village the on the left bank opposite the Ettykechusai river. A gold coin of the Korezmshah Muhammad period (1200 – 1220) was also found.

Myk 1 appears to be the ruins of a castle from the seventh to the eighth centuries. It is located at the top of a rocky cliff at an altitude of 80 metres. It is built into the natural terrain creating a powerful stronghold that overlooked the entire surrounding territory. The fortress is made of pakhsa blocks further built on with the rectangular bricks. It has three main towers with the further remaining fourth tower. There is a residential tower or dungeon at the southern end of the structure.

In 714, during the first Arab invasion of Utrushana, Myk 1 was looted, burned, and almost completely destroyed. Only a small part of Myk 1 castle remains.

The dungeon consists of barracks, the main hall, and a cult, or religious, room. The walls were decorated with murals of red blue black and yellow painted murals, which are now found in the rubble on the floor. The cult room features two black triangles on a white background. A neighboring room held an altar which held a sacred fire that was constantly burning. Columns, a truncated pyramid, a further altar, and further features are also found in the ruins. Bird and animal bones were also found in the ash pit beneath the altar.
Myk 3 is located in the production village with metallurgical furnaces and archaeological layers up to three feet deep with iron slags. The entrance to the village and the Myk valley is blocked by a watch tower 7 km north of the castle. Today, only the foundations remain.

Restoration of the Myk castle began in the 9th century, according to the ‘history of prophets and kings’ written by at-Tabari. It was at this time the stone castle Myk 2 was built. It is located 50 m below Myk 1 directly above the village of Myk 3. Myk 2 was built in a square shape with the corners oriented to the cardinal points of the compass. Partly built into the cliff, the ‘Barbican’ still stands. There are towers, both inside and outside the walls, which are largely preserved.

The castle was built in the style of the Korusan empire, widely found in the middle East at this time. It was especially popular during the construction of the city of Samara, the new capital of the caliphate around this time. Other castles in central Asia can’t compare to the construction of Myk 2, being built by builders from transcaucasia. The build quality was excellent. After being repaired several times, Myk 2 was captured and destroyed between 1028 – 1035 during a siege. Many ceramics, iron instruments, weapons, and copper pieces, remained buried in the ruins afterwards. Some jewellery, glasses, an inkwell, and musical instruments were also found. A large treasure of silver-plated coins was found, wrapped in linen. 1,300 coins were found, but it seems the treasure was much bigger. The Foundation of this wealth was undoubtedly the mining and processing of iron, especially in Myk 3. Iron mining and processing continued in Myk 3 village long after fall of the castle.

The final sudden destruction of the fortress in the middle of the 12th century was due to the Karakhita invasion of Transoxiana. Near to Myk, in 1141, a famous battle occurred between army’s led by Sultan Sanjar and the hordes of Karakhiai. Sanjar’s army was thoroughly beaten. Castles and battles featured heavily in central Asia just as in Europe during the middle ages.

Castles and fortresses, kings and sultans, were part and parcel of life in middle ages central Asia. Myk fortress is no different. Tolkien’s ‘middle earth’ is based on Viking legends of Iceland, which in turn came from their Viking/Scythian origins in central Asia, but that’s a subject for another article. As Central Asia opens up, beautiful Uzbekistan will become better known globally together with its middle ages castles.

By Bruce Gaston