Termez

An ancient city on the Amu Darya, with the Kushan-era Buddhist monasteries of Fayaz Tepe and Kara Tepe, the mausoleum of the Islamic sage al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, and the Sultan Saodat ensemble.

Termez (Uzbek: Termiz) is Uzbekistan's southernmost city and the capital of Surxondaryo Region. It lies on the north bank of the Amu Darya, with Afghanistan just across the river, linked to Mazar-i-Sharif by the Friendship Bridge. This was an ancient river crossing on the Silk Road: during the Kushan Empire in the 1st–3rd centuries AD, Termez was one of Central Asia's most important Buddhist centers. The kingdom of “Tami” described in Xuanzang's Great Tang Records on the Western Regions refers to this place, with “more than ten monasteries and over a thousand monks.” In the Islamic era it produced the Sufi sage al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi and the hadith scholar Imam al-Tirmidhi, and it remains an important pilgrimage site today. Sightseeing falls into three areas: around the site of Old Termez northwest of the city, with the Fayaz Tepe monastery, the Kara Tepe cave monastery, the Mausoleum of al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi and the Zurmala Stupa; the northeastern outskirts, with the Sultan Saodat ensemble, Kirk Kiz fortress and the Kokildor Ota khanqah; and the Archaeological Museum in the city center, best visited first. Beyond the city, you can hire a car to Kampir Tepe, the Jarkurgan Minaret and the Mausoleum of Imam al-Tirmidhi in Sherobod (about 50 km). The climate is typically continental and arid, with summer temperatures in Jul–Aug often topping 45°C; the best seasons are Mar–May and Oct–Nov. Getting there: Termez Airport has flights to Tashkent (about 1.5 hours), and there are overnight and regular trains from Tashkent and Samarkand (about 7–8 hours from Samarkand). Taxis are the main way to get around town, and Yandex Go works here. Some Buddhist sites lie within the border control zone, and access changes often, so it's best to hire a car through a local travel agency and confirm permits in advance; don't photograph border facilities. Plan to stay 1–2 days.

Top sights

• Fayaz Tepe – The ruins of a Buddhist monastery from the Kushan period (1st–3rd centuries CE), with its mud-brick stupa and monastic courtyards well pres…
• Al-Hakim at-Termizi Memorial Complex – The mausoleum complex of Hakim at-Termizi, a 9th-century Sufi sage, and Termez's most important pilgrimage site, known for its exquisite ca…
• Sultan Saodat Complex – The burial grounds of the Sayyid (sacred lineage) family, who ruled Termez for centuries, spanning the 10th to 17th centuries. Two rows of…
• Termez Archaeological Museum – Uzbekistan's only museum dedicated to archaeology, displaying finds from the Surkhan Darya region, from the Stone Age through the Islamic p…
• Kara Tepe – A cluster of Kushan-era Buddhist cave monasteries on a hill at the northwest corner of Old Termez, combining ground-level temples with rock…
• Kyrk Kyz Fortress – A square mud-brick fortress from the Samanid period, whose name means 'Forty Maidens'; its vaulted interior and domed chambers remain impre…
• Zurmala Stupa – The mud-brick remains of a Kushan-era stupa from roughly the 1st to 2nd century CE, about 13 m tall, among the oldest surviving above-groun…
• Old Termez – The ancient city site of Termez on the bank of the Amu Darya, with extensive earthen ramparts; it was an important river crossing from the…
• Kokildor Ota Khanaqah – A 16th-century Sufi monastery from the Bukhara Khanate period, with a broad domed central hall and a tall pointed-arch portal, both well pr…
• Imam at-Termizi Memorial Complex – The mausoleum of the hadith scholar Imam Abu Isa at-Termizi, expanded in recent years into a large pilgrimage complex about 50 km northwest…
• Jarkurgan Minaret – A brick minaret built in 1108–1109 in the Seljuk period, its shaft formed from 16 bundled half-columns, a form unique in Central Asia.
• Kampyr Tepe – A Hellenistic-Kushan fortress site on a high bank of the Amu Darya, traditionally identified with the Alexandria founded by Alexander the G…
• Ayrtam Buddhist Monastery – A Kushan-period Buddhist monastery site on the Amu Darya about 15 km east of Termez, famous for the musician friezes unearthed there.

Where to eat

• Azizbek Restaurant – Termez's top-rated grill on Tripadvisor, with outdoor seating for lamb skewers and minced meat kebabs served with cold…
• Farhod Restaurant – A traditional Uzbek restaurant on Alisher Navoiy Avenue, known for national dishes and grilled skewers, with private ro…