The most numerous of the Pamirian peoples, the Shughni are located in the western part of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. In their villages, they speak an East Iranian language that is very different from the language of the Tajik. In order to communicate with the world around them, they use the Tajik and Russian languages. Relatively little is known about the history of the Shughni. B.C. Little else is known about them until their conversion to Ismaili Islam in the eleventh century.
Most Shughni settlements consist of several extended families that share a common male ancestry.
The villages are generally situated along river deltas or river terraces. The small village, or kishlak , is designed much like a town square. All the buildings face an inner courtyard, and the external walls are connected to close off the square to the outside. The houses within the village have stone walls and wooden roofs. The roofs are supported by wooden columns, with the main column, or shastan , being decorated with carvings.