Khujand

Khujand (Tajik: ,خجند) (Greek: Alexandria Eschate (Ἀλεξάνδρεια Ἐσχάτη)), an aa transliteratit as Khudzhand, Roushie:Худжанд, umwhilie Khodjend or Khodzhent till 1936 an Leninabad (Leninobod, Ленинобод, لنین‌آباد) till 1991, is the seicont-lairgest ceety o Tajikistan. It is situatit on the Syr Darya River at the mouth o the Fergana Valley. The population o the ceety is 149,000 (2000 census), doun frae 160,000 in 1989. It is an aa the caipital of the northrenmaist province o Tajikistan, nou cawed Sughd.

 History 
Classical authors state Alexander o Macedon foondit a Greek settlement near the site o today's Khujand in 329 BC cawed the ceety o Alexandria Eschate (Ἀλεξάνδρεια Ἐσχάτη) or "Alexandria The Furthest" - modern Khujand. It woud hae formed a bastion for the Greek settlers against the Scythian tribes tae the north o the Syr Darya, which the Greeks cawed the Jaxartes River. It became a major stagin point on the northren Silk Road.

During muckle o its history Khujand like the rest o Central Asie wis ance a pairt o old Iran an its history is a pairt o the history o auld Iran. Some o the famous Persian poets an scientists come frae this ceety.

Khujand wis captured bi the Arabs in the 8t century an strangly resistit the Mongol hordes five centuries later. Timurids ruled the area includin the whole Tajikistan afore it became pairt o the Kokand Khanate. In 1866, Central Asie wis occupied bi Roushie, pushin back the borders o Kokand Khanate.

The ceety wis renamed Leninabad on October 27, 1939, an re-established on December 23, 1970. It revertit tae its original name in 1992 efter the breakup o the Soviet Union, an is nou in the republic o Tajikistan.

 References 

 Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilue 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265. Draft annotated English translation.  (See under the heading for "Northern Wuyi").

 External links 
 http://khujand.tj/  - Offeecial website o Khujand ceety Government (in Roushie)
 http://www.angelfire.com/pe/rudaki/khujand.html (In Roushie)
 http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Tajikistan/Viloyati_Leninobod/Khujand-1431593/TravelGuide-Khujand.html  (Khujand travel guide)
 http://www.greatestcities.com/Asia/Tajikistan/Khujand_formerly_Leninabad_city.html
 OpenStreetMap
 MSN Map - elevation =325m

Category:Populatit places established in the 4t century BC
Category:Khujand
Category:Populatit places in Tajikistan
Category:Populatit places alang the Silk Road