Isfara

Isfara (Исфара ; Исфара) is a city in Sughd Region in northern Tajikistan, situated on the border with Kyrgyzstan. The city was the seat of the former Isfara District.

There are currently territorial disputes between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan over the area of Isfara Valley.

History
The first author who mentions Esfara as a town, is Bābor. He praised the orchards and fruits of Isfara, especially its almonds. The 16th century saw the construction of large public buildings, notably mosques and medreseh. In the 18th century Isfara was the seat of the Khan of Ḵoqand whose wars with Bokhara resulted in the destruction of some historical monuments.

Around 20 km south, in the village of Chorku, the mausoleum Hazrati Shoh Mausoleum, is carved from wood, partly dating back to the 8th century, a structure that is unique in Central Asia.

Demographics
The population of Isfara is mostly Tajik.

Geography
Isfara is situated near the border junction of three independent states Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, at a height of 863m above sea level. The river Isfara flows through the city. Its territory is 832 km2.

Climate
Typical for lowland Tajikistan, Isfara has a continental Mediterranean climate (Köppen Dsa) with hot, dry summers, chilly winters with significant precipitation, and pleasant springs with the year’s heaviest precipitation. The average temperature is 11.8 °C with the warmest month being July with an average temperature of 25 °C and the coldest month being January with an average temperature of &minus;2.7 °C. The average annual precipitation is 544.6 mm and there are on average 74.3 days of precipitation.

Subdivisions
Before ca. 2018, Isfara was the seat of Isfara District, which covered the same area as the present city of Isfara. The city of Isfara covers Isfara proper, three towns and nine jamoats. These are as follows:

Economy
Some 20 industrial companies in Isfara produce electrical equipment, chemical and metallurgical products, construction materials, food products and others.

Isfara is famous for its apricot orchards.