Termez

The far south of Uzbekistan on the Amu Darya: Buddhist monasteries of the Kushan era, a revered Sufi shrine and a museum that ties it all together.

1–2 days
About an hour and a half by air from Tashkent, or an overnight train of about 14 hours
Starting point for the Baysun mountains

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About Termez

Termez is the southernmost city of Uzbekistan and the capital of the Surkhandarya region, home to about 180,000 people. The modern town is green and unhurried, and its old sites lie around it along the Amu Darya: the Buddhist hills and Old Termez to the west, medieval monuments to the north-east. This is the warmest corner of the country, so spring comes early and summer evenings are spent outdoors.

The story in brief: in the first centuries AD, under the Kushans, Termez was one of the great Buddhist centres of Central Asia, with monasteries and stupas on the Amu Darya. Islam came in the late 7th century, and Termez gave the Muslim world famous scholars, among them the Sufi Al-Hakim at-Termezi. Genghis Khan’s army destroyed the old city in 1220, and Termez was rebuilt further from the river. In 2002 the city celebrated its 2,500th anniversary and opened its archaeological museum.

History in brief

1st–4th c.Under the Kushans, Buddhist monasteries rise at Kara Tepe and Fayaz Tepe, and the Zurmala stupa is built.
7th c.The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang passes through and counts about ten monasteries with some thousand monks.
Late 7th c.Termez becomes part of the Islamic world.
9th c.The Sufi scholar Al-Hakim at-Termezi lives and teaches here; his tomb becomes a place of pilgrimage.
10th c.The first domed mausoleums of Sultan Saodat are built, and the Kirk-Kiz building dates from about this time.
1220Genghis Khan’s army takes the city; Termez is later rebuilt away from the river.
2002The city marks its 2,500th anniversary and opens the Archaeological Museum.

What to see

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Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

1Fayaz Tepe
A Buddhist monastery of the 1st–3rd centuries AD west of the town: a temple, monks’ cells around a courtyard and a stupa. The original stupa now stands under a new protective dome, and you see it through a glass window. Come early in the morning, before the heat.

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2Kara Tepe
A Buddhist cave monastery on the hills of Old Termez, used from the 1st to the 4th centuries: sanctuaries cut into the hillside, courtyards and stupas. Uzbek and Japanese archaeologists have worked here for decades. Ask us about access when we plan the day.
3Al-Hakim at-Termezi complex
The mausoleum of the 9th-century Sufi scholar known here as Termez-ota, “the father of Termez”, on the edge of Old Termez. Look for the carved marble tombstone and the old carved decoration inside. It is a working shrine: dress modestly and come in the morning or late afternoon.
4Zurmala stupa
One of the oldest buildings in Uzbekistan: a Kushan stupa of the 1st–2nd centuries AD, still about 13 metres tall, built of sun-dried brick. It was the first Buddhist building identified in Central Asia. Best in the low light of late afternoon.
5Archaeological Museum
Opened in 2002 for the city’s 2,500th anniversary, it is the best place to start: Bactrian and Kushan sculpture, finds from the Buddhist monasteries, coins, wall paintings and scale models of the main sites. An hour here makes the ruins outside much easier to read.
6Kirk-Kiz
A square mud-brick building of the 9th–10th centuries, about 54 metres on each side, with towers at the corners. Its name means “forty girls”, after a legend of a princess and her forty companions who defended it. Scholars still debate whether it was a palace, a caravanserai or a Sufi lodge.
7Sultan Saodat
The family necropolis of the Termez sayyids, built up from the 10th to the 17th centuries: domed mausoleums, iwans and a mosque along one long passage. The two oldest mausoleums are from the 10th century. A quiet place for a walk among brick domes.

Photos: Fayaz Tepe Buddhist site, Termez — Prof. Mortel / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0; Kara Tepe Buddhist site, Termez — Marat Nadjibaev / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0; Al-Hakim at-Termezi mausoleum, Termez — 4pf3154f7 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0; Archaeological Museum, Termez — Jonibek Qo'zimurodov / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0; Kirk-Kiz fortress, Termez — Marat Nadjibaev / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Neighbourhoods

Old Termez The archaeological zone west of the town by the Amu Darya: the ruins of the old city, Kara Tepe, Fayaz Tepe and the Al-Hakim at-Termezi complex, all close together.
City centre The modern town with the Archaeological Museum on At-Termiziy street, hotels and cafés: the base for your stay.
North-east of the centre Kirk-Kiz, Sultan Saodat and the Kokildor-ota khanaka lie a few kilometres from the centre: an easy half-day together with the museum.

What to eat

Tandir meat Lamb slow-cooked in a clay tandir oven, a favourite across the south of Uzbekistan. Ask for it at lunch in a local .
Every region cooks it its own way, and here, as everywhere, it is a lunchtime dish, best where it is cooked in a big kazan.
Southern fruit Termez has the warmest climate in the country: in season look for melons, grapes and pomegranates at the market.

Getting around

Termez has no metro or tram; taxis are easy to find, and your hotel can call one. The sights are spread out: Old Termez with Fayaz Tepe and Kara Tepe is west of the town, Kirk-Kiz and Sultan Saodat a few kilometres north-east of the centre. A car with a driver for a day is the simplest way to see them all.

Local tips

Come in spring or autumn: Termez summers are the hottest in Uzbekistan.
Start at the museum: its models and finds make the ruins easy to understand.
At the Al-Hakim at-Termezi complex and Sultan Saodat, cover shoulders and knees; women may want a scarf.
Bring a hat and water to Fayaz Tepe and Kara Tepe: there is little shade on the hills.
Termez is the start of our Baysun expedition: a few days in the mountains make a fine second half to the trip.

Our take: how many days you need

Two days work well: one for Old Termez with Fayaz Tepe, Kara Tepe and the Al-Hakim at-Termezi complex, one for the museum, Zurmala, Kirk-Kiz and Sultan Saodat. Our 6-day Baysun expedition starts and ends in Termez.

When to go: month by month

Daytime temperature, rainfall, public holidays and our rating for every month.

Jan6° Cool, fewer people Cold: 6° by day 32 mm of rain ★ 1, 14
Feb8.6° Cool, fewer people Cold: 8.6° by day 41 mm of rain
Mar15.5° Great Cool: 15.5° by day 47 mm of rain ★ 8, 21
Apr22.5° Great Comfortable: 22.5° by day 42 mm of rain
May28.7° Great Comfortable: 28.7° by day 26 mm of rain ★ 9
Jun34.1° Good Hot: 34.1° by day 8 mm of rain
Jul35.9° Hard Hot: 35.9° by day 2 mm of rain
Aug34.5° Hard Hot: 34.5° by day 2 mm of rain
Sep29° Great Comfortable: 29° by day 3 mm of rain ★ 1
Oct21.9° Great Comfortable: 21.9° by day 12 mm of rain ★ 1
Nov13.4° Great Cool: 13.4° by day 30 mm of rain
Dec7.5° Cool, fewer people Cold: 7.5° by day 31 mm of rain ★ 8

1 Jan — New Year
14 Jan — Defenders of the Motherland Day
8 Mar — International Women’s Day
21 Mar — Navruz
9 May — Day of Remembrance and Honour
1 Sep — Independence Day
1 Oct — Teachers’ Day
8 Dec — Constitution Day
Ramadan Hayit (Eid al-Fitr): the date changes every year
Kurban Hayit (Eid al-Adha): the date changes every year

Climate source: Википедия, статья «Samarkand», таблица климата (нормы 1991–2020; Pogoda.ru.net, NOAA) — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samarkand; Википедия, статья «Bukhara», таблица климата (нормы 1991–2020; NOAA) — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukhara; Википедия, статья «Urgench» (метеостанция в 35 км от Хивы; нормы 1991–2020; Pogoda.ru.net, NOAA) — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urgench; Википедия, статья «Tashkent», таблица климата (нормы 1991–2020; Pogoda.ru.net, NOAA) — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tashkent

Rating by daytime temperature: great — 18–30°, good — 12–18° or 30–33°, cool, fewer people — below 12°, hard — above 33°; heavy rain (100 mm and more) lowers great to good. For the cities we also follow our expert: the season is March–June and September–November, with March and November the best months (start and end of the season, few people); winter is not marked as a bad time.

Termez: questions before the trip

How many days do I need in Termez?

1–2 days

How do I get to Termez?

About an hour and a half by air from Tashkent, or an overnight train of about 14 hours More in the article: Uzbekistan tours from Australia: flights, entry, seasons and how many days

When is the best time to go to Termez?

Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the most comfortable; summer days are hot. More in the article: Uzbekistan in April: spring weather, long days and tips

What can I add nearby?

Starting point for the Baysun mountains