Ancient Khuttal

Photo by Walter.

Ancient Khuttal is part of the Tentative list of Tajikistan in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.

Ancient Khuttal comprises the remains of a medieval kingdom at a crossroads in Central Asia. Thanks to its position, Khuttal saw influences from different cultures. It was ruled by Turks, Arabs and Mongols, but also embraced Buddhism. The included components are sites from different periods, ranging from the Ajinatepa Buddhist monastery (ca. 7th century) to the Tohir Caravansarai (12th century).

Community Perspective: The only reviewers so far visited Hulbuk Palace and were not impressed because of the full reconstruction of large parts of the complex.

Map of Ancient Khuttal

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The coordinates shown for all tentative sites were produced as a community effort. They are not official and may change on inscription.

Community Reviews

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Szucs Tamas

Hungary - 06-May-24 -

Ancient Khuttal (T) by Szucs Tamas

Hulbuk (khulbuk) has reappeared on the tentative list, and could - in principle - be incscribed in 2025. It must be said in advance that if this will be the case, it will only be due to some kind of international lobbying, and not to its own merits. (After the Tugay Forest, of course, I wouldn't be surprised - it's no less a weak nomination.) The castle walls have been totally rebuilt from the outside - in all likelihood, the reconstruction is more imaginative than scientific. When we visited the area - in the summer of 2023 - landscaping was well underway in the former lower town, but it was not restoration, but rather covering everything with paving blocks and planting trees between them. What is valuable and original has been moved to a small museum opposite the site. The museum is free of charge and, as is the Tajik custom, shoes must be removed when entering. There are some nice carvings and interesting artefacts,. It's not very big, you can walk around in about 20 minutes. The guard at the museum has the key to the castle itself (it's locked, by the way). Once inside the walls, it turns out that there is practically nothing inside. Reconstruction hasn't even started, but so little of the interior remains that even if there is a reconstruction it will be in no way authentic, so I don't know which is better, to leave it as it is or build a Tajik Disneyland instead.


Walter

Switzerland - 24-Aug-19 -

Ancient Khuttal (T) by Walter

Hulbuk is a medieval town on Southern Tadjikistan, in the village of Kurban Shaid (Pingan on google map, near Vose). It lies next to the main road from Dushanbe to Kulab (and from there to the Pamir highway).

It is on the TL as “Palace of the Governor”, but appears for to be for examination in 2020 (although incomplete) as ”medieval town”. It also appears on “Silk Roads in Tadjikistan” project, sometimes written Khulbuk, sometimes Hulbuk.

Hulbuk was the capital of the Banijuridsm, Turco-Iranian dynasty reigning ca 847 to 963, vassals of the Samanids (who ruled Samarcande) and their successors, until its destruction, probably by the Mongols.

The site consists of a citadel, which measures 170 x 60 meters, and a lower city to the north and east of the citadel. Early excavations, started in 1953, concentrate on the citadel, and the lower town has only recently been looked at.

The striking figure of this site are the walls of the citadel which have been rebuilt to their idealized size and style from 2005 on, completely surrounding the ruins. 12 meters high, with round towers and a monumental entrance portal, they do look what they are, a modern Disneyland-like reconstruction.

I briefly looked to the exterior of the site while on a tour group of the Pamir Highway. Our group leader told me that they used to include a visit to Hulbuk on their tour, but that the walls look so unauthentic that participant wanted to leave the place very quickly. I must agree with them.

So does Hulbuk stands a chance for nomination. The modern walls destroy the authenticity and integrity of the propriety, but it seems an important project for Tadjik president who used to be governor of this region. So politics might play an important role in this nomination.


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Full Name
Ancient Khuttal
Country
Tajikistan
Added
2023
Nominated for
2025
Type
Cultural
Categories
Archaeological site - Near Eastern
Link
By ID
2023 Revision

Successor to TWHS "Khulbuk – the capital of ancient Khuttal" (1999-2023)

2023 Incomplete - not examined

2023 Added to Tentative List

2021 Revision

Successor to "Palace of the Governor of Khulbuk" (1999)

2021 Incomplete - not examined

2020 Incomplete - not examined

As: Medieval Town of Khulbuk

Unesco Website: Ancient Khuttal

The site has 11 locations

Ancient Khuttal: Ajinatepa Buddhist monastery (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Kalai Hulbuk (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Shahristoni Hulbuk (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Manzaratepa (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Zoli Zard (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Makbarai Mavlono Tojiddin (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Halevard (Kofirkala) (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Shahristoni Zoli Zar (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Tohir Caravansarai (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Shahrtepa (T)
Ancient Khuttal: Khishttepa Buddhist temple (T)
WHS 1997-2025