Travel Guide Ishkashim

There is only one border crossing with Afghanistan's neighbours in Ishkashim: a small remote village where inactive men walk along the beautiful main street lined with a double row of high poplars or find themselves in the square to talk or daydream, without activity since the bridge between Afghanistan and Tajikistan was closed, and with it the Afghan market which concentrated most of the local activity. Tourists can theoretically cross the border if all visas are in order, but it may be prudent to check the information in Khorog with the Afghan consulate, as things change quickly.In Kaarkha Kala, Iamtchoun, Ratm, there are the ruins of the citadels that controlled one of the main silk roads, the one that once connected the Bukhara khanate, the Afghan valleys and China. For 2000 years, invaders, traders, adventurers, spies or missionaries have crossed paths there. On his way to Kashgar, Marco Polo followed her and marvelled at the richness of the "Balacian" mountains, full of precious stones.Even today, as in the days of the Chinese pilgrim or the famous Venetian, this seemingly sleepy route has remained the obligatory passage for all kinds of businesses. During the Kushan era, commercial caravans, which came from Afghanistan and headed south and into the Wakhan Valley, crossed the Pyanj River at Dorkicht, where there was a caravanserai surrounded by fortified walls and turrets.