Travel Guide Karchi

Research into the actual age of the city of Karchi continues. Some estimate it to be more than 7,000 years old, but the most reliable evidence dates back only to the 11th century B.C. Karchi was then called Erkurgan - from its Greek name Atapa Kcenepa - and was located about ten kilometers from the present city. Some traces of Erkurgan's walls are still visible, but for an interesting visit, it is better to go with a specialist. During the 6th century AD, the city was destroyed by the Turkish invaders, but almost immediately rebuilt 3 km away. It then took the name of Nakhchib, under the Sogdians, then Nassav under the Arabs. Seven centuries later, it was razed again by the troops of Genghis Khan and it is only at the end of the XIVth century that Karchi finally appeared, 8 km from Nassav. Literally, its name means "palace" in Mongolian. It was named after the palace built in 1320 by the Jagatai. When Tamerlane stayed there in 1364, he built a fortified citadel which proved to be very useful during the repeated attacks of the Chaybanids in the 16th century, but did not prevent Karchi from falling under the sway of the Bukhara Khanate. At that time, Karchi grew considerably and in the 18th century it became the second most important city of the khanate. In the 19th century, this thousand-year-old city, which was an important stage on the Silk Road, was transformed by the Russians into an unknown town which served as a granary for the whole region. Around Karchi, one discovers today an essentially agricultural region, dedicated to the culture of cotton and cereals.