One of Tajikistan’s most wild and unspoilt destinations, this river valley is one of the places where the ancient Sogdian language is still spoken by a select few.
The word Yagnob (or Yaghnob) is thought to be derived from the Tajik adaptation of the Yagnobi phrase ‘ix-I nou’, meaning ‘ice valley’ or ‘ice river’. Until the Russians blasted the road through the mountains, the Yagnob Valley was almost entirely cut off from the outside world, accessible only on foot when the weather would allow. It remains one of Tajikistan’s most wild, unspoilt spots and a fascinating anthropological microcosm.
The valley’s singularity of language, traditions and landscape was first noticed by Europeans in the late 19th century, but the inhabitants of the region themselves consider their ancestral line to go back some 2,500 years into the past, to the era of the ancient Sogdiana civilisation.
At almost 3,000m above sea level, the valley houses a mere 500 people during the winter months spread among some ten small settlements, though this swells to around 3,000 in the summer. The low population is due mostly to forced resettlement of the villagers to cotton-growing regions by the Soviets in the mid 20th century. The Yagnobis’ stone houses are typically clustered in the relatively wide areas along the Yagnob River, surrounded by spectacular mountain peaks and incredible trekking trails.
Tajikistan is a paradise for nature lovers and those who spend time in the great outdoors, and this is never more true than in the Yagnob Valley. Zamin Karor (the Yagnob Wall, which translates as ‘quiet ground’) can be found in the Yagnob Valley. The dramatic cliffs can be seen for miles around and are often home to climbing competitions. There are eight distinct peaks with altitudes ranging from 3,709m to 4,767m, with western and northwestern walls providing the most complex mountaineering routes.
The valley is also home to striking petrified forests dating back to the Jurassic period, when the region was much more humid and fertile. The ferrous vines and hardened tree trunks stand up to 5m high, a reminder of the valley’s timelessness and the resilience of nature.