Rushon


Rushan is the capital of Rushon District.

Geography

Locally known as Vamar it is a town located in the Rushon District of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in Tajikistan on the border with Afghanistan north of Khorugh. It was known as Kala-i Vamar until 1932 and now it. It is on the Panj River just downstream from the mouth of the Bartang River at the point where the Panj briefly turns west before resuming its northerly course. There is a small museum and the ruins of a Kala-i Vamar a mediaeval era fort.

History

It is believed that the fort Vamardiž was built by local people in defence of the Chinese advancement to Pamirs. Many times Vamardiž fell to Shahs of Darwaz and Shughnan remaining under control of Shughnan until Afghans of Badakhshan took it on the last quarter of XIX century. In 1885 Russians liberated Pamiri kingdoms of Panj right bank but soon turned them into Beyli's of Turkish Manghit Bukhara where one of them resided in Vamardiž till the October Revolution. During Soviet Era Vamardiž was destroyed and the territory of fort demolished giving way to military base facilities.