"Vardoznze" settlement

Vardonze (also known as Varzonze, Vardona, or Vardanzi) is a historical monument dating from the 6th to the 19th centuries, located in the Shofirkon District of Bukhara Region, Uzbekistan. Today it is widely known as the Fortress of Vardonze. The fortress measures approximately 110 meters in length, 60–70 meters in width, and 45–50 meters in height.

Vardonze served as the residence of the rulers known as the Vardonkhudats. According to local legends, the name of the Shapurkom canal originated from the Sasanian prince Shapur, who came to Bukhara, received land from the Bukharkhudat ruler, built a palace and settlement, and established an irrigation canal.

According to the historian Narshakhi, Vardonze was a large settlement with a citadel and strong defensive walls located on the frontier of Turkestan. A large market was held there every week, attracting many merchants. Before the Arab conquest in the early 8th century, Vardonze became the capital of an independent principality, and its ruler was considered a more formidable opponent than the rulers of Bukhara.

The city remained prosperous during the 10th century. Historical sources note that before gaining power in Transoxiana, Amir Timur left some of his relatives in Vardonze. Textiles woven in Vardonze, including coverings for the Kaaba, were reportedly sent to Mecca.

Archaeological and ethnographic studies conducted by Academician Yahya Ghulamov indicate that Vardonze remained an active center of trade and craftsmanship until the late 19th century. During the 18th and early 20th centuries, it served as the administrative center of the Shofirkon district within the Emirate of Bukhara.

In the late 19th century, severe sandstorms caused significant damage to the settlement. Nevertheless, Vardonze retained its role as a commercial and handicraft center until the beginning of the 20th century. After the fall of the Emirate of Bukhara, the area became one of the main centers of the anti-Soviet resistance movement between 1920 and 1924.

People continued living within the fortress until 1954, when advancing sands forced them to abandon the site. Today, only the fortress mound remains, along with fragments of marble stone. Much of the monument has been damaged by erosion and natural decay. The site is currently protected as a state historical and natural monument.