Andkhoy

Andkhoy lies in northern Afghanistan near the southern edge of the Qara Qum desert. Medieval geographers recorded the name in several forms; one described Andkhoy as a district whose town was called Oshtorj. The settlement stood on routes linking the northern Afghan plains with Bukhara and the lands beyond the Amu Darya.

Andkhoy long served as an assembly point for northbound caravans. Scarce water limited agriculture in the surrounding country, while sheep and cattle were important to local livelihoods. Its position on routes across the plains connected the oasis to traders and pastoral communities beyond its immediate fields.