Jizzakh

Jizzakh lies in an oasis between the Syr Darya and Zarafshan, on the route linking Samarkand with Tashkent and Fergana. The Sanzar River descends from the mountains nearby, watering the land at the edge of the plain. A narrow passage through the rocky heights west of the town became known as Timur's Gate. Jizzakh's fortress guarded an important approach to the oasis, while caravans and armies traversed the corridor between the mountains and the open steppe.