Yamchun
Man-made, Historical building, Fortress
This fortress is located in the northeastern part of Ishkashim district in the Wakhan Valley. It is 178 km far from Khorog (the administrative center of GBAO). The fortress is situated 72 km far from the Ishkashim town. The fortress of Yamchun is located an altitude of 3164 meters above sea level. The geographical coordinates of the site are: lat: 36.581144 N long: 72.153875 E.
The fortress consists of three large parts. The first part is located at the very bottom, just above the village of Yamchun on the northern edge of the mountain. The entrance gate to the fortress is located here. The second part - the middle part of the fortress, is located on a slope and is fenced on the south and west sides. This area of the fortress prolongs 450 meters from north to south. There are round gates and towers within its walls. The third part of the Yamchun fortress is located at the top, which has a triangular shape. It is also called a citadel where the rulers lived. The fortress was built of stone and brick. In the third part, in certain places, the height of the wall has been preserved up to 9 meters. The fortress has 9 circular checkpoints. The fortress was built on a place where two mountain streams Vichkut and Yamchun flow from both sides.
Travelling to the Site
Yamchun Fortress is located on the Khorog-Ishkashim-Murgab highway. Public transports: minibuses, private cars travel daily between Khorog and the center of Ishkashim district. Visitors can reach the fortress by driving from the Khorog to Ishkashim and turn at the end of the village of Tuggoz, to reach village of Yamchun near the small river Vichkut. They need to follow a 8km road climbing to the fortress from there to Yamchun village. The road to the castle may be best traveled by private car. Tourists can also visit the fortress on their way to Murgab on the way to Ishkashim district.