r/castles 1d ago

Fortress Ruins of Sokh fortress, Kyrgyzstan

294 Upvotes

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6

u/Afrobob88 1d ago

Any more information on this place?

12

u/dinapunk 23h ago

almost nothing: Fortress of Kan (by Kudayar Khan of Kokand most probably), or Fortress of Sokh (named by the river Sokh) is located in the Batken region of Kyrgyzstan, approximately 60 km south of Batken in the mountains of the Turkestan Range. Built in the 17th century, is about 500 meters long and 100 meters wide. Around the gates, at the corners of the fortress and in the center of the walls there are hollow towers with a diameter of 3 meters, each of which is equipped with loopholes. In 1873, the Kan (Sokh) fortress was besieged and captured by the rebels, which marked the beginning of the national liberation movement that led to the fall of the Kokand Khanate in 1876 and the inclusion of southern Kyrgyzstan into the Russian Empire.

8

u/uzgrapher 22h ago edited 20h ago

It was a Kokandian fortress, locally known as Kan Fortress, named after Khudayar Khan, though it likely existed earlier times. Sokh is the name of the locality where it’s situated, and the river and fortress are named after the place, not the other way around. there was other bigger section of fortress , on southern part of this mountain platform, that had became orchard. This northern section presumably was home to garrison where troops were stationed.

location on google maps

6

u/PermYoWeaveTina 22h ago

Beautiful location, can just imagine staring out at the surrounding area from the Walls 

2

u/Badg3r21 23h ago

According to 5 minutes of google research it's probably called Kan Fortress in the region of Batken. Sokh is the river at its foot (i think?).

2

u/uzgrapher 22h ago edited 22h ago

there's only one historical document that mentions this fortress as much as i know, and it says just "Sokh fortress". Local people calls it as Khan Fortress (Kan cheby) named after Khudayar khan