Ruins of unknown age near the Ratm Fortress, Tajikistan |
The first close up view of agriculture in the Wakhan |
Rahozon Zom (6535m/21,440 ft ), a summit of the Hindu Kush on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan |
The Wakhan has quite a few signs like this pointing out places of interest my impatient driver would have preferred to blaze by |
Me, I love castles, and with the beautiful weather and just a few km to our destination, I made him stop |
The village of Ratm, much of which is mere ruins |
It didn't take long for a boy to materialize to show me the way to Ratm Fortress |
Looking from Ratm across to Afghanistan |
Strategic Ratm protects the northern approach to the Wakhan Valley through the Pamir Valley |
It's early autumn and this field has been harvested already |
My young local guide leads me along the edge of the fields to the fortress |
The ruins of Ratm Fortress |
Rate apparently means First Line of Defense in Persian |
The rugged and barren mountains of Afghanistan |
The Wakhan is surprisingly developed for tourists with these carved stones in Russian and English |
History of Ratm Fortress in English |
Testament to the ancientness of this region, the fortress was founded in the 3rd C. BC |
While the people of Murghab are distinctly Mongoloid, we crossed a line as we reached the Wakhan where the people are white |
The site of Ratm Fortress |
Ratm Fortress, on the edge of the Pamir Canyon |
With the history tablet quoting 3rd C. BC, I have to wonder how many times this place has been rebuilt |
Ratm Fortress, the First Line of Defense to the East, was built by the Kushan Empire which ruled much of Afghanistan at the time |
Ratm Fortress and the mountains of Afghanistan |
The Pamir River confined to its canyon below Ratm |
Tajikistan meets Afghanistan, the Pamir River |
Ratm Fortress, guarding the southern end of the Pamir Valley before it reaches the fertile Wakhan |
A near Oasis below Ratm Fortress |
Finally, a house that looks definitely lived in |
Steven explores Ratm Fortress |
Qala, the Tajik word for Fortress, is similar to the Arabic and Persian and even Hindi words for the same thing |
Ruins of the ancient Ratm Fortress, Tajikistan |
The fortress ruins at Ratm blend into the surrounding landscape |
Might this be the watchtower of Ratm advertised on the sign? |
Ruins of Ratm Fortress, Tajikistan |
It does look like a good place for a fortress |
The canyon of the Pamir River below Ratm Fortress |
A farm house and plowed fields near Ratm |
Ratm, Tajikistan, with the Afghan mountains across the river |
That needle must have a name. It's in the Wakhan Corridor east of the Pamir River |
Cows in heaven, green grass |
Dusty volleyball court among what looks like mostly ruins, Ratm village |
I wonder if that's where my guide boy lives, Ratm village |
Much to the relief of my impatient driver, we're back on the road headed to our night stop at Langar |
The first bridge across the Pamir River, a border crossing point linking Tajikistan with Afghanistan |
The "delta" of the Pamir River as it enters the Wakhan Valley |
This bridge to Afghanistan across the Pamir River is just a few km north of Langar |
Ruins on the Afghan side of the Pamir River |
Civilization, a farm with a Lada 4x4 and a satellite dish, Tajikistan |
The Pamir River "delta" |
I really wanted to at least set foot in Afghanistan on this trip since we followed the Tajik-Afghan border for 4 days - no luck |
I'm sure a more keen driver/guide would have gotten me at least a footstep into Afghanistan |
The Pamir River forms a wide valley as it meets the larger Wakhan to form the Panj River |
A last look back at what has been an amazing drive following the Pamir River |
That could almost be a little runway, just watch for the livestock |
The Pamir River meets the Wakhan Valley |
A rather new looking construction, coming or going.... |