Rushon

Rushon Vamar
Rushon Location in Tajikistan
Coordinates: 37°56′39″N 71°33′27″E
Country	Tajikistan
Region	Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region
District	Rushon District
Elevation	2,000 m (7,000 ft)
Population  (2015)
• Total	6,577
Official languages	Russian (Interethnic) Tajik (State)

Rushon (Tajik: Рӯшон, Russian: Рушан, romanized: Rushan, Persian: روشان, Pamiri: Ręxon) is a town and the seat of Rushon District of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in southeastern Tajikistan. The town with aglomeration has a total population of 6,577 (2015).

Geography

Locally known as Vamar (Persian: وامر, Pamiri: Vamár) it is a town located in the Rushon District on the border with Afghanistan 65 kilometres (40 mi) north of Khorugh. It was known as Kala-i Vamar until 1932. It is on the river Panj just downstream from the mouth of the Bartang at the point where the Panj briefly turns west before resuming its northerly course. There is a small museum and the ruins of a Kala-i Vamar (Vamardiž) a mediaeval era fort.

History

It is believed that the fort Kalai-Vamar was built by local people in defence of the Chinese advancement to Pamirs. Many times Kalai-Vamar fell to Shahs of Darwaz and Shughnan remaining under control of Shughnan until Afghans of Badakhshan took it on the last quarter of 19th century. In 1885 Russians liberated Pamiri kingdoms of Panj right bank but soon gave them to Manghit Emirate of Bukhara where they resided until the October Revolution. During Soviet Era the Castle of Vamar was destroyed and its territory mainly demolished giving way to military base facilities.

On the morning of May 18, 2022, Rushon was the scene of a violent crackdown on protesters by security forces with several casualties. Local residents had been blocking the road to Khorugh, where protests against human rights violations were ongoing, in order to prevent a military convoy from passing.