Forish District

Overview

Forish is the largest district in Jizzakh Region, covering more than 9,500 km², almost 45 per cent of its area. It was set up on 9 February 1935 in Samarkand Region, abolished in 1962, restored in 1964 and transferred to Jizzakh Region in 1973. Its centre is the small town of Bogdon, and it borders Kazakhstan to the north.

The Nuratau range fills the south-west, rising to Hayotboshi peak (2,169.5 m). In the basin to the north and north-east spread Aydarkul, Tuzkan and the Eastern Arnasay lakes. The district contains the Nurata nature reserve, the Arnasay bird sanctuary and tourist villages such as Ukhum, and karakul sheep farming is a long-standing tradition.

The name

Local legend says one of the villages Amir Temur founded around Samarkand was called Paris, a name that later became Forish. Linguists dismiss the story and link the name instead to the Sogdian 'Porasht', 'foot of the fortress'.