Parkent District

Setting and nature

Parkent District was created in 1926, later absorbed into Yuqorichirchiq District and re-established in 1979. It lies in the western foothills of the Chatkal Range, rising from west to east to Mount Kyzylnura (3,267 m). Waterfalls mark the upper reaches of the Parkentsay, Bashkyzylsay and Aksakatasay streams. More than a thousand plant species have been recorded, about 200 of them medicinal, and annual precipitation is 536 mm.

What to see

The highlight is the Big Solar Furnace, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2026. Kumushkon village has the Hazrat Ali Buva shrine, the mountains hold the Bashkyzylsay section of the Chatkal Biosphere Reserve, and Parkent has the reserve’s museum. Parkent itself, once called Farikent, has been a town since 1984 and is surrounded by holiday areas such as Kumushkon, Sumcha and Sukok.