The Hissar Valley, also known as the Gissar Valley, is home to the extraordinary Shirkent National Park Tajikistan. Built in 1991 to protect the region’s wildlife, plants, and archaeological finds, including ancient settlements and fossilized dinosaur footprints, the scenic trails of Shirkent National Park are a paradise for hiking, trekking, wildlife watching, and bird watching – don’t forget your camera and your binoculars!
Currently spread across a glorious 3,000 hectares, Shirkent National Park is predicted to swell to 10 times its size in the years to come. Located west of Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital city and close to the Uzbek border, the national park protects a large majority of Tajikistan’s historical attractions and natural ecosystems.
Shirkent National Park is home to a variety of unique natural habitats, from forests of juniper and broad-leaf trees to wide open grassland and gorgeous green alpine meadows. These biodiversities, along with the Shirkent River and several smaller waterways, provide a home for more than 30 species of mammals, such as bears, marten cats, Siberian wild goats, and snow leopards.
Over 90 species of birds call the park home, including golden eagles and bearded vultures. Several species that are listed in the Red Book of Tajikistan’s rare and endangered species can also be found here, such as griffon vultures, snowcocks, Turkestan saker falcons, and Barbary falcons.
There is so much to see while trekking through Shirkent National Park. Surrounded by rugged mountains dotted with grey granite rocks, mountain streams, deep canyons, caves, and waterfalls, the scenery is truly one of a kind. The lower part of the valley is home to local houses and fruit orchards, while the upper part of the valley is uninhabited, rural, and perfect for mountain hiking and climbing.
This wild and wonderful wilderness is home to some fascinating historical sites, the most famous being the 400-plus fossilized dinosaur tracks that are embedded in ancient rock in three areas of the park. These four-fingered footprints span three different ages.
The most famous dinosaur print can be found embedded in the limestone along one of the right tributaries of the Shirkent River. As these kinds of footprints have not yet been discovered anywhere else, the breed of the dinosaur or large lizard was classified as a new genus and species of dinosaurs from the suborder of theropods dinosaurs. It has been called ‘macropodosaurus gravis’ which means ‘heavy kangaroo-anteater’ or ‘bigger, heavier pangolin’.
In addition to the dinosaur footprints, around 50 archaeological sites have been discovered in Shirkent National Park, dating back to the Stone Ages and Middle Ages. During their digs, archaeologists have found the ruins and remains of medieval settlements, ancient graveyards, and early irrigation structures. From what they have found, archaeologists believe the area was once primed around agriculture, mining, craftsmanship, and metallurgical development in the olden days.
Want to visit this extraordinary natural and historical paradise for yourself? The best time to trek through Shirkent National Park in the Hissar Valley is in the spring months from April to June, or the fall months from September to November. A tour with Paramount Journey will take you on a fun trekking adventure through Shirkent National Park, combined with a visit to the nearby Hissar Fortress.
