Istarafshan, in the north west of Tadjikistan, is one of the most ancient cities in the region having been founded in the 6th century BC by king Cyrus who fortified the settlement with walls and a citadel. During its long history it has fallen into the hands of many invading forces and enjoyed a period of architectural expression under the Arabian Caliphate and grew significantly through the first Tajik Samanid dynasty (9th – 10th centuries AD) before being destroyed in the 13th century the by the Mongols.

Later, under the powerful Timurids the city became known as Ura-Tube. It became part of Russia in 1886 and today has a number of interesting historical and architectural monuments as well as a huge market.