Vahdat () is a city in western Tajikistan, on the bank of the Kofarnihon River, 21 km east of Dushanbe. It was previously called Yangi-Bozor (1927–1936), Orjonikidzeobod (1936–1993, after Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze) and Kofarnihon (1993–2006). The current name of Vahdat is a completely new name that was introduced in the 2000s as part of an official renaming of the settlement. Its population is estimated at 43,200 for the city proper and 342,700 for the city with the outlying communities (2020). Vahdat was the focus on international attention in 2019 when a riot occurred in the city's prison, believed to be instigated by members of Islamic State, which led to the deaths of three guards and 29 inmates.
Geography The city is located in the upper basin of the river Kofarnihon, and is near the Gissar Range (southern slopes) and the Karategin Range (northern slopes), to the west, the city is on the edge of the Gissar Valley.
Subdivisions Before ca. 2018, Vahdat was the seat of Vahdat District, which covered the rural part of the present city of Vahdat. The city of Hisor covers Hisor proper, the town Nu'mon Roziq and ten jamoats. These are as follows:Jamoat-level basic indicators, United Nations Development Programme in Tajikistan, accessed 8 October 2020
Jamoat Population (Jan. 2015) Nu'mon Roziq (town) 11,600 Abdullo Abdulvosiev 43,020 Bahor 28,276 Bozorboy Burunov 24,876 Chorsu 3,913 Chuyangaron 21,076 Guliston 37,452 Karim Ismoilov 34,544 Rajab Ismoilov 19,185 Romit 15,440 Simiganj 35,473
Demographics The population is composed primarily of Tajiks and Uzbeks, with small numbers of Russians and Tatars. Numbers of Afghan refugees have also made Vahdat home.
Economy The city's economy is mainly shaped by the surrounding district's agricultural activities: cotton, cattle, grains and vegetable production, and viticulture, with cotton-ginning being the city's dominant industrial activity.
Transportation There are road and rail connections between Vahdat and Dushanbe. Vahdat's railway station was built in 1930. Highway connections are possible to Jirgatol, Khorog, Kulob, Nurak and Yovon.
Education
The Vahdat Statistical College specializes in courses on finance, accounting and economics.
Infrastructure Vahdat is the location of a prison which included those convicted of terrorist crimes, mainly associated with membership in Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) and the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). In 2019, a prison riot saw three guards and 29 inmates killed, 24 of whom were said to be Islamic militants. One of those killed was Behruz Gulmurod, a son of Gulmurod Halimov, previously a commander of Tajik Interior Ministry special forces who joined ISIS/ISIL in 2015.
Climate
References