Hisar Castle is part of the Hisar historical and cultural conservation complex. The word "Hisar" is Arabic and means "fortress" and "castle". This castle, which is now located five kilometers northwest of Dushanbe, is a remnant of the same city of "Shuman", which was called "Hisar Shadman", that is, the Castle of the Happy, in the 15th to 17th centuries. Due to the abundance of pronunciation, the word "Shadman" has disappeared and "Hisar" has remained and has become the proper name "Hisar". The ancient Hisar fortress, known as "Hisar Castle", is a work of the Pishdadid period ( the first Iranian royal dynasty in the Avesta) , and the upper building of the castle consists of three parts: the high part, which was the headquarters of the beys and emirs, the second part, the lower part, which was the camel stables and the main part, which formed the barracks.
The surrounding area of the castle was surrounded by a high, corrugated protective wall, which was 3.5 meters high from the top of the castle and 10 meters wide on the wall. From the vantage point, the entire area of the castle was visible as wide as the palm of one's hand. Entry to the castle was only possible through the gate. Historical narratives Some believe that the castle was built overnight and by God's command. However, historical narratives attribute its construction to the reign of King Tahmurth of Deoband - the son of Houshang Shah, grandson of Siamak, and the first legendary king of the Pishdadid dynasty (3280-993 BC).
According to these narratives, Tahmurth defeated the Divan in his own way, that is, with magic and sorcery, and forced the Divan to build this castle; then he imprisoned them inside the castle and taught them letters and calligraphy, making the people of his country literate. There is also a tradition that Imam Ali (AS) freed the castle from the magic of "laughter". When one looks at that huge mound of earth far from the river bank, one involuntarily thinks that this building was really built by a supernatural force. Some researchers have also tried to examine the origin of the castle from a modern scientific perspective. Russian scientist N. Novgorodsev examined issues related to the earthquake in Hisar (January 23, 1989) from a geological perspective and wrote at the end of his article in the magazine "Atraf Dunya" (1990): "The elevated part of the castle was man-made, and in its southern or natural part, until recently, there was a deep lake. Reeds grew in it, and now only a small sign of it remains. It is not far from the possibility that this lake was located in the mouth of a clay volcano and its activity stopped over time.
This lake was fed by the oil-rich waters of the deep earth.” From this perspective, it follows that the huge hill of the Hisar fortress was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption, and over time, the volcanic event itself was forgotten, and walls and buildings were built on and around the hill. The fortress and city of Hisar have seen many eras and witnessed the rule of just, virtuous, and benevolent rulers, and each era has become more prosperous and beautiful. The Hisar Expedition After the occupation of Central Asia by Tsarist Russia at the end of the 19th century, a treaty of citizenship of the Emirate of Bukhara, including the Begneish of Hisar, was established with the Russian Empire. Russian and European merchants, travelers, scientists, researchers, agents, and military personnel were granted the right to free trade and research in all the begnesies and estates. The mysterious treasure of the Happy Hisar was made known to Europeans in 1875 with the “Hesar Expedition.” Since then, they have been coming to this land and studying its flora and fauna, natural waters and mysterious minerals, underground reserves, politics and culture, and the living conditions of ordinary people. One of the Armenian travelers, V. Markonian, who came to Hisar in those years, called this land “the valley of death” in his memoirs, considering the poor health of the people; because medical services were not provided to the poor except for the nobles and the rich. Colonel of the Tsarist Russian army, D.N. Logovet, who was in Hisar in 1880, describes the complicated living conditions of the people with regret as follows: “In those years, when we were investigating in remote mountain villages, we often heard new news and numerous complaints about the beys and subordinate officials, which indicated that there was talk of new rebellions in the bey population.” This curious and astute researcher writes elsewhere in his work “In the Mountains and Plains of Bukhara” (St. Petersburg, 1913, p. 479): “The traces of cannonballs that have destroyed the walls and created large holes in the thick layers of the gate, speak volumes that the fortress of Hisar has been besieged and attacked many times.” According to this Russian officer, the city of Hisar was surrounded by a huge embankment ten kilometers long with four guard towers that had five gates: “Khak Sefid”, “Chengab”, “Cheshme Mahyan”, “Shakari” and “Abdaz”. Regarding the gates of Hisar, it should be added that their architecture, like some modern gates of cities around the world, was dome-shaped and built with strong materials such as baked bricks and stone, in the style of oriental architecture. They were protected by night guards and gatekeepers, who inspected people and allowed them to enter. Unfortunately, now only their names remain of those gates, and they have been replaced by cotton fields.