Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Uzbekistan Ulugnor District Fergana Valley

Fergana Valley

One of the most ethnically diverse spots on the planet.

Ulugnor District, Uzbekistan

Added By
Facebook100001324106287
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Ljuba brank at Slovenian Wikipedia - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
Fields in the Ferghana Valley, west of Ferghana city, Uzbekistan. (Wikimedia Commons)   Man77 - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

A geographical territory that is completely surrounded by foreign territory, an enclave is often a place filled with political and cultural complications.

For this reason and others, most governments have avoided creating enclaves - or have avoided allowing them to exist - and there are a relatively small number today. Many of them are found in the Fergana Valley, a region in Central Asia where Taikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan all meet.

Just some of the enclaves found in this region include Barak, a small Kyrgyz village surrounded by Uzbekistan; So'x and Shohimardon and the two tiny territories of Qal'acha and Khalmion, all surrounded by Kyrgyzstan; the Tajik village of Sarvan in Uzbekistan; and the Tajik village of Vorukh and the tiny piece of land known as Kairagach, both in Kyrgyzstan. Most of these are just tiny villages with small populations - most have less than 1,000 people - but they have survived because those populations consider it important to maintain their cultural heritage and insist on teaching the traditions of their ancestors.

The valley's history stretches back more than 2,300 years, when the population settled there was first conquered by Greco-Bactrian invaders from the west. As a spot along the Northern Silk Road, this area was converted by Muslim invaders from the west before the Russian Empire took the valley at the end of the 19th century, adding it to the Soviet Union. The three regional states mentioned earlier all gained independent from the Soviet Union in 1991 and the residents have been struggling with cultural conflict ever since.

Many of the enclaves don't even subsist using the same methods. This area is incredibly fertile and diverse, with cotton cultivation playing a large role in the local economy as well as leatherwork, stock breeding, and mining. Deposits of iron, coal, sulfur, rock-salt, napththa, gypsum, and more have been found in this area, which has also proven able to support the cultivation of various grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Related Tags

Cultures And Civilizations Lost Tribes
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars

A 2-Week, 4-Country Odyssey.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Facebook100001324106287

Edited By

nbj914

  • nbj914

Published

July 25, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Wikipedia: Fergana Valley: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fergana_Valley
  • Enclaves of the World: http://www.vasa.abo.fi/users/rpalmber/enclaves.htm
Fergana Valley
Fergana Valley
Ulugnor District
Uzbekistan
40.766667, 71.5
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Tomb of Ali at Shakhimardan

Ulugnor District, Uzbekistan

miles away

Yodgorlik Silk Factory

Margilan, Uzbekistan

miles away

Khan's Palace

Kokand, Uzbekistan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ulugnor District

Ulugnor District

Uzbekistan

Places 2

Nearby Places

Tomb of Ali at Shakhimardan

Ulugnor District, Uzbekistan

miles away

Yodgorlik Silk Factory

Margilan, Uzbekistan

miles away

Khan's Palace

Kokand, Uzbekistan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ulugnor District

Ulugnor District

Uzbekistan

Places 2

Related Places

  • For more than 30 years, the former town of Potosi resided underwater after it was flooded by the building of a dam

    Uribante, Venezuela

    The Drowned Church of Potosi

    A town church once nearly submerged by the damming of a river is now hauntingly visible as the water recedes.

  • Aerial view of Bimini Road

    North Bimini Island, Bahamas

    Bimini Road

    An underwater road considered a possible Atlantis location.

  • Glasgow, Scotland

    Govan Stones

    Early Medieval stones sit on display at the beautiful Govan Old Church in Glasgow.

  • Rapa Nui, Chile

    Orongo

    This was once the center of the Birdman cult, and is now a World Heritage Site.

  • Canyons of the Ancients

    Dolores, Colorado

    Canyons of the Ancients

    A breathtaking array of ancient Pueblo structures and artifacts counterintuitively preserved by neglect.

  • Machu Picchu.

    Aguas Calientes, Peru

    Machu Picchu: The Lost City of The Inca

    The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.

  • Several buildings sit in disrepair along the town’s streets

    Qirmizi Qasaba, Azerbaijan

    Krasnaya Sloboda (Qırmızı QƏsƏbƏ)

    What might be the largest completely Jewish town in the world outside of Israel now faces dwindling numbers and empty streets.

  • Apatani woman carrying the traditional basket.

    Old Ziro, India

    The Apatani Tribal Village of Ziro

    Hidden in the rain-forests of Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India lies the village of Ziro, home to the Apatanis.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.