Khanaka Kyrk-Kyz (Forty girls) was supposedly built in VI-XI centuries. According to the descriptions of the medieval historians, there was a castle of the founder of the Samanid dynasty. Not surprisingly, that people call Kyrk-Kyz as “Shahr Saman” - the city of Saman.
It is a square building made of mud brick. The powerful towers are located at the corners of the building. Khanaka building is divided into 4 parts; two of them have five rooms. There are two more rooms and refectory on the other side. The height of the room is seven metre, it is covered with dome and arches. During the excavations there were found fragments of tandyrs. The architectors who built khanaka were innovators, so the interior of the building is decorated very simply.
The name of the fortress is associated with the valiant queen Gulsim. The legend says, when her army was defeated by enemy tribes, brave Gulsim gathered a new army of forty women. Brave girls defeated not only enemies but attacked the strangers. They hid in the castle from chasing of enemies. Since then the castle has been called “Kyrk-Kyz” – “Forty girls”.
Buddhist monasteries, attracted many pilgrims were found by archeologists in Surkhandarya region near Termez city. This is evidenced many inscriptions made by letters Kharoshti and Brahmi.
