Qal'ai Khumb

Qal'ai Khumb (Russian: Калаихум, Tajik: Қалъаи Хумб, Qal‘a‘i Xumb/Qal'haji Xumв - meaning fortress on the banks of the river of Khumb) or Qal'a-i-Khum, also Kalai-Khumb (transliterated from Russian: Калай-Хумб), is a small town located in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in Tajikistan on the border with Afghanistan. Formerly it was the capital of the independent Principality of Darvaz.[2] Now it is the capital of the Darvoz District of Tajikistan. Here the Pamir Highway meets the Panj River.

Qal'ai Khumb Russian: Калаихум Қалъаи Хумб (in Tajik) قلعۀ خمب‎ (in Persian)
View from eastern end of town (near mosque)
Qal'ai Khumb Location in Tajikistan
Coordinates: 38°27′59″N 70°47′48″E
Country	Tajikistan
Region	Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region
District	Darvoz district
Elevation	1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Population
• Total	1,909
Time zone	UTC+5 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+5 (GMT)
Area code	+992 3552
Climate	Csa
Official languages	Russian (Interethnic) Tajik (State)[1]

The village is an important overnight rest stop between Kulob and Khorugh, located at a distance of 168 km from Kulob (or 368 km from Dushanbe) and 235 km from Khorugh.[3] It has several hostels to accommodate travelers on their way between cities.[4] The village is almost entirely surrounded by the Pamir Mountains.

On the Afghan border Kalai-Khumb has one of the three bridges over the Panj river. On the Sunday market there used to be trades from Afghanistan near this bridge. Although Kalai-Khumb now has no such market.[5]