Kan Fortress, Batken

In the midstream of the Sokh River, it merges with the Abgol River (a river flowing from a lake), at the mouth of which lies the village of the same name, perched on a river terrace. Above the village of Abgol stands the Kan Fortress, a symbol of the might of the Kokand Khanate from the 17th century.

The Kan Fortress, also known as the Fortress of Kudayar Khan, is the remains of a Kokand fortress located in the Batken Region of Kyrgyzstan, approximately 60 kilometers south of Batken in the mountains of the Turkestan Range. The Kokand Khanate was a vast state that extended from the southern mountains of the Fergana Valley to Lake Balkhash, in what is now Kazakhstan. For centuries, the Khanate was the most formidable power in the region, dominating all the peoples of this territory. The fortress was built during the 17th century, a period when the Kokand Khanate was at its zenith.

Stretching for nearly half a kilometer along the slopes of the Turkestan Range, the fortress still retains its imposing walls, despite the passage of time. Visitors can observe numerous arrow slits, rooms, and shelters, all constructed from sandstone. The fortress is divided into two parts: the eastern section, which primarily served as a residence, and the western section, which epitomizes the military strength of the Kokand Khanate. The fortress was nearly impregnable, built for defensive purposes to withstand enemy assaults.

During Soviet times, an apricot orchard was planted within the fortress grounds. The area surrounding the fortress is exceptionally scenic, with majestic mountains offering tranquil spots for rest and relaxation.

Within the courtyard of the fortress, there is a stone slab engraved with ancient images of animals and horsemen on camels. These petroglyphs are much older than the fortress walls and have no connection to the structure itself. A deep gully divides the fortress into two unequal sections. The portion adjacent to the mountain slope appears to be a large enclosure, only vaguely resembling a fortress. The western side, which towers above the Sokh Valley, is clearly a citadel where the garrison was stationed. A narrow corridor connects the two fortified sections, and where the corridor meets the citadel, two conical towers rise, designed to protect the citadel’s corners.

The fortress occupies a platform approximately 500 meters long and 100 meters wide. Along the edge of this platform runs a perimeter wall, standing 2 to 2.7 meters high, with arrow slits arranged in a staggered pattern. The platform is divided in two by a small ravine, which naturally splits the fortress into two parts. The southern section was likely used for economic purposes, with traces of buildings still visible. There were two gates: one located in the southwestern corner, likely the main entrance, and another on the northern side, connecting the southern and northern parts of the fortress via a narrow corridor.

Around the gates, along the corners of the fortress, and in the center of the walls are hollow towers, 3 meters in diameter, each equipped with arrow slits. The southern side of the fortress is reinforced by a natural earthen rampart, atop which the fortress wall was built.

The northern section is nearly half the size of the southern part. In the northwestern corner of this section lie the ruins of three rectangular buildings. In some places, remnants of structures can be seen adjoining the fortress walls. The central southern gate, flanked by two towers, connects the southern and northern parts. The fortress lacks a defined geometric shape, making it difficult to estimate its dimensions by sight. Strategically, the fortress occupied an exceptionally advantageous position, rendered nearly unassailable due to steep slopes on one side and mountains on the other. From this vantage point, the fortress controlled the entire intermountain valley of the Sokh River. However, the fortress’s most vulnerable point was its water supply: should the single irrigation ditch be blocked, the fortress would be deprived of water.

Historical sources provide scant information about the fortress. Only one mention remains, referring to the fortress simply as «Sokh» and linking it to the Kyrgyz people’s struggle for liberation against the oppression of the Kokand Khanate, specifically against the Khan’s governor, Alim-Kipchak, who ruled from this fortress.

The story begins in the spring of 1873 when Khudoyar Khan sent another round of tax collectors to the Kyrgyz people of Sokh, demanding a much larger levy than before. Instead of one sheep per household, the Khan now demanded three. Outraged, the people of Sokh detained and beat the tax collectors, killing some. The uprising quickly spread. By June 1873, the fortress of Kan (Sokh)—a well-fortified strategic point in the mountains where the Khan’s secret treasury was stored—was besieged and captured by the rebels. The treasure and the fortress commander, Alim-Kipchak, fell into the hands of the insurgents.

The Sokh uprising marked the first spark of a broader national liberation movement that eventually led to the fall of the Kokand Khanate in 1876 and the voluntary incorporation of southern Kyrgyzstan into the Russian Empire. Despite the network of fortifications and punitive garrisons scattered across Kyrgyzstan, the Khan’s authority could not withstand the wave of popular revolt.