Kan-i-Gut cave

On one of the slopes of the Jaman-Chul ridge lies a remarkable natural wonder – the karst cave of Kan-i-Gut. Geographically, it is located in the Sary-Too mountain range, not far from the Shadymyr Valley. The cave was discovered in the 10th–11th centuries and quickly became a strategic site for mining silver ore and other valuable minerals.

Kan-i-Gut Cave is even mentioned in the works of the famous scholar Abu Ali ibn Sina, known in Europe as Avicenna. Mining operations at the site continued for more than 1,500 years, and to this day, the true extent of the cave remains unknown. As of now, the mapped length of the cave exceeds 6 kilometers, with nearly half of that discovered only recently, in 2017.

When the mineral deposits were eventually depleted, the mine was abandoned. Following this, the karst cave earned the ominous name of «Mine of Doom.» The origins of its infamous name—Kan-i-Gut—are often linked to the reign of the Kokand Khan, Khudoyar. Under his rule, those sentenced to death were sent into the cave’s underground labyrinths to search for silver and other treasures. If they failed to locate any valuable minerals, they were either executed or sent back into the dark depths of the cave. Fear of death drove many prisoners to invent stories of silver bricks, camels with gemstone eyes, and malevolent divs guarding untold riches.