Bazai Gonbad or Bozai Gumbaz (Dari: بزای گمبز, lit. 'domes of the elders') is the site of a domed tomb (or gonbad) and nearby settlement of mostly ethnic Kyrgyz herders in the Wakhan District of Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan. It lies in the Little Pamir on the right bank of the Bozai River, near where it joins Wakhjir River to become the Wakhan River. It is part of the Wakhan National Park and protected by the Afghan Armed Forces.

Bazai Gonbad is connected by a 60 km (37 mi) long unpaved road to Sarhad in the southwest, and about 50 km (31 mi) of such road to Wakhjir Pass (Afghanistan–China border) in the east. The Chaqmaqtin Lake is about 20 km (12 mi) to the northeast of Bozai Gonbad. Foreigners must have an Afghan visa to tour the area.

History

The territory around Bazai Gonbad was last conquered by Nader Shah and his armies in around 1738. It has been under the control of Afghanistan since the formation of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The eastern border of Wakhan District was settled with China's Qing dynasty during the reign of Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1750. The southern and northern borders came into existence during the Great Game in 1893. There is no evidence to indicate that the local Pamir Mountains had ever earlier supported permanent settlements. While debris of mud buildings and similar constructions can occasionally be found, they are generally seen as only indicating relatively recent occupation and have little if any evidence of a permanent character. The shrines and tombs scattered throughout the area are all of a comparatively recent character. There are also the remains of a small fort can be found near this location. It is said to have been built by Bozai, a Kyrgyz chief.

Bazai Gonbad was the scene of a minor incident during the Great Game. In 1891 the Russians sent a small military force to the area. The British Captain Francis Younghusband, in the course of his Pamir expedition, encountered the Russians at Bazai Gonbad, and the Russians ordered him out of the area. The Russians subsequently apologized for the incident.

Climate

Bazai Gonbad is at extreme altitude, experiencing an alpine tundra climate (Köppen: ET), bordering on a subarctic climate (Dfc) that close to a monsoon-influenced subarctic climate (Dwc). The average annual temperature is −5.7 °C (21.7 °F) resulting in long, very cold winters and brief, cool summers.

Economy

The economy of the area is based on agriculture, transport, trade, and tourism. In order to improve the local economy, the government of Afghanistan has built a road to Sarhad in the southwest and Wakhjir Pass (Afghanistan–China border) in the east. One of the main attractions in Bazai Gonbad is Chaqmaqtin Lake, which is a short distance to the northeast.