Termez is a city that lies at the very southern tip of Uzbekistan, near the borders of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.  Termez was named by the Greeks who visited with Alexander the Great.   Termez means ‘hot’ or ‘hot place’ in Greek, and it is the warmest place in Uzbekistan.  The area has been settled since Greek times and became a center for Buddhism in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D.  Arabs arrived in Termez in the 7th and 8th centuries, making it a center for Islam, and philosophers, politicians, and religious figures have come out of Termez.  Termez was destroyed by Genghis Khan, but later rebuilt under the Timur Empire, which also employed master craftsmen to restore other important cities in Uzbekistan such as Samarkand, Shahrisabz, and Bukhara.  Timur was an important figure in Central Asia popularized in Europe as Tamerlane by writers such as Shakespeare.

Travelers to Termez are greeted with many interesting ancient and historic sights.  Some of the earliest monuments in the city are the Fayaz-Tepe Monastery, the ruins of a Buddhist temple,  and Zurmala Tower from the 1st -3rd centuries A.D.  There is also the Kara-Tepe Monastery from the 2nd - 4th centuries, which is one of the only Buddhist monasteries in Central Asia.  The suburban country palace Kyrk-Kyz is a monument from the time of the Arabs in Termez, and visitors can also see the palace of the Termez rulers, the complex of Al Khakim At-Termizi, the architecture of Sultan Saodat, and the Kokildora Mausoleum Khanaka from the same time period.  Termez also boasts the final resting place of one of the six canonical hadith collectors in Islam, the Abu Iso At Termizi Mausoleum, a bit north of the city of Termez proper.

A tour of Termez, Uzbekistan includes other fascinating sights such as the Jarkurgan Minaret, an original minaret overlooking a village.  This minaret is one of the oldest in Central Asia.  Travelers must tour the Termez Archaeological Museum, a perfect compliment to the original archaeological sites that can be visited in situ around Termez.  The Museum is a cool place to rest on a hot sunny day, and also offers stunning artifacts from the Termez area, including sculptures and weapons dating back almost 100,000 years and a Neanderthal girl found in a nearby cave.  Also located in Termez is a Russian citadel and Afghanistan War Museum, showing the history of the Russian occupation of Uzbekistan.  Termez has modernized and become very attractive for travelers to Uzbekistan in the years following independence from Russia.