Ayni | |
---|---|
Town and Jamoat | |
Location in Tajikistan | |
Coordinates: 39°23′51″N 68°32′26″E / 39.39750°N 68.54056°ECoordinates: 39°23′51″N 68°32′26″E / 39.39750°N 68.54056°E | |
Country | Tajikistan |
Province | Sughd |
District | Aini District |
Population | |
• Total | 12,131 |
Time zone | TJT (UTC+5) |
Ayni or Aini (Tajik: Айнӣ; Persian: عینی) is a town and jamoat in north-west Tajikistan. It is the capital of Ayni District in Sughd province, named after the Tajik national poet Sadriddin Ayni. It lies about 177 kilometres (110 mi) from Khujand and 165 kilometres (103 mi) from Dushanbe on the bank of the Zeravshan River. The jamoat has a total population of 12,131.
Ayni is an ancient town of the Sogdian civilization and later became an Islamic town; a 9th-century minaret is testament to this. Between 1930 and 1955 it was known as Zahmatobod.
It was a notable centre for Tajik nationalists.
Agriculture, tobacco, grain and fruit production form the backbone of the local economy, and there is also a large coal mine Fa-Yagh-nob with a 1.8 billion ton capacity, and a plant located here.