Er Shih

Khujand Хуҷанд
View on the right side of the Syr River
Flag Seal
Khujand Location in Tajikistan
Coordinates: 40°17′00″N 69°37′00″E / 40.28333°N 69.61667°E / 40.28333; 69.61667
Country	Tajikistan
Province	Sughd
Area
• City	40 km2 (20 sq mi)
• Metro	2 651.7 km2 (1 023.8 sq mi)
Elevation	300 m (1,000 ft)
Population (2015)
• City	172,700
• Density	4,242.5/km2 (10,988/sq mi)
• Metro	724 200
Area code(s)	00 992 3422
Website	www.khujand.tj

Khujand (Tajik: Хуҷанд, Xujand/Xuçand, Persian: Xojand خجند‌‎‎), formerly Khodjend or Khodzhent until 1936 and Leninabad (Tajik: Ленинобод, Leninobod/Leninoвod, Persian: Leninâbâd لنین‌آباد‌‎‎) until 1991, is the second-largest city of Tajikistan and the capital of the northernmost province of Tajikistan, now called Sughd. Khujand is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, dating back about 2,500 years. It is situated on the Syr Darya at the mouth of the Fergana Valley and was a major city along the ancient Silk Road.

Khujand is the site of Cyropolis (Κυρούπολις) which was established when king Cyrus the Great founded the city during his last expedition against the Saka tribe of Massagetae shortly before his death. Alexander the Great later built his furthest Greek settlement near Cyropolis in 329 BC and named it Alexandria Eschate (Greek: Ἀλεξάνδρεια Ἐσχάτη) or "Alexandria The Furthest". The city would form a bastion for the Greek settlers against the nomadic Scythian tribes who lived north of the Syr Darya River. According to the Roman writer Curtius, Alexandria Ultima (Alexandria the Furthest) retained its Hellenistic culture as late as 30 BCE.

The city became a major staging point on the northern Silk Road. It also became a cultural hub and several famous Persian poets and scientists came from this city.