Termez

is the capital of Surkhandarya region, a port on the Amu Darya River, near the Afghanistan border.

An ancient settlement was discovered near Termez, which was populated in the times of the Greek-Bactrain rules (3rd - 2nd c. B.C)

It was center of Buddhism at the period of Kushans (1st -2nd c. A.C.) When Arabs came (in the 7th -8th c.) the city became the center of Islam. During Amir Timur's time Termez continued to prosper, however it was destroyed at the end of 17th century.

In 1897 the modern city emerged with Russian fortress and garrison. Termez was a primary transit point during the Soviet occupation (1979-89) of Afghanistan.