Nezatash Pass

The Nezatash Pass or Neza-Tash Pass (Tajik: Ағбаи Найзатош; Aghbai Nayzatosh) is a mountain pass in the Sarikol Range between Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan and Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang, China. It is situated at an elevation of 4,476 metres (14,685 ft).^[1] The name of the path means "spear stone" in Kyrgyz as it is named after a rock near the location.^[2]

Nezatash Pass
Nezatash Pass Show map of Southern Xinjiang Nezatash Pass Show map of Tajikistan
Elevation	4,476 m (14,685 ft)
Location	China–Tajikistan border
Range	Sarikol_Range, Pamir Mountains
Coordinates	37.5944°N 74.9353°E / 37.5944; 74.9353

Nezatash Pass
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	納茲塔什山口
Simplified Chinese	纳兹塔什山口
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin nàcítǎshén shānkǒu
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	奈扎塔什山隘
Simplified Chinese	奈扎塔什山隘
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin nàizhātǎshén shānài
Tajik language name
Tajik language	Ағбаи Найзатош

History

Map including Beyik Pass (labeled as NI-JO-T'A-SHIH SHAN-K'OU^[3]) (AMS, 1966)

Map including the Nezatash Pass area (1992)

Neztash Pass is a minor path on the Silk Road. During ancient times, it was not a main Silk Road route due to the fact that it took traveler far from settlements, lacked sources of water, and had a relatively higher elevation.^[4]

However, during the 19th century, Neztash Pass was frequently used by European explorers passing through the region.^[4]

That path sits on the border between China and Tajikistan in the historic region of Badakhshan. In the 1890s, the Chinese, Russian, and Afghan governments signed a series of agreements that divided Badakhshan, but China contested the result of the division. The dispute was eventually settled in 2002 when Tajikistan and China signed a border agreement.^[5][1]

See also

• China–Tajikistan border
• Kulma_Pass
• Beyik Pass
• Tegermansu Pass
• Wakhjir Pass
• Chalachigu Valley
• Afghanistan–China border