Right on the wild frontier between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, Termiz is the last outpost before crossing into the dusty mountains of Balkh Province. The city has an illustrious past, tracing its roots back to the great king of kings, Alexander the Great. Later it reigned as a mystical center of Buddhist worship and study during the years of the Kushan Empire.

These can be encapsulated in the sprawling exhibition rooms of the Archaeological Museum as you flit between amazing sculpture works, tile murals, arabesque carvings, and priceless works of the Greco-Bactrian age in there. Then, you can hop straight over to the Al Hakim At-Termizi Mausoleum on the banks of the Amu Darya river, hosting mystical Sufi tombs and a smattering of ancient remains from the old city.

Termiz tour guides also recommend plenty of other historical sights on the peripheries of town. There's the tile-faced Sultan Saodat complex and its array of intriguing Muslim shrines. The Fayaz-Tepa monastery belies the erstwhile Buddhist faith that flourished here in the early centuries AD. Around it all are sun-scorched fields and hills where the views encompass both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.