Attractions |
Adventure |
Food & Drinks |
Getting around |
Maps |
Photo Gallery |
Travel |
Welcome to Dushanbe (The Capital of Tajikistan) by Tirdâd Gorgâni |
Other towns: Isfara Istravshan Panjikent Xoroq (Khorogh) Xujand (Khujand) |
Dushanbe is a clean, green
European city with wide, tree-lined streets and pale,
elegant buildings lend it an air of faded prosperity, and there are
plenty of cafés in which to enjoy tea and local sweets . Its location beneath the snow-capped Hissar range in the wide valley of the Varzob river. Between 1929 and 1961, the city of Dushanbe was called Stalinabad. The city of Dushanbe grew out of the village of Dushanbe. Records show that as early as 1676, on each Monday of the week (dushanbe), villagers from the surrounding areas brought their produce to market at this spot. In 1907, Dushanbe served as a summer resort for the Bek of Hissar; in 1920, it housed Amir Alim Khan. The ousted Amir of Bukhara stayed in Dushanbe and cooperated with the Basmachis until he had to leave the region. From Dushanbe, he fled to Afghanistan in 1921, the year the town was freed from the Basmachis as well. After 1921, Dushanbe became the administrative center of Eastern Bukhara. |
|
Facts at |
a Glance |
|
Accomodations City Map Dialling codes Embassies Restaurants Transportation Travel Agencies |
Name :
Dushanbe Population : c. 590,000 Language: Persian (Tajik) Area code: 372 Transportation: Dushanbe is connected to Termez and Tashkent in Uzbekistan, by rail and to Kulab, Qurqanteppe, and Khorog, the administrative center of Gorno-Badakhshan , by road. Due to the mountainous terrain of the region, travel by plane and helicopter often is preferred to travel by car . More Post: DHL Tajikistan Accomodation: Click here. Map: Road map |
|
Guide books Tajikistan Embassies Travel Visa Weather |
Orientation: Dushanbe is divided into four administrative zones: Rah Ahan, Markazi, Oktiabr, and Frunze. Varzab, a suburb of Dushanbe, used to serve as one of the prominent recreation areas for the former Soviet Union. At the present time, the city serves as both the administrative center of the republic of Tajikistan and the republic's largest industrial and cultural center. See Map Dushanbe has two main bazaars: Barakat and Shamansur. A third bazaar in the region of the new Micro Rayons is exclusive to that population. Caravan is a cheep open air bazaar, some kilometers from citycenter. During the summer, the bazaars teem with vegetables, fruits, flowers, and people. In winter, they are all but deserted. Bread, meat, and dried fruits are about all one can buy. |
|
What to |
see /do |
|
Art People Photo Gallery Tajikistan History Sai Khosor Travel Agency |
A wonderful modern Opera
Ballet theater and a number of art-related institutes,
museums, and studios, all centered in the city of
Dushanbe. More The city also houses the Firdowsi Library, a major library with an impressive collection of medieval Islamic manuscripts. The main points of interest all lie on, or close to, Prospekt Rudaki which runs from the railway station in the south to the bus station in the north. As well as the principal mosque , this area boasts a synagogue that dates back to the late 19th century, a Russian church and a columned opera house. Don’t forget visiting a Tajik market because, while you will find souvenirs, your senses will be pleasantly bombarded and, unlike in many developing countries, no-one will harass you to buy anything . Lose yourself in the enormous market on the road west from Dushanbe to the old Hissar Fort, where women in traditional Tajik attire of long, psychedelically coloured dresses and men in embroidered skullcaps sell everything from cotton (one of Tajikistan’s main crops) to vegetables, jewellery, carpets and furniture. |
|
Architectural
Monuments of Dushanbe Botanical Gardens and Zoo City Information City Info. in Russian Dushanbe, Digital Library Universities & education |
The Tajik
traditional Tea houses
(chaikhana ) with beautiful decorartion
. Walking down the streets of Dushanbe, a number of special
features attract your attention. A prominent one is the
teahouse or the chaikhana. You realize you are near a
chaikhana when you hear the music filling the air and when
you see the many colorful benches that invite the customers to
take a few minutes of rest, drink tea and listen to
the gossip of the day. In addition to tea and sweets,
kabob and rice, are often also served. Other features in the city include the National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan and Unified Museum , situated just north of the railway station in Ploshchad Aym, which has stuffed snow leopards and Marco Polo sheep amongst its exhibits. The ethnographic museum is on ulitsa Somoni, not far from the Hotel Tajikistan. Ismael Somoni Monument Botanical Gardens of Dushanbe Dushanbe Architectural Monuments Mirzo Tursunzade Mausoleum |
|
The delightful clothes
of the men and women from the villages (kishlaks) is another
interesting feature. Men wear the traditional jama (a knee-long jacket)
tied at the waist with a colorful mianband (kerchief). Their taqi
(skullcap) with its paisley design, distinguishes the wearers by
region. Women wear a kurta, made of soft, colorful, bright silk,
and a shalvar (long pants) with decorative cuffs (sheraz). Women
also wear hats with their national costume. The hats, especially
those imported from Bukhara and
Badakhshan, are either embroidered or decorated with precious
stones. Village women mostly wear colorful rusaris (scarf) tied
in the back and worn in a decorative manner more like a hat than for
cover as a veil. Farmers and herders wear a special heavy boot over
their usual shoes. The older generation wear long Islamic cloaks and
turbans.
Many of the older people wear beards; they are referred to as aksakals
(white beard) or muy sapids (Tajik, lit. white hair). |
||
Getting |
around |
|
*Hissar 30-km west of Dushanbe, on the wide mountain-fringed plain, you find the remains of an 18th centuary fortress, occupied until 1924 by Ibrahim Beg, the local henchman of the emir of Bukhara. Once a basmachi strong hold, the, the fortress was destroyed by the Red Army and all that remains is reconstructed.A scramble to the top is rewarded with some excellent views. Two madressas (from 18th and 19th centuary)are beside the fortress. The older medresssa (facing the fortress gate) contains a small museum with displays of clothing, ceramics and jewellery. A 16th centuary mausoleum of Makhtum Azam (an Islamic master) is beyond the medrassas. Visiting the calm and pleasant Chaykhane (Teahouse), at the foot of the grassy slopes around the fortress is a must. To get high quickly, contact Intourist, and ask to visit their boar-hunting base north of Dushanbe in Hissar rang. More *Ancient Sogdian lake of Iskander-kul, north of Dushanbe. |
||
|
* Varzob Only 5km from the capital is the crumbling mountain resort of Varzob. The winding road offers some beautiful views as it passes through villages, before winding between dramatic rocky mountains and twisting its way up to Varzob. It is a delightful place -a valley with grass and trees as far up as the eye can see, and a narrow but turbulent brook of blue but foamy water at the bottom. Various catering places, serving mostly kabob and fish, dot the side of the brook. Your hosts will bring bread, vodka, and dried nuts to complete what the caterers at the cafe offer. More *Excursion to the mountain passes of the Kara-Tak , north of Dushanbe, walking 8-10km (5-6 miles) per day, with the baggage being carried by donkeys, and staying in mountain villages. |
|
Relaxing resorts | *The world’s tallest dam at Nurek Nurek is undeniably a fascinating and beautiful place to visit. Nurek, is situated to south-east several hours drive from Dushanbe through dramatic barren hills. Founded in 1961 next to the Vakhsh River, Nurek is an extraordinary Soviet timewarp and home to the world’s tallest dam, at 300m high, which still supplies Tajikistan with most of its electricity. Drive to the top of the dam to enjoy a spectacular view of the crystal clear waters surrounded by a backdrop of jagged red rock hills. Note: The Anzob pass connecting north and south Tajikistan closes in the autumn. Access between Khujand/Penjikent and Dushanbe is possible by air, or by taking a long and circuitous route through Uzbekistan. |
|
Food & |
Drinks |
|
Some restaurants in Dushanbe: *Taj Mahal (Indian) Addresse: 22 Rudaki street Tel: +992-372- 23 42 79 E-mail: [email protected] *Restaurant Kapris (European style) Address: 32, Ghafurov Street, 82-y mikrorayon Tel: +992 (0)372- 379 450 *Delhi Darbar (Indian) Address: 88 Rudaki Street, Dushanbe Tel: +992 (0)372 -218 863, +992 (0)372 - 242 546 *Restaurant Elite(European & local style) Address: Chapaev Street (opposite Radio House), Dushanbe Tel: +992 (0)372- 212 512 *Bar-Restaurant Polonaise (Exquisite European and Tajik cuisine) Address: 2nd floor, 35/1 Bohtar Street , Dushanbe Tel: +992 (0)372 - 212 526 *Restaurant Continent (Mostly European cuisine with Continent specials ) Address:32, Buchoro Street , Dushanbe Tel: +992 (0)372 - 214 498 *Bar/Restaurant Intourist-Tojikiston (European & local style) (22, Shotemur Street Tel:+992 (0)372 - 217 077 , +992 (0)372 - 213 352 Fax:+992 (0)372 - 216 426 More |
Some café, bar in Dushanbe
: *Shahrom (European style) Address:16, Kirov (Husein-Zoda) Street, Dushanbe *Bar Manhattan Address: 32, Shotemur Street, Dushanbe *Bar Vostochny (local & Russian style) Address: 56, Rudaki Avenue *Cafe Romashka Address: 33, Rudaki Avenue *Bar Intourist-Tojikiston- Two bars (European & local style) (22, Shotemur Street Tel:+992 (0)372 - 217 077 , +992 (0)372 - 213 352 Fax:+992 (0)372 - 216 426 *Bar Polonaise (Exquisite European and Tajik cuisine) Address: 2nd floor, 35/1 Bohtar Street , Dushanbe Tel: +992 (0)372 - 212 526 *Rohat teahouse - (interesting) (traditional Persian teahouse) Address: 84, Rudaki street More |
|
Adventure |
||
Tourists are attracted in Tajikistan by opportunities for alpine mountaineering, rock climbing, walking, fishing, or simply relaxing among dramatic mountains and lakes. For alpine climbing, high level walking tours and lakeland scenery the Fansky Gory (Fann mountains) in the North West of the country, just a couple of hours from both Penjikent and Dushanbe. This is a favorite place for trekking and climbing. Tajikistan offers the best trekking and most spectacular scenery in Central Asia. In other Central Asian countries the border guards can be hostile, whereas Tajiks are naturally friendly and hospitable, so it’s easier to become friends. The Pamir mountains, often described as the Roof of the World, are extraordinarily beautiful and one of the last remaining unexplored regions on earth; closed to the outside world for almost a century because of their politically sensitive location between the USSR and China. More about |
||
History |
|
|
Soghdians, a people of Iranian language
(the Tajiks) ranging among the most important peoples of
pre-Islamic Central Asia between 1,000 and
500 BC. The ethnic and territorial name
"Soghd/Soghdian" occurs in historical sources as early as in
Iranian Achaemenid times (6th century B.C.). Soghdiana, a distinct region that intermittently existed as a combination of separate oasis states and sometimes was subject to other states. Two important cities in what is now northern Tajikistan, Khojand (formerly Leninabad) and Panjakent, as well as Bukhoro (Bukhara) and Samarqand (Samarkand) in contemporary Uzbekistan, were Soghdian in antiquity . In their heartland, the Zarafshan valley, they founded several city-states, as well as colonies along the ancient Silk Routes from Eastern Europe (Crimea) to the Chinese border and Mongolia . Alexander the Great took this area in the 4th century BC. The Arabs conquered Soghdiana in the early 600s. Under Muslim rule, especially with Samanid support, Soghdiana grew to encompass Maymurgh, Qabodian, Kushaniyya, Bukhara, Kish, Nasaf, Samarqand, and Panjekent, each a virtual kingdom. The Tajiks came into prominence as a people under the rule of the Samanids (875-999) who undermined and, to a great degree centralized the government. They also revived the ancient urban centers as Bukhara, Samarqand, Merv, Nishapur, Hirat, Balkh, Khujand, Panjekent, and Holbuq which, in turn, elevated the socio-political, economic and, necessarily, cultural dynamics of the new and progressive Samanid state. |
||
F rom the early days
of its establishment situated at a crossroads of old trade routs
of the East Khojand turned to be one of the most important economic,
strategic and cultural centres in Central Asia. The so-called "Great
silk rout" went via it connected ancient Greece, Rome, Asia Minor and
Egypt with China, Persia and India. Goods of silk and jewellery
manufactured by Khojand craftsmen were well- known far beyond the
countries of the East. And today the old names of different city
quarters reflect the importance of the once so much popular crafts:
Pillakashon (silk-weavers), Zargaron (jewellers), Sangburron
(stone-masons), etc. An unknown medieval author called Khojandi "the dwelling of the astronomical science stars" was born here. In later years Khojand appeared to become the centre of different historical events. Ruined by the Arabs in the eighth century it strongly resisted the Mongol hordes five centuries later having thus provisionally stemmed their advance to the West. |
||
In the year of 1866 Central Asia was
occupied by Russia. In 1929, after
establishing of soviet system in Central Asia, the Tajiks
got their Autonomous SSR (ASSR). Although only a satellite
of the Uzbek SSR. In 1929 this was upgraded to a full union republic,
although (perhaps in reprisal for the basmachi revolt) Samarqand and
Bukhara, two Tajik culture centres, where the population are Tajiks,
remained in Uzbekistan. As recently as 1989 the government of
Tajikistan was still trying to persuade the Soviet leadership to return
these areas. The Bolshoviks never fully trusted this troublesome republic and during the 1930s almost all Tajiks in positions of influence within the government were replaced by stooges from Moscow. Read more |
Up |
All text and photographs (c)
Tirdâd Gorgâni 2003 (Last uppdate April 2005) |