Dushanbe

Dushanbe is the capital of Tajikstan where the population of 800.000 lives․ Dushanbe literally means Monday-“du “ stands for two and “shambe “ is the week in Persian.  The city was built on the site of a village, which had a famous Monday bazaar. This is how it got the name.  

An interesting thing to notice in the city are slogans on the trolleybuses and buses, which have the colours of the flag of Tajikistan: red, white and green. The slogans maybe like “there is no wealth greater than culture”, “it is an honour to live in Dushanbe”, “Rational use of water, electricity and other wealth”.  

You may also see a lot of presidential posters all around the city. Tajikistan is a presidential republic and the head of the state is  So if you don’t know the president Emomali Rahmon, you will get to know him by the numerous posters on the walls of the city. 

Dushanbe has the honour of having one of the tallest flag poles in the world, which stands in front of the Palace of Nation in the middle of a modernly-designed park. You can do a lot of sightseeing in Dushanbe. Below you can read about some of the best sightseeing destinations in the city.  

The National Museum of Tajikistan: The museum comprises of  22 large and small exhibitions halls that display various exhibits on antiquity, the Middle Ages, fine and applied arts, nature, and modern and contemporary history.  
Mevlana Yakub Charki Mosque: This is a stunning destination which you shouldn’t miss when you're in Dushanbe. It is a 15th-century mosque with amazing Persian architecture.  

Rudaki Park: This is an interesting location to stroll around, go for picnics due to the large area of trees, fountains, flower gardens. There is also a nice view of the city and the statue of Rudaki, who is the founder of the classic Tajik language. 

An interesting and grandiose complex is Kokhi Navruz, which was a huge teahouse and now is turned into a museum of handicrafts. Inside there are the four main conference halls, an art gallery, movie theatre, nightclub, chaikhona, bowling alley. You can find more information on their website, but it only has a Russian version.  

For learning more about the Tajik culture and history you can visit the National Museum, National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan,  Gurminj museum, which houses collections of musical instruments, etc. 

There are several local bazaars, Mehrong bazaar, Rudaki, Korvon, Vadanosos(Varzob) where you can find traditional, local food, fruits, vegetables, clothing, fabric, etc.  You can also shop in western-style shopping malls like Dushanbe mall and Munisa mall.  
If you have time for a day-trip, Hisor Fortress can be a perfect destination, 37km far from Dushanbe.