tajikistan
Dushanbe- the capital of Tajikistan is translated as “Monday”.
During soviet union times it had been called as Stalinabad for
about 30 years. In the 17th centuries on the
crossroads of Asian roads emerged a village where on Mondays
functioned an eastern bazaar. As time went on, village grew and
soon became
a regional center, markets
actively developed and functioned not only Mondays but the rest
of the week as well but people kept calling the city as
Dushanbe.
Modern
Dushanbe is cultural, social and political center of Tajikistan. Under
the neo-classical facades
of skyscrapers in the
old-fashioned eateries
Tajiks still cook
fragrant pilaf while
old men gather
in the tea
houses which are alternative for western pubs.
The main archaeological
site of Dushanbe - Hissar fortress is located 26 km from
the city. Hissar fortress is a fortified 13th century fort with
two madrasas, a mausoleum of the late 16th century
and the vast interior area. The
thickness of the walls of Hissar fortress is more than 1 m, they
are riddled with loopholes for guns and cannons. Hissar
fort once served as the residence of the Bey, the governor of
the Emir of Bukhara, in whose possession was part of Dushanbe.
Among the modern monuments most notables are the monument of
Ismail Somoni the founder of Tajik state and a statue of the
poet Rudaki who is considered as the founder of Tajik classical
poetry.
In the park you can see the great Rudaki fountains,
beautifully illuminated at night. Islamic
architecture is represented by the mosque and madrasah Haji
Yakub.
You can learn more about the history of
Tajikistan at the Museum of Antiquities, the Museum of
Archaeology and Ethnography Museum.
Museum of musical
instruments Gurminj is extremely interesting - especially when
in halls of the museum are organized musical evenings and
exhibits come to life in the hands of masters.
In the Republican library, you
can admire the valuable manuscripts of great Ferdowsi, Saadi,
and Ibn Sina.
