Tajikistan is located in Central (Central) Asia. It borders
Afghanistan in the south, China in the east, Kyrgyzstan in the
north, and Uzbekistan in the west and northwest. The area of the
country is 143,000 km2, the population at the end of 2022 is more
than 10 million people.
Tajikistan is a former republic of
the USSR. It received its modern borders only in the 30s of the XX
century. At the same time, territories predominantly populated by
Tajiks, such as Samarkand and Bukhara, went to Uzbekistan. The main
monuments of historical Tajik culture remained there.
In
Soviet times, Tajikistan was the poorest of all 15 republics. With
the advent of independence, the situation only worsened due to the
outbreak of the civil war of 1992-1997. With the assistance of
Russia, the war ended. From that time until now, a native of Dangara
Emomali Rahmon (president of the republic) has been in power.
However, active opponents of the current government are still hiding
in the Pamir mountains. In the Gorno-Badakhshan region, armed riots
periodically occur.
Now the economic situation is slowly
improving. The main official income of the republic is connected
with hydropower. Unofficial - with drug trafficking from
Afghanistan. The amounts sent by migrant workers to the country
amount to 60% of GDP. According to this indicator, Tajikistan ranks
first in the world. Most migrants go to work in Russia.
Most
of the country is occupied by mountains: Pamir and Pamir-Alai (Fan
Mountains). On the territory of Tajikistan there are several
seven-thousanders, including the highest point of the Soviet Union,
Communism Peak (7495 meters). The current name is Ismail Somoni
Peak.
The Republic of Tajikistan administratively consists of the
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), Sughd and Khatlon regions, as
well as regions of republican subordination (RRS): Varzob, Vakhdat,
Gissar, Dzhirgatala, Nurabad, Rasht, Rogun, Rudaki, Tavildara,
Tajikabad, Tursunzade, Fayzabadsky, Shakhrinavsky. GBAO, Sughd and
Khatlon regions also have their own districts.
From the point of
view of the traveler, the cities and regions of the country can be
divided as follows:
Ferghana Valley
The Ferghana Valley is the
northernmost region of Tajikistan. It occupies the northern half of the
territory of the Sughd region. The Fergana Valley of Tajikistan is part
of the larger Fergana Valley, which Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan share with
Tajikistan. Most of the territory of the region is occupied by valleys
surrounded by high mountains (from the north the valley is limited by
the Kuraminsky Range, from the south by the Turkestan Range). The region
is famous for its fertile lands, rich and beautiful nature. The Syrdarya
River flows through the region. From the northern and western sides, the
region borders on Uzbekistan, on the eastern side, on Kyrgyzstan. Here,
the Uzbek diaspora as a whole makes up at least 20% of the population.
Zeravshan valley
The Zeravshan Valley is the western region of
Tajikistan. Covers the southern part of the Sughd region. From the
north, the region borders on the rest of the Sughd region, from the
northeast and east by Kyrgyzstan, from the southeast and south by
regions of republican subordination, and from the west by Uzbekistan.
Karategin
Karategin is the central region of Tajikistan. Covers
the entire territory of the regions of republican subordination (RRS).
It is on the territory of this region that the capital of Tajikistan,
Dushanbe, is located. From the north it borders with the Sughd region,
from the northeast by Kyrgyzstan, from the south by the Khatlon region,
from the east by the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, and from the
west by Uzbekistan. The east of Karategin is considered a stronghold of
the Islamists, and because of this, there are increased security
measures, but it does not pose a danger to the traveler.
Khatlon
Khatlon is the southern region of Tajikistan. Covers the entire
territory of the Khatlon region. From the south, the region borders on
Afghanistan, from the north by regions of republican subordination, from
the east by the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, and from the west by
Uzbekistan.
Pamir
Khatlon is the southern region of
Tajikistan. Covers the entire territory of the Khatlon region. From the
south, the region borders on Afghanistan, from the north by regions of
republican subordination, from the east by the Gorno-Badakhshan
Autonomous Region, and from the west by Uzbekistan.
Dushanbe is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. It is a city
of republican significance, the largest scientific, cultural, political,
economic and industrial center of the country. As of the beginning of
2022, the population of the city is about 900 thousand people, and with
the agglomeration around it - over one and a half million people. The
area of the city is 203.1 km². The first written mention of Dushanbe
occurs at the end of 1676. In 1826-1923 the city was called
Dushanbe-Kurgan, in 1924-1929 Dyushambe, in 1929-1961 Stalinabad, and
from November 1961 Dushanbe.
Khujand (formerly Leninabad) is the
second largest city in Tajikistan, located in the north of the country.
The administrative center of the Sughd region. As of 2022, the
population of the city is about 200 thousand people, and with the
agglomeration around it, about 800 thousand people. The area of the city
is 285 km². Khujand is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia.
Bokhtar (formerly Kurgan-Tube) is the third largest city in Tajikistan,
located in the southwest of the country. The administrative center of
the Khatlon region. As of 2022, the population of the city is over 120
thousand people, and with the agglomeration around it, about 150,000
people. The area of the city is 26 km².
Kulob is the fourth
largest city in Tajikistan, located in the south of the country. It is
part of the Khatlon region. As of 2022, the population of the city is
over 110 thousand people, and with the agglomeration around it, about
120,000 people. The area of the city is about 20 km².
Istaravshan
(formerly Ura-Tyube) in the Sughd region is the only city in Tajikistan
where the medieval structure of the urban environment has been preserved
in the center with narrow streets, houses overlooking them with blank
walls and fences, as well as several medieval monuments, including the
Kok-Gumbaz mosque of the 15th century .
Khorog is the
administrative center and the only city of the Gorno-Badakhshan
Autonomous Region. As a city, it is not particularly interesting, but if
you are going to Gorno-Badakhshan, you cannot do without Khorog. Over 35
thousand people live here, and most of them are representatives of the
Pamir peoples.
Ancient cities
Penjikent
Isfara
Kanibadam
Other destinations
The Great Silk Road on the territory of
Tajikistan
Reserve Tigrovaya Balka
Pamir
Lake Karakul
Sarez
Lake - currently closed to foreigners due to the threat of a
breakthrough.
Lake Iskanderkul
Kairakum reservoir
By plane
Tajikistan has four international airports in four
cities: Dushanbe, Khujand, Kulyab and Kurgan-Tube. The largest of them
is Dushanbe International Airport, which as of April 2022 has regular
flights with the following cities: Istanbul, Dubai, Mashhad, Tashkent,
Almaty, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Sochi,
Mineralnye Vody, Kazan , Naberezhnye Chelny, Samara, Ufa, Chelyabinsk,
Yekaterinburg, Nizhnevartovsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk,
Khujand International Airport, in addition to the above Russian cities,
additionally has flights with Samarkand, Surgut and Barnaul, and Kulyab
Airport additionally with Nizhny Novgorod and Perm.
All airports
in Tajikistan are naturally connected with each other by air. There are
four airlines operating in the country: Tajik Air, Somon Air, East Air,
Asia Airways. In addition to local airlines, foreign airlines, including
Russian ones, also operate in the country.
By train
Rail
transport is not developed enough and therefore is not popular not only
among tourists, but also among the local population. The length of
public railways in the country is 680 km. The railway network consists
of two lines: Termez - Dushanbe - Vahdat - Yavan - Bokhtar - Kulyab and
Bekabad - Shurab with a branch line to Khujand. There is no railway
connection between Dushanbe and Khujand. By rail from foreign countries
it is connected with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and only freight
transportation is carried out.
By car
Road transport is the
most developed type of transport in Tajikistan. By car, you can get to
Tajikistan through Uzbekistan, at three border crossings in Tashkent,
Samarkand and Surkhandarya regions. The country also has road links with
Kyrgyzstan in the north of the country, with China in the east, and with
Afghanistan in the south.
By bus
Intercity bus service is not
developed due to dangerous roads that pass through passes, high
mountains, tunnels and roads along steep cliffs, but exists in low-lying
areas of the north, south and west of the country.
By ship
Tajikistan has no access to the sea and, accordingly, does not have a
navy. There are numerous lakes in the country (for example, Lake Sarez
and Kairakkum reservoir) with a fairly large area; boats and boats are
used only for fishing and other purposes, including tourism. Due to the
border status and low water level, there is practically no movement of
boats and boats along the Pyanj River.
The main transport of movement between the settlements of Tajikistan
is automobile. Many mountain roads are poorly paved but are gradually
being restored. Jeep taxis are common on these roads.
The road
between the country's two largest cities, Dushanbe and Khujand, passes
through two Iranian-built tunnels. The tunnels are located on Mount
Anzob and Shahristan. The track has a good asphalt surface. From
Dushanbe to Khujand can be reached by taxi for $20-25.
Public
transport in Dushanbe includes a fixed-route taxi, a taxi, a bus and a
trolleybus. Public transport in many cities are Hyundai minibuses (1
somoni or $0.20) and taxi minibuses and taxis themselves (usually Opel,
Samand or Daewoo brands) (3 somoni or $0.60).
The state and official language of the country is Tajik, which is
actually a variant or dialect of the Persian language (also known as
Farsi), whose speakers understand each other almost without problems.
The Tajik language belongs to the Iranian group of the Indo-European
family of languages (and not to the Turkic, as the inhabitants think),
and the inhabitants of Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran in general can
communicate with each other without an interpreter. From the 7th century
until 1929, writing was based on the Arabic-Persian script, and with the
advent of Soviet power, in 1930 the Tajik language was translated into
Latin, and in 1940 it was translated into Cyrillic, which is used to
this day.
The language of interethnic communication is officially
recognized by the Constitution of the republic as Russian, which is
understood without problems by about 80% of the population. Usually, in
cities, almost everyone will understand Russian (except for some women),
but in rural areas not everyone will understand it (mostly the elderly
and adults, as well as young people who have visited Russia). About 35%
of the population speak Uzbek at various levels. As a rule, Tajiks who
speak Uzbek are mainly distributed in the Sughd region of the country,
where Uzbeks make up more than 30% of the population, and also partially
in the south and in the extreme southwest of the country. English has
also become popular in recent years and is spoken mainly among young
people and tourism workers.
Purchases
The country's currency
is the Tajik somoni (TJS). In banks, they exchange rubles, dollars and
other currencies for somoni without any problems. In tourist bases in
the mountains, both somoni and foreign currencies are accepted for
payment. In the bazaars, you can buy fruits and vegetables very cheaply
by the standards of other countries, in addition, you can and should
bargain.
in Dushanbe and its environs:
National Museum of Tajikistan
Flagpole in Dushanbe
Memorial Ensemble of Ismoili Somoni
Opera
and Ballet Theatre. S. Aini
Hissar fortress
Sughd region:
Mosque-madrasah of Abdulatif Sultan
Museum of History and Local
Lore of Archeology and Fortification
Fann Mountains
Seven
lakes - Haft kul (Marguzor lakes)
Lake Iskandarkul
Kairakkum
reservoir
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region:
Pamir
mountains for mountaineering
Lake Sarez
Lake Karakul
Hot
spring "Garmchashma"
Khatlon region:
Mausoleum of Amir Ali
Hamadoni in Kulyab
Childukhtaron in Khovaling
Mausoleum of
Khoja Mashhad
Archological site "Ajina-Teppa"
Sanatorium
"Chilluchorchashma"
"Safedara"
Khulbuk Historical and Cultural
Reserve
Nurek reservoir
Reserve Tigrovaya Balka and much more.
Things to do
Tourists primarily visit the mountainous
regions. You can do both light trekking and serious climbing. The
main regions are the Fann Mountains and the Pamirs.
Food
Tajik cuisine is similar to Uzbek and Afghan. Kurutob, pilaf,
kebabs, samsa, shurpa, manti, chuchvara (here they are called
barak), kazan-kebab, lagman, mastava are popular.
You can eat
cheaply in street eateries: barbecue 6-15 somoni, a portion of some
kind of soup 5-12 somoni, pies with potatoes 0.5-5 somoni, pasties
1-5 somoni. In cafes and canteens: from 15 somoni for lunch. Going
to a restaurant will cost from 35 somoni (in Dushanbe and Khujand -
from 70 somoni).
Night life
In the usual sense, nightlife
fully and in general in a civilized form exists only in Dushanbe and
in single establishments in Khujand.
Where to stay
In
large cities of Tajikistan there are ordinary hotels and hostels
where you can stay, it is usually possible to book such
accommodation in advance. However, in small towns and villages,
there is usually no organized accommodation for the night. If you
find yourself in such a place and are looking for an overnight stay,
ask the locals, someone will definitely let you in for the night. In
principle, they do not expect a reward, but are unlikely to refuse
if offered one.
Precautionary measures
Tajikistan is a
secular state, but in the post-Soviet space it is the most
conservative Muslim country. Keep in mind that the majority of the
inhabitants are believing Muslims, mostly Sunnis. With the exception
of Dushanbe and Khujand, you should not wear short shorts and
T-shirts, and when visiting religious institutions and monuments you
should not enter with bare shins and too open arms, but in fact this
rule is not observed everywhere, and almost no one will reprimand
you.
The Tajik police have long been considered one of the most
corrupt in the world. On the occasion of the year of tourism
declared in 2018, reforms were undertaken to eliminate or minimize
corruption among police officers. However, you should be careful
when dealing with them. Police officers or traffic police (if you
are with your car) can be asked to show registration at any time,
this requirement is legal. At the same time, you should not go on
about and pay the required fines on the spot or give away your
property. In case of conflict situations, you can ask to go to the
department.
Most of the year Tajikistan is hot and sunny. It is
recommended that you bring sun cream with you and be sure to have
enough drinking water. In the Pamirs and the highlands, it can be
very cold and windy in the morning and evening.
Drinking from the
tap and brushing your teeth with running water is not recommended;
it is better to use bottled water bought from trusted places for
this. The exceptions are mountain springs and artesian water.
Tajikistan is considered a fairly safe country, but you should be
careful in the southern parts of the country, especially in the
south of the Khatlon region and in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous
Region.
Homosexual relations are now decriminalized in
Tajikistan, but the vast majority (even young people) have an
extremely negative attitude towards same-sex relations and the LGBT
movement as a whole. Try not to advertise your preferences and
positions on these issues.
Connection
The international
dialing code of Tajikistan is +992. Internet domain of the country
.tj The following mobile operators operate in the republic:
Babylon Mobile http://babilon-m.tj
Tcell (Indigo)http://tcell.tj
M Teko
MLT (Megafon)
Such (Beeline)
somocom
TK-mobile
Skytel CDMA