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Dushanbe
Also known as Dyushambe, Stalinabad
Dushanbe is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 1,228,400, with this population being largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe, and from 1929 to 1961 as Stalinabad, after Joseph Stalin. Dushanbe is located in the Hisar Valley, bounded by the Hisar Range in the north and east and the Babatag, Aktau, Rangontau and Karatau mountains in the south, and has an elevation of 750–930 m. The city is divided into four districts: Ismail Samani, Avicenna, Ferdowsi, and Shah Mansur.
AI overview
Dushanbe is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan, located in the Hisar Valley with a population of over 1.2 million people who are predominantly Tajik. The city, which was renamed from Stalinabad in 1961, serves as the country's main urban center and is divided into four districts surrounded by mountain ranges.
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Key facts
Travel guide
Understand
Dushanbe, sitting at about 800 m in the Hisor Valley basin at the confluence of the Varzob and Kofarnihon Rivers, is the main population center of the country with about 1.2 million people in 2022.
It has seen instances of human habitation since neolithic times, witnessing the presence of great civilizations like the Greco-Bactrians and the many iterations of the Persian Empire. Dushanbe began life as a small nondescript village existing simply as a place to host a weekly Monday market (indeed Dushanbe is Tajik for "Monday"), but received a whirlwind of development when it was chosen to be the capital of the Tajik ASSR (Associated Soviet Socialist Republic), which was an autonomous region of the larger Uzbek SSR during the Soviet Union. In the 1930s, the Tajik ASSR was carved away from the Uzbek one and made equal, and Dushanbe now found itself one of the 15 main capitals within the Soviet Union. During most of the Soviet Union, Dushanbe was known as Stalinabad.
With the withdrawal of Soviet influence in the dissolution of the USSR, Dushanbe regained its former name but went through schisms of identity crisis alongside the country as it plunged into a civil war that lasted from 1992 - 1997. Even now, it struggles somewhat to exert full control over the entire country, but it nonetheless takes on the dynamics of Tajikistan's main commercial center and happening place.
Dushanbe's central location in Tajikistan makes it a perfect launchpad for excursions across the country.
Drink
While drinking alcohol openly isn't strictly allowed, you'd never know and the outdoor beer cafes are some of the nicest places to spend a sunny afternoon; priced at 4-5 somoni per beer, they are also some of the cheapest. You'll always be able to find "zakuskas" here, snacks to have alongside beer. Plaited smoked cheese, "kasichky" ("chechil") and small pieces of battered fish are popular, as is "kurut", hard salty balls of parmesan-like cheese.
Stay safe
In general, Dushanbe is safe but robberies and street crime do sometimes occur even in broad daylight although this is rare. The police force can sometimes seem a little ineffective. Avoid attracting police attention, as the law enforcement officials are primarily concerned with augmenting their small income. People tend to be private and conservative but with a little effort they can be incredibly welcoming and genuine.
Many people complain about corrupt airport officials, who try to scam departing passengers. For further information and how to avoid problems Google "Dushanbe airport scam".
~73 min read
Article
48 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Ancient times
- Market town
- Capital of the Tajik ASSR
- Capital of the Tajik SSR
- Riots and unrest
- Capital of Tajikistan
- Geography
- Climate
- Flora and fauna
- Districts
- Main sights
- Demographics
- Religion
- Education
- Transportation
- Air transport
- Road system
- Rail transport
- Trolleybus system
- Metro system
- Infrastructure
- Architecture
- Electricity
- Water and sanitation
- Parks
- Cemeteries
- Healthcare
- Economy
- Culture
- Performing arts
- Literature
- Visual arts
- Film
- Sports
- Media
- Newspapers and magazines
- Radio
- Television
- Notable people
- International relations
- Twin towns – sister cities
- International conferences
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
Dushanbe is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 1,228,400, with this population being largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe, and from 1929 to 1961 as Stalinabad, after Joseph Stalin. Dushanbe is located in the Hisar Valley, bounded by the Hisar Range in the north and east and the Babatag, Aktau, Rangontau and Karatau mountains in the south, and has an elevation of 750–930 m. The city is divided into four districts: Ismail Samani, Avicenna, Ferdowsi, and Shah Mansur.
In ancient times, what is now or is close to modern Dushanbe was settled by various empires and peoples, including Mousterian tool-users, various neolithic cultures, the Achaemenid Empire, Greco-Bactria, the Kushan Empire, and Hephthalites. In the Middle Ages, more settlements began near modern-day Dushanbe such as Hulbuk and its famous palace. From the 17th to early 20th century, Dushanbe grew into a market village controlled at times by the Beg of Hisor, Balkh, and finally Bukhara, before being conquered by the Russian Empire. Dushanbe was captured by the Bolsheviks in 1922, and the town was made the capital of the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924, which commenced Dushanbe's development and rapid population growth that continued until the Tajik Civil War. After the war, the city became capital of an independent Tajikistan and continued its growth and development into a modern city, today home to many international conferences.
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