Tajikistan

Tajikistan is a state in Central Asia, bordered to the north by Kyrgyzstan, to the west by Uzbekistan, to the east by China and to the south by Afghanistan. It is the most “mountainous” country of the CIS countries, 93% of which are occupied by mountains. Tajikistan is the beginning of the Pamirs, here is the peak of Ismoil Somoni (former peak of Communism) – the highest point in the USSR (7495 m). In addition to breathtaking mountains in Tajikistan you can see beautiful highland lakes, rushing mountain rivers, magnificent waterfalls and wonderful mineral springs.

tadjikistan woman

The area of the country is about 140 thousand sq. km. The capital of Tajikistan is Dushanbe, with a population of more than 800 thousand people.

The history of Tajikistan is very ancient and extremely interesting for those who are fond of Persian culture. For thousands of years this land has changed under the influence of different cultures, conquerors, peaceful trade caravans. Bactria and Sogdiana were the first states that existed on the territory of Tajikistan before our era. Later, the Samanid, Karahnid and Ghaznavid states flourished in these lands at different times. Later the Gurid Sultanate was established here, then came the reign of the Kartids and later the invasion of Tamerlane’s troops.

In the 1920s Tajikistan became part of the USSR. In 1991, it gained independence.

The official language is Tajik, it belongs to the Persian (Iranian) language group. In the countries of Central Asia of the CIS, Tajik is a special language, as the national languages of all other countries of this region (Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) belong to the Turkic languages.

The population of the country is 8 million people. Religion – the majority of the population professes Islam (Sunni).

In Tajikistan, the climate is predominantly mountainous, which means it is warm in the valleys, cool in the middle mountains and cold in the highlands. The local climate is characterized by sharp fluctuations in daily temperatures and low average annual precipitation. From October till May, strong winds and sometimes blizzards blow in the mountains.

Summer begins early, in May, but summer temperatures in the valleys do not rise above +38°C. Winter in the valleys is warm, it does not fall below -5 degrees Celsius.

Tajik cuisine.

tadjikistan roads

The dishes of Central Asian nations are similar because of the interpenetration of cultures, nevertheless you will feel the difference between lepeshkas, manty, lagman and pilaf cooked in Tajikistan and these same dishes cooked in other Central Asian countries. Each cuisine has its own nuances, and it is doubly enjoyable to taste a favorite dish in different national variations.

The best time to visit the country in general is spring and autumn, and for mountain climbing – summer.

The currency unit is Tajik Somoni (named after Ismail Somoni, the founder of the first Tajik state).

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