Welcome to Dushanbe, the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. It lies in the Hisar Valley, framed by mountains, at an elevation of 750 to 930 metres. Its name has changed over the years: until 1929 it was known in Russian as Dyushambe, and from 1929 to 1961 as Stalinabad, after Joseph Stalin. From the 17th century it grew into a market village, and in 1924 it became the capital of the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which set off its rapid growth. Today it is the capital of an independent Tajikistan. Let's explore its grand squares and parks.
Dushanbe Flagpole
Photo: Khwahan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLook up, and keep looking. The Dushanbe Flagpole stands 165 metres tall, and from its completion in 2011 until 2014 it was the tallest flagpole in the world. It flies a flag of Tajikistan measuring 30 by 60 metres and weighing 700 kilograms. The pole is made of steel sections, each 12 metres long, fabricated in Dubai and fitted together by crane. Fittingly, construction began on Tajikistan's National Flag Day in 2010, and the flagpole was part of the celebrations for 20 years of independence.
Palace of the Nation
In the centre of the city stands the Palace of the Nation, the official residence of the President of Tajikistan, built by an Italian company. It is framed by the great flagpole to the north, Rudaki Park to the east, Dousti Square to the south and the Varzob River to the west. Its construction began in 2000, and it has a painful side to its history: to make room for it, the city's synagogue, the only one in the country, was demolished, along with Jewish schools and a ritual bath.
Tajikistan National Museum
Photo: Шухрат Саъдиев · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsStep into the National Museum of Tajikistan, a vast building with a total area of 24,000 square metres, more than 15,000 of them exhibition halls. Its collections are divided into four departments: natural history, ancient and medieval history, modern and contemporary history, and fine and applied arts. Together they offer a journey from the region's landscapes to its artistic traditions.
Victory Park
Photo: Zack Knowles · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsHigh in the hilly part of the city lies Victory Park, created in honour of the Great Patriotic War and opened for the 40th anniversary of the victory. At its centre burns an eternal flame, beside an alley of heroes and a sculpture of a mother. At the foot of the stairs, a granite slab bears the names of Tajik soldiers who were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. It is a favourite spot for locals, reached by a funicular, and on Victory Day parades are held here.
Dousti Square
Photo: Шухрат Саъдиев · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsWe end at Dousti Square, Friendship Square, the largest square in Dushanbe. It began to take shape in the 1930s, and in 1961 a bronze statue of Lenin was raised here, completing the square. Its story mirrors the country's: after independence was declared in 1991, the Lenin statue was torn down, and a monument to the poet Ferdowsi appeared in its place. The square later took the name Ozodi, meaning freedom.
Lomakuume
