Dushanbe is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. Dushanbe means "Monday"
in the Tajik language. It was so named because it grew from a village that
originally had a popular market on Mondays. Until 1929, the city was known
in Russian as Dyushambe, and from 1929 to 1961 as Stalinabad. As of 2014,
Dushanbe has a population of 778,500. History
Situated at the confluence of two rivers, Varzob and Kofarnihon, Dushanbe
is the capital of Tajikistan. Although archaeological remnants dating to the
5th century BC have been discovered in the area, there is little to suggest
that Dushanbe was more than a small village until the early 20th century. In
1920, the last Emir of Bukhara briefly took refuge in Dushanbe after being
overthrown by the Bolshevik revolution. He fled to Afghanistan after the Red
Army conquered the area the next year. Dushanbe, which means "Monday" in Tajik,
developed on the site of a Monday marketplace village, Dyushambe-Bozor,
and its former name Dyushambe was a Russified version of the word meaning
"Monday" in Tajik The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic was
created in 1929, and following that event the city of Dushanbe developed at
a rapid pace. The city was renamed as Stalinabad
between 1931 and 1961. The Soviets transformed the area into a
centre for cotton and silk production, and tens of thousands of people
relocated to the city. The population also increased with thousands of Tajiks
migrating to Tajikistan following the transfer of Bukhara and Samarkand to the
Uzbek SSR. Severe rioting occurred in February
1990, after it was rumored that Moscow planned to relocate tens of thousands of
Armenian refugees to Tajikistan. The Dushanbe riots were primarily fueled by
concerns about housing shortages for the Tajik population, but they coincided
with a wave of nationalist unrest that swept Transcaucasia and other Central
Asian states during the twilight of Gorbachev's era.
Climate Dushanbe features a Mediterranean
climate, with some continental climate influences. The summers are hot and dry
and the winters are chilly, but not very cold. The climate is damper than other
Central Asian capitals, with an average annual rainfall over 500 millimetres as
moist air is funnelled by the surrounding valley during the winter and
spring. Winters are not as cold as further north owing to the shielding of
the city by mountains from extremely cold air from Siberia. January 2008 was
particularly cold, and the temperature dropped to −22 °C.
Economy Tajik Air has its head office on the
grounds of Dushanbe Airport in Dushanbe. Somon Air has its head office in
Dushanbe. Main sights
Tajikistan National Museum Vahdat Palace
Dushanbe Flagpole—It is the second tallest free-standing flagpole in the
world, at a height of 165 metres, Dushanbe Zoo
Gurminj Museum of Musical Instruments Dushanbe Synagogue
Education A number of educational facilities are
based in Dushanbe: Tajik State National University
Tajikistan Humanitarian International University
Agricultural University of Tajikistan Tajik State Medical University
Tajik State Pedagogical University Tajik State University of Commerce
Tajikistan State University of Law, Business, & Politics
Russian-Tajik Slavonic University Tajikistan University of Technology
Tajikistan-Russian Modern University Technical University of Tajikistan
Dushanbe International School Transport
The city is served by Dushanbe International Airport which as of April
2015, had regularly scheduled flights to major cities in Russia, Central Asia, as
well as Delhi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Kabul, Tehran, and Ürümqi
amongst others. Tajikistan's principle railways are in the southern region and
connect Dushanbe with the industrial areas of the Gissar and Vakhsh valleys
and with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia.
The Dushanbe trolleybus system operates public buses in the city. Automobiles
are the main form of transportation in the country and as of 2014 many highway
and tunnel construction projects are underway or have recently been
completed. Major projects include rehabilitation of the Dushanbe – Chanak,
Dushanbe – Kulma, Kurgan-Tube – Nizhny Pyanj highways and construction of
tunnels under the mountain passes of Anzob, Shakhristan, Shar-Shar and
Chormazak. Demographics
The population of Dushanbe: in 1987 was about 796,000 and was made
up of ethnic Tajiks, Uzbeks, ethnic Russians, and others;
in 2011 was about 679,400 and was made up of ethnic Tajiks, Uzbeks, Russians,
and others. Districts
Dushanbe is divided into the following districts:
Avicenna Ferdowsi
Ismail Samani Shah Mansur
International relations = Twin towns – Sister cities=
Dushanbe is twinned with: See also
Opera Orchestra of Dushanbe School for Deaf and Mute
References 17: "The Cardinal of the Kremlin" by Tom
Clancy 1988 External links
Menu.tj - Web portal about Dushanbe Pictures of Dushanbe
Dushanbe pictures through eyes of westerner
Tajik Web Gateway Boulder-Dushanbe Sister Cities
www.dushanbeairport.com – Dushanbe International Airport unofficial website
Dushanbe - TimeLapse Dushanbe travel guide from Wikivoyage