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At present, it is strongly advised for tourists
not to travel to Tajikistan due to political unrest and kidnappings.
For further information, contact your local embassy or the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office (website:
http://www.fco.gov.uk).
Tajikistan was never well equipped with a comprehensive infrastructure
for tourists, and some sites were destroyed in the civil war at the
end of 1992. However, there is still much to see.
DUSHANBE :
Situated only 3 hours from the border with
Afghanistan is the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, lying in the Hissar
valley in the southwest of the country. Known primarily for its
Monday market (the name Dushanbe is derived from the Tajik word for
Monday), it was no more than a village until the Trans-Caspian Railway
reached it in 1929. Soviet power had only been established in the
region for 6 years and, somewhat unoriginally, the city was renamed
Stalinabad and proclaimed capital of the new Soviet Socialist
Republic of Tajikistan. It was from here that Brezhnev launched his
invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The main points of interest all lie
on, or close to, Prospekt Rudaki, which runs from the
railway station in the south to the bus station in the north. As well
as the principal mosque, this area boasts a synagogue that dates back
to the late-19th century, a Russian church and a columned opera house.
Other features in the city include the Tajikistan Unified Museum,
situated just north of the railway station in Ploshchad Aym,
which has stuffed snow leopards and Marco Polo sheep amongst its
exhibits. The ethnographic museum is on ulitsa Somoni, not far
from the Hotel Tajikistan.
THE SOUTHWEST :
16km (10 miles) west of Dushanbe lies the
Hissar Port, a site built between the 16th and 19th centuries
which contains, among other things, a ruined citadel, two
madrassahs (Islamic seminaries), a caravanserai and a
mausoleum. Further west, at Penjikent on the Uzbek border, lie
the remains of a Sogdian fort that are only now being excavated. The
frescoes in Penjikent are reputed to be extremely fine. South of
Penjikent lie the Muragazor Lakes, a system of seven lakes of
differing colours that change as the light changes. There are remains
of Buddhist temples near Kurgan-Tyube in the south, from which
the biggest Buddha in Central Asia was recovered and is now stored,
ignominiously carved up into 60 pieces, in Dushanbe.
THE PAMIRS :
The Pamirs are at the hub of Asia. Often
described as the Roof of the World, these mountains form one of
the most unexplored regions on earth. High, cold and remote, they have
attracted climbers and hunters from the former Soviet Union for years,
but only now are they opening up for the rest of the world. The bulk
of the Pamir lies in the semi-autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan
and visitors should be aware that some elements have been conducting
an armed campaign to gain even more autonomy. However, the campaign
has been confined to a number of well-defined theatres, most of which
are well away from areas likely to interest visitors; the road between
Dushanbe and Khorog is the exception.
The only town of any significance on the Pamir Highway, which
stretches from Dushanbe into Kyrgyzstan, is Khorog. The capital
of the eastern Tajik region of Gorno-Badakhshan, Khorog is a
small one-street town with a museum containing stuffed animals and a
display of photographs of Lenin. The flight into Khorog from the Tajik
capital is said to be the most difficult in the world. Lake
Sareskoye, in the heart of the Pamirs, was formed in 1911 when the
side of a mountain was dislodged by an earthquake and fell into the
path of a mountain river. In the north of the Pamirs, Lake Kara-Kul,
formed by a meteor 10 million years ago, is 3915m (12,844ft) above
sea-level and hence too high for any aquatic life. Pik Lenina
and Mount Garmo (formerly Pik Kommunizma) are to the northwest
and west respectively of Lake Kara-Kul. At well over 7000m (22,966ft),
these two peaks tower over Tajikistan and the neighbouring republic of
Kyrgyzstan to the north. Helicopter flights are available for those
wishing to climb them. Many people are convinced that yetis are
alive and thriving in this remote wilderness.
THE SILK ROAD :
This ancient trading route was used by silk
merchants from the 2nd century until its decline in the 14th century,
and is open in parts to tourists, stretching from northern China,
through bleak and foreboding desert and mountainous terrain, to the
ports on either the Caspian Sea or Mediterranean Sea. For further
details of the route, see the Silk Road in the China section.
The main highlight for travellers along the Silk Road in Tajikistan is
its stunning natural scenery set against the Pamir and Fan mountains
and incorporating lush valleys and turquoise lakes. Trekking trips are
best arranged from Samarkand (Uzbekistan). Travel along the Silk Road
can be quite difficult due to the terrain, harsh climate and lack of
developed infrastructure. Visitors to the region are advised to travel
with an organized tour company or travel agent. |
