2018 is the year of tourism in Tajikistan. The President signed a decree on this at the end of December 2017. It provides for the attraction of tourists, the development of crafts and the preservation of the culture of this amazing country. Before visiting her, you should learn as much as possible about her, and then doubts about the trip will disappear by themselves.
The Republic of Tajikistan is the smallest in territorial terms of all the states of the Central Asian range, located in its southeastern part. Its total area is 143 thousand square meters. kilometers. But the insignificant zone in no way prevents the republic from remaining one of the most fascinating tourist sites in the vast post-Soviet space.
If we compare the tourism of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, then in the first there are much more attractions, natural beauty. The country is worth visiting. The Tourism Development Committee of Tajikistan is making great efforts to attract tourists to their country.
What do you know about Tajikistan?
Tajikistan is a region of amazing contrasts, 93% of its total territory is occupied by mountains, which are considered the most attractive in Central Asia.
The state has a great historical heritage, an original subculture, an interesting geographical location, a variety of natural reliefs and recreational areas, a fascinating flora and fauna.
Literally in one trip that fits in a short time period, you can visit absolutely all seasons, see the tundra with endless permafrost and verdant subtropics, fruit plains and glaciers in the cool haze of perennial fogs, alpine meadows, striking with a riot of colors and scorched the heat of the wasteland.
However, this state is not for connoisseurs of all-consuming comfort and convenience. Although, in fact, this can be considered one of the main "trump cards" for connoisseurs of the exotic.
Tajikistan is a completely unique state, where there is no everything synthetic, made intentionally for travelers, or brought from other civilizations. There are no busy, hectic metropolitan areas, as well as high-speed highways and neon ads that have set the teeth on edge. Only nature, a classic way of life and an open, kind, magnificent people in their own simplicity.
History
The people on the territory of today's Tajikistan, as archaeologists say, lived in the Stone Age. The central, southern and eastern parts of today's Tajikistan in ancient times were part of the slave state of Bactria, andthe regions to the north from the Gissar range belonged to the slave-owning kingdom of Sogd.
Later, these territories were conquered by Alexander the Great and his Greeks, then they were part of the Seleucid country. And this is only a small fraction of the countries whose structure included present-day Tajikistan. So, Tajikistan was still conquered by the Kushan kingdom, the Turkic Khaganate, the power of the Karakhanids, the Tatar-Mongol power, the power of the Sheibanids. In 1868, Tajikistan was annexed to the Russian Empire.
After the 1917 revolution, the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed on the land of Tajikistan as part of the Uzbek SSR. In 1929, the Tajik ASSR was reformed into one of the republics of the Soviet Union.
Only in 1991 Tajikistan declared its own independence.
Shopping
Weaving and sewing - that's what Tajikistan is mostly remarkable for. A memorable gift from this country is objects of national clothing: famous wadded robes (by the way, they are not at all hot in the summer season), embroidered belts and skullcaps, dresses, and also pants.
Many people pay attention to classic leather shoes: boots, shoes and sandals - they, in the literal sense of the word, have no demolition. From Tajikistan it is possible to deliver “suzane” wall carpets stitched with silk or floss threads, “ruijo” bed covers, “dastarkhan” tablecloths. Pottery products made in a circle or made by hand are in great demand. Girls will like tiered silver necklaces, weighty bracelets and earrings withnational themes. Be sure to show interest in homemade, very comfortable rugs, and, in addition, in classic figurines.
Formidable in appearance, but friendly in nature, the Pamir yaks supply the inhabitants of Tajikistan with wool, from which craftswomen knit warm socks, scarves and mittens.
Sights of Tajikistan
There are many thousands of unique historical, architectural and archaeological monuments in Tajikistan. Currently, the government of Tajikistan is allocating significant resources to the renewal and restoration of archaeological and architectural monuments.
Best properties
The top best attractions in Tajikistan (for tourism) include the following:
- Hissar fortress near Dushanbe.
- Titul Mashhad mausoleum near Bugor-Tube.
- Buddhist Temple of Ajina Tepe.
- Mausoleum of Sheikh Massala in Khujand.
- Mausoleum of Makhdumi Azam in the Gissar Valley.
- The ruins of the Kaahka fortress.
- Pedzhikent ruin.
- Sangin Mosque in the Hissar Valley.
- The city of Sarazm near Pejikent.
Let's take a closer look at some of them. Employees of the Committee for Tourism of Tajikistan have developed the most interesting routes.
Hissar fortress
Currently, the only fragment of the former fortress that travelers can see is the gate. They are made of burnt bricks.on the sides there are two tubular towers with narrow loopholes at the very top. Part of the fortress wall, which unites the towers, is cut through by a large lancet arch.
The gates of the Hissar fortress are drawn on the reverse side of the 20 somoni bill. Opposite the gate is an old madrasah. It is a brick structure with a dome. The madrasah was founded in the 16th century. Education here did not stop until 1921. The wide courtyard of the madrasah is surrounded by cells, and the building of the library has also been preserved. Up to 150 students studied here.
Khoja-Mashad, Bugor-Tube
The Mausoleum of Khoja Mashad, located in the town of Sayed (Bugor-Tube circumference), stuns with monumentality of figures and virtuosity of reddish-brown masonry. This is the only wooden carved mausoleum left in Central Asia.
The area where the mausoleum is located has long been known as "Kabodian" and has long attracted the interest of wanderers.
Khoja Mashhad is a popular real person in Islamic society, he arrived in Kabodian from the Middle East around the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th centuries. He was a we althy man preaching Islam. Almost everyone believes that the construction of the madrasah took place at his expense. After his death, he was buried here.
Legends present a different version, as if the mausoleum "appeared" in just one night and is considered a wonderful gift sent by Allah.
Buddhist temple
At 12 km from Kurgan-Tyube there is an area called Ajina-Tepe by the local population. It can be translated as "Devil's hill", "Hill of evil spirits". It is likely that such an attitudewas formed among the inhabitants living here because of the unattractiveness of this zone, surrounded on three edges by ditches, densely overgrown with thorns, lined with hills and pits.
Archaeologists have established that the monastery in Ajina-Tepe consisted of two parts (church and lavra), two rectangular courtyards surrounded by houses and strong walls. In one of the courtyards there was a large stupa (a building for the preservation of artifacts or for marking holy areas). In the corners of the courtyard there were Small Stupas of the same shape as the Big Stupa. The temple was luxuriously decorated, the walls and vaults were covered with paintings. There were niches in the walls, where there were huge and tiny statues of the Buddha (his style as a whole dominated the sculpture of Ajina Tepe).
But the most amazing find was a large clay sculpture of Buddha in nirvana, discovered in 1966 in one of the corridors of the monastery. Today, the statue "Buddha in Nirvana" is on display at the State Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan in Dushanbe. It is considered the largest statue in terms of scale, discovered on the territory of present-day Central Asia.
Mausoleum of Sheikh Muslihiddin
The Mausoleum of Sheikh Muslihiddin is considered the burial zone of the famous ruler and poet of the XIII century, Muslihiddin Khujandi. The mausoleum is a small burial chamber made of square baked bricks. Already after the repair, the mausoleum looks like a two-story portal-dome building with a central hall "zierathona" and a domed "gurkhona". Over the centuries, a whole complex of funeral structures has developed around the monument,cemetery with many graves.
Pedzhikent ruins
The name of the city is translated as "5 villages". It is possible that the history of this city began from these five villages, going back to the 5th - 8th centuries. At that time, Pedzhikent was considered one of the most significant civilized and craft centers of Sogd. It was even called "Central Asian Pompeii". It was an excellently fortified, well-equipped town with a ruler's castle, two temples, bazaars, luxurious houses of urban residents, beautifully decorated with multiple murals, wood and clay sculptures of ancient gods. Pejikent was the last city on the road from Samarkand to the mountains of Kuhistan. It was very cost-effective, since not a single caravan, not a single person, leaving the mountains to Samarkand and returning back, had the opportunity to pass by Pejikent.
The city was destroyed by the Arabs in the 8th century. The ruins of this ancient city were accidentally discovered only in the last century. Today, travelers can see here the ruins of residential buildings and administrative buildings, a fortress with a palace, housing for artisans, a temple of fire worshipers.
Tips for travelers planning to visit this place
Russians about tourism in Tajikistan leave completely different reviews. In fact, there is a physical shortage of cash in Tajikistan. In the Pamirs, for example, all transfers are made on a barter basis. Keep in mind that residents of other countries often pay significantly more for food and services.more expensive than the local population. Bargaining is common in markets and bazaars; prices in shopping centers are fixed. Tips are in most cases 5%, but it is best to pre-negotiate the required amount of reward in each case.
Hepatitis A and E, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid, relapsing fever is a huge possibility here, there is a threat of malaria in the south. Do not drink raw water, even if the local population claims that it is fit for use. If you follow these simple tips, your trip will go smoothly.
