Tajikistan

Tajikistan Flag

Tajikistan may seem like it doesn't quite make up to standards but this is the misconception everyone holds when they have never visited this green paradise.



Tajikistan's Statue of Independence from the USSR
- 1991. Rumoured to be based off the Statue of Liberty
(Lady Liberty) in New York City.

Home to the Fenn Mountain Range, Tajikistan holds a higher ration of green farmland to desert over the other States in the same region. Perfect for the kind of outdoor and walking lovers and even its residents, the views you can get whilst on a walk out in these mountains is staggering. With their clear tops and clear blue lakes, there is no-one who doesn't fall in love with this small range located in central Asia and doesn't want to return.



Map of Tajikistan

The country claims the section of the Silk Road joining up Uzbekistan and China and so is the connecting bridge for these two pieces of the ancient road along its southern stretch of land. Unlike its neighbours, Tajikistan is one of the few countries along the ancient Silk Road to possess a mountain range. With its deep green valleys, mountains and clear deep blue lakes, there is little question as to why Tajikistan prospers from the trade industry. One such city is Hissar which brags the oldest fort madrassa dating back to the 11th Century when Alexander the Great passed through here searching for ways to expand his Empire and when Genghis Khan destroyed a part of the historical city.

Dushanbe's Central Park

Another notable city has to be Dushanbe, Tajikistan's capital and home to a population of over 802 thousand. As the name suggests when translated from Tajik to English, there used to only be a Monday market. Until the early 1900's, Dushanbe was a trading village which expanded and transformed into a city whilst under Russian rule when Tajikistan was declared a Soviet State. However, it wasn't until 1924 that Dushanbe was Tajikistan's capital. This city was also visited by Alexander the Great, yet there is little to suggest he did anything other than visit unlike the Russian emissaries who developed the city at a rapid pace when the city was known as Stalingrad in honour of Joseph Stalin before it regained the name Dushanbe in late 1961.

Persian Poet Radaki

A second notable renowned figure in Tajikistan's history is the Persian poet Radaki, who taught astronomy and was a translator of languages. He became so important, that the Tajik people dedicated a stature to him in Dushanbe's central park. A Statue of Liberty type statue on the opposite side of the Park is devoted to showing Tajikistan's independence as its own country from the USSR (United Soviet Socialist Republic) in 1991 is also a commemoration of her past.

When I first heard that I would be vacationing in Tajikistan, back in July 2016, I am not proud to say that I dreaded to go but that all changed when I first got my proper look at what Tajikistan had to offer the world. As everyone was aware, there was a military coupe in Turkey that very summer and I witnessed the events at At a Turk Airport in Istanbul first-hand. Without the means of technology and no media reporting the aftermath, Tajikistan, for me, became the holiday. The country allowed me to forget the stressful times I had been through very early on into my holiday and gave me the chance to relax. That is what Tajikistan lets its visitors do. The country, despite its faults, is very peaceful and relaxing for stressed lives and giving an escape route for pressured minds. As a hemiplegic forever worrying about my future prospects living in Britain, it did this very thing for me also. I was able to forget the worries plaguing me and just enjoy the scenery and inside knowledge of the country's history, as part of the USSR and as its own independent country.


Fenn Mountains - Tajikistan's prized
mountain range

As well as these extraordinary figures stood proud and tall for everyone to see, the Fenn mountain range is a sight to behold. Though tiny in comparison to the Himalayas to the south-west, the Fenn mountains are dotted with beautiful crystal blue lakes connected by a series of glacial rivers. This small range is perfect for those of us who prefer the outdoors and adventure. Though located in the western sector of the country, the Fenn mountains hold the secrets of years and eras past built into their pathways and river network. It is this mountain range which holds the magnificence of Tajikistan and allows it to flourish in terms of trade and population welfare.

Tajikistan should always be considered for a visit along the ageless trading Silk Road of Central Asia!