The sights of Dushanbe

The sights of Dushanbe

The architectural and artistic complex at the S. Ayni square

The architectural and artistic complex dedicated to the 100 years jubilee of the founder of the Tajik-Soviet literature, scientist and social activist Sadriddin Ayni, which is located at the Rudaki avenue and the Ayni street. It consists of the Ayni monument 11,2 m height with the pedestal together with the compositions of Ayni`s works the themes became the social and historical periods of Tajiks.

In spite of its impressive size the figure of Ayni organically fit with the scale of the square allowing standing out against its background and covering the rest of the parts of the complex: a still pose of a man propping on the stick, his coat is over his shoulder, a thoughtful look of a wise man.      

    The peculiarity of the emotional affect appears after ascending from the underground road towards the monument by the spectators and seeing the parts of the sculpture partially and then the silhouette illuminated from beneath by the rays of the sun. But having approached by the ramp to the pedestal coated with marble blocks they will notice the massive parts of the sculptural composition. After entering inside the first element of the complex he will discover more information – the composition of “Liberation”, “Formation of the Soviet Power” and “Odina”.    

There are fountains on both sides of the ramp and the square is covered by lawn and flower ornaments with impressive beauty which change depending on the times of the year. There is an interesting fact – during your walk around the square it is possible to behold the modification of the artistic and imaginative moments with the main dominant – the monument of Sadriddin Ayni  with one`s own eyes. 

The “Dushanbe” hotel is cozily located on the right hand, and the multifunctional trade center “Sadbarg” (a rose) and the building of Economy of the Tajik State University are located on the left hand. The face of Ayni is sent to the former National Museum named after Kamaliddin Behzod, now is functioning as the Institute of fine arts and design. The museum itself is transferred to a new building at the I. Samani avenue.   

For the creation of this complex the architect G. Eldarov and archeologists A. Agaronov and R. Karimov were rewarded with the honored title of laureate of State Reward of SSR in 1980.

The Victory Park

The architectural and sculptural memorial complex in the Pobeda park was erected in 1975 for the 40s anniversary of Victory over the fascist Germany. The complex is an unfinished work till today. It is located at the hills of the forest park at 35,5 hectares.

About thousand cypress trees are planted at the entrance ally of the park and also the Bukharian almond, elm, fustic, Judas-tree, pistachio-tree, pine-tree, juniper and others.

Taking into account the location of the park it is possible to mention that its main entrance of the park with the form of a wide walking ally is looking towards the “Drujbi narodov” avenue, and once it was possible to reach it by cable cars which is not functioning now.

In spite of the complicated relief the park is suitable for its surroundings as if it was located here forever – the square of Sorrow with Eternal fire, the ally of heroes with the high relief surrounded by staircases, terraces and watching ground, green lawns, decorative bushes which give solemnity and serve as the alive memorial about those who gave their lives in the Great World War II.

Particularly the triangle blocks leading on both sides with staircases to the square of Sorrow and Eternal fire and golden scripts in two languages are emotional – “Nikto ne zabit, nichto ne zabito…”(nobody is forgotten and nothing is forgotten).   

The memorial complex of Ismail Samani

The monument is located in the central square of the capital Dusti in honor of the Samanid`s State and symbolizes the unity of Tajiks. It was erected in 1999 and consists of a gigantic 400 m arch from which the throne podium comes out towards the square with the sculpture of Ismail Samani.

The founder of the first Tajik State is walking by great paces towards people with the golden tsar scepter, on the right hand of emir with the sculptural image of a solar disk and seven united stars. Under the monument there is a Pantheon of the Samanid State and the hall of Minutes, from which the first states appears. The complex is fulfilled with the map which is made with stone mosaics where the borders of the Samanid State are marked. The golden crown is shining above the arch which is 4,5 m diameter – the attribute of czar power and the symbol of unity surrounding itself by kind powers.

Behind the monumental arch and the map there are fountains with light and music, singing the great shapes of the architecture. This is a side walk zone, on one side there is the National Library with fund of the former library named after Firdowsi (the building is functioning now as the House of Counting), House of Radio and on another side – Rudaki Park and the Palice of Nation.

The sidewalk of esplanade leads to the Emblem of the Republic of Tajikistan.

In front of the memorial there The building of the House of Majlisi Oli with beautiful flowers and fountain complex is located in the opposite side of the memorial.

The Palace of Nation (Taj. Kasri Millat)          

The residence of the president of the Republic of Tajikistan which is for the acceptance of the heads of the states visiting Tajikistan officially and is located at the left bank of the Dushanbenka river in 9 hectares close to the exit of the Rudaki avenue.

The Eastern part of the palace from south to the north goes out to the Sherozi street (former Chapaev street), and the facade is covered by Rudaki park. The northern part of the palace goes out to the the Shohtemur street with the seven storied Hotel of “Tajikistan” and the new high building of the Tajikistan Government with its symmetrical and monumental reflection towards the National Library.  

    The base of the Palace of Nation is served by rectangular parallelepiped with five stories (together with the ground floor), creating a volumetric-spatial composition. The main entrance is in the central staircase at the second floor.

There are several halls in the building including the big banquet hall and the oval one, amphitheater and the hall of rewarding the honored titles, two halls for meetings with the government and the meetings of the Security Council with 50 seats for press and two halls for negotiations over 60 seats and signing the international contracts and others.

Besides that there are halls for personals of the Palace of Nation, parking places in the ground floor, stairs for service purpose, the security post and others.

In 2015 it was rated the most beautiful among 10th presidential residences by the English web-site of TheeStle. The palace got the second place after the White House of America. The territory is protected.

Tajik State Academy Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. Ayni and the 800 anniversary of Moscow square

It is one of the favorite places of the citizens and the guests of the capital, located at the Rudaki Avenue, in front of the Rajabov`s avenue (former Kuibishev`s avenue).

The central composition of the square is equipped with the light and music fountain surrounded by bushes, oaks, green lawns with flowers and the sculptures visually seen from far, at the Rajabov`s avenue. The composition is capping the gigantic temple of the arts – Tajik State Academy Opera and Ballet Theater combined with the Soviet and Tajik traditional architecture.

The building is constructed with the concrete formwork and bricks, divided with earthquake – proof foundations into three separate pavilions with the main hall for 960 people. The characteristic features of the construction became the use of the local materials with the exception of marble and metal use. All the decorative elements (bars, capitals, sculptural decorations and so on.) were casted with the solid cement. In spite the fact that the theater was built in the end of 1930s XX century still it will bring a marvelous sensation with its greatness and monumental sight.

The southern part of the square of the 800 years of Moscow is occupied by “Vakhsh” for 167 people; half of the building is shared with “Rohat” hotel, the honey shop and several small shops of national crafts. From “Vakhsh” hotel begins the street of Nisor Muhammad (former Chekhov Street) where the Park of Sirius the Great (Kurushi Kabir) is located; reconstructed and opened in 2019.  The Park of Sirius the Great is the rest of the complex of the Opera and Ballet Theater. The monuments of National artist of SSR the ballerina Malika Sobirova and the painter Kamoliddin Behzod, fountains, rotundas, sport ground, 4 cafes and many architectural parts. The square of the park is 5 hectare.

The northern part of the 800 years of Moscow square is occupied by dwelling apartments with shops on the first floor.  The impressive proportion of the building with national Tajik decors fit the total architectural complex.                    

The two storied building of the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan (1936) is located on another side of the road, the opposite of the apartments.

Accounts chamber of Tajikistan (the former National Library named after Firdowsi)

The Accounts chamber of Tajikistan is located at the Rudaki Avenue not far from the Opera and Ballet theater in the former building of National Library named after Firdowsi, the funds of which is transferred to a new building of the National Library at the Dusti square. The facade of the building attracts people with its vase of flowers and the sculptures of classic literature and a staircase. The building is built with the burnt bricks and the walls of the pedestal floor with cut stones.

The building of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan with round facade is located on another side of the road in the opposite direction.

Rudaki Park (Boghi Rudaki)

The Rudaki Park is located in the Rudaki Avenue, in front of the Palace of Nation and is 10 hectare. It impresses every one not only with its beauty and neat but it serves as one of the places of rest for the citizens and the guests of the country. The monumental sculptural statue, dedicated to the anniversary of 1150 years jubilee of Abuabdullo Rudaki and the complex of the numerous fountains became the compositional accent of the park. The main entrance of the park is capped by arch and diverged by a fountain ally separating large pavements into two parts, as if fencing off itself from the hustles of the avenue.

The internal part of the park is decorated with variety of exotic bushes and trees matching with the flower beds, lawns, original benches and torches. A great number of tulips are planted in the park as in many parts of the capital which are changed with different seasonal flowers.

The Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan (Boghi Iram)

A 30 hectare Botanical garden is located deep in the street of Karamov (in the north and north-western parts) and Hamza Hakimzade (in the eastern part); at the high edge of the Dushanbinka river bank. The central entrance is capped by an arch from which the central ally of the greenhouse takes its beginning. There are many small trails are streaming from the main ally. The northern part of the botanical garden is given to the institute of Botany and Academy of Tajikistan which has more than ten variety services of the scientific institutions of the country. The place of interest is the archaeological excavation of the ancient town of Kushan period, Kalai Mir (located not far from the bank of the Dushanbinka River).

After the reconstruction the garden is one of the places of rest of the citizens where the schoolchildren and the students, artists with the box of paints and others come in different times of the year. Also the new bride and groom intend to walk inside the “Iram” garden. By the way if anybody wants to take part in the ceremony one should ask permission from the new couples.

The botanical garden which appeared in 1933 has collected a great abundant of tree patterns, bushes, flowers from all over the world which entered into the Red Book, the collection of 600 types of roses.

It is possible to see peacocks and to hug a huge tree which is believed that it has some kind of mysterious power and to wish sincerely anything it is believed that will come true.

The concert complex “Borbad” (kokhi Borbad) and the park of “Youth Lake”

The concert complex “Borbad” consisting of two storied foyer halls with small hall and a big cinema hall amphitheater type and the total roominess 2300 seats with all rooms, located in the southern part of the Youth lake at the Ismail Samani avenue. The large spectacular building with a well-equipped complex around them attracts attention from the main avenue due to the unusual conical truncated pyramid of a large hall with a belt of decorative relief passing along the top and remotely resembling the round stone dwelling houses in the mountainous regions of Tajikistan.

Variety international exhibitions and concerts are held in “Borbad”. The reconstructed park of “Youth Lake” (3,5 hectare) in 2018 attracts the resting people.

In front of “Borbad” on another side of the road there is a 16 hectare Ismaili Center.

Ismaili Center in Dushanbe

The Ismaili center – is not only one of the sights of the city but also it is a multifunctional secular and religious complex erected by the initiatives of the prince Aghakhan IV and the support of the president Imomali Rahmon.

The construction started in 2006 at the 16 hectare territory, the territory of the center itself is 3 hectare. Here was for the first time used the design of the analogy of which was used in the mausoleum of Ismail Samani in Bukhara.

The central part of it consists of 4 massive minarets, three of which are 21 meter and one of it is 25 meter high, located upon the perimeter of the complex. There are pools and flower allies under each of the minarets.

The internal finishing of the center was done by the Uzbek craftsmen from the glazed tiles and with the national handmade ornaments. 3 million bricks were brought from Samarkand for the construction of the walls.

The building itself is divided into 4 sectors, consisting of administrative, social, youth and educational with the library parts.

The atmosphere of the center is cozy and desirable and the architecture and the design deserve a great attention. Every Sundays, guided tours are organized in several languages around the center.

Park of culture and rest named after Ayni

The park of culture and rest named after Sadriddin Ayni (1878-1954) is located in the northern part of Dushanbe on an area of 6 hectares. The park was founded in 1954 after the death of the founder of the Tajik Soviet literature. The park was totally reconstructed and renewed and was opened in 2017.

In the frame of the reconstruction several new buildings and premises appeared there: the monumental entrance arches, monument of Ayni, and amphitheater for concert programs on 2, 540 square meters (1600 seats), children ground, benches, fountains, torches and so on. Besides that about 50 broadcasting equipment were equipped.

The central main accent of the park is the mausoleum of Sadriddin Ayni which is located in open area of round shape, where the main entrance ally is located at the eastern part. The mausoleum is lifted a bit up on an artificial pedestal for its monumental view. The volume of the building itself is an octahedral pavilion with a gazebo, arched through gaps and a small sphere with a conical dome. The external of the dome is tiled with ceramics and is pained blue. Inside the dome is a hexagonal closed vault.

The abundance of fresh air fives the atmosphere solemnity and calmness       

The culture and entertaining park named after Abulkasim Firdowsi

After the reconstruction in the far touristic trails of the southern part of Dushanbe was opened the culture and entertaining park named after Abulkasim Firdowsi – this is the only park complex at that part of the city.

Despite the fact that the park was built in 1970 and was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the park of the International Friendship, was opened again in 2018, the Firdowsi Park is still distinctive.

The compositional center of the park became a pond covering about 30% of the territory. Green lawns in various parts of the park divide it into an active recreation area, a children ground and a beach with benches, fountains, and so on.

The main entrance of the park is at the Firdowsi street with the form of a wide alley. There is a chaikhana – restaurant “Istaravshan” at the bank of the pond and a multijet fountain in front of it. The monument of Abulkasim Firdowsi is in the southern part it which is brought from the central square of Dusti.

Chaikhana “Rohat”

I am sad again and, my eyes are misty,

Again a drop of tear crawls down my cheek.

I saw chaikhana “Rohat” in my dream

And the old house at the noisy “Dushanbinka”

 Like many oriental cities to see Dushanbe without Chaikhana is impossible. Besides being a place of eating, where it is possible to have appetizing national meals – plov and manti, shurpo or lagman and many others, the tea house also does the function of uniting people who come to drink a cup of tea and sometimes solve their business questions at the table with a cup of tea. Also chaikhana is a budgetary place on any tastes and wallet. That’s why here one can see people from different social positions and it is not nice to scale people with their positions or wealth.

One of the most attended places of Dushanbians or people from abroad is Chaikhans “Rohat” which is located in the heat of the city at the Rudaki Avenue.

It was built in 1958-1959 by the project of the architect K. Terlets and the engineer-architect D. Gendlin. Nowadays Rohat is the traditional types of all Central Asian chaikhanas reflection and the modernization, modesty and prestigious of the national motives with wood and alabaster.

The main building of the tea house consists of two stories, initially had and open facade with the staircase leading to the second floor and the mosaic ceiling of two colors. However, after the reconstruction in 1980, the accents were mixed towards partial glazing of the first floor and replacing the mosaic on the ceilings with other materials.

At the northern part of the internal yard of the tea house a new summer pavilion was added in 1986, which was formed using the traditional wood work architecture and it is comfortable for organizing variety social campaigns. In 2000 a huge building of a restaurant was added at the southern part of the tea house. Inside the yard of the tea house were put additional tables where one can have traditional cookies samsa.       

Chaikhana “Saodat”

In the East, in the East,

What a sky is without a moon?

In the East, in the East,

What the life is without chaikhana?

Chaikhana “Saodat” is another tea house located a few blocks from chaikhana “Rohat”, at the Rudaki Avenue in front of the Medical University. The complex is a typical chaikhana widespread in the territory of Central Asia in XVIII-XIX centuries, also in the Northern part of Tajikistan.

The three storied building is surrounded by thick vegetation of a small square with two small pools in front of the facade and a multijet fountains like a stylized ceramic sculptures of dragons was built by the project of architect B. Zuhuridinov. In 1984 the project was awarded with the bronze medal of the NEAE SSR. (National Economy Achievement Exhibition of the SSR).

The first two floors are made with the open apertures, fenced only with aluminum bars by perimeters which give the appearance of the building smoothness and originality. The internal of the main facade is as a two storied building with three-sided avian at the second level (actually on the third floor.)       

All the internal parts of the building are made with the accordance of the best traditional architectural decors of the background. It is possible to see alabaster carvings (gypsum) of the national script and also to meet with the traditional Tajik cuisine and to enjoy the silence and comfort. 

The culture and entertaining center “Navruz” Hall (Kokhi “Navruz”)

In 2014 a gigantic palaces of the world was opened in 2014 on an area of 4 hectare – Navruz is named to one of the spring holidays. The elevation of the main building is 46 m and the first its guests became the presidents and the members of the Shanghai Corporation Organization Summit.

Kokhi Navruz took its place at the Ismail Samani Avenue. The initial idea was not the construction of a palace complex but a massive chaikhana. That’s why many people confuse the Navruz Hall with a tea house. So the basic idea fulfilled with new meaning after the participation of the head of the state to this project. In the end the five storied architectural complex came to this world under the leadership of the chief architect of the palace of the Tajik specialist Samidjon Aziziyon. The interesting fact is that the local designers, painters, engineers, craftsmen tool part for the construction of the building and only local materials were used for its accomplishment. For instance for the accomplishment of the artistic design the best masters of the wood work, Florentine mosaic, gypsum and stone processing were trusted.           

The palace itself consists of 12 fascinating halls each of them are unique and defer from each other by their design and color. The simultaneous capacity of the Navruz palace is 3 thousand people.

The guided tours are organized regularly inside the halls and a chaikhana, restaurant, supermarket, cinema function inside the complex and it is possible to obtain national stuffs and souvenirs, to walk in the garden where the redwood, fir-tree, plum-tree, chestnut, maple, the evergreen magnolia, boxwood, pine-tree, cypress and birch grows. It is possible to meet with the national cuisine in one of the rotundas coming out at the Youth Lake.

Market –bazar “Mehrgon”

Like many Central Asian cities it is unthinkable without Chaikhana and so it is hard to imagine without the Eastern market – bazar. Foermally Zelyoniy bazar (Green market) was used by the locals with great love and now instead of the demolished market another new market “Mehrgon” was built in Surkhob Street in 2012 which is more interesting and multifunctional. Initially the name of it was Poytakht-90 which was accepted with enthusiasm but again because of the lack of infrastructure this nuance was taken under consideration and corrected.

“Mehrgon” which is named after the spring holiday the time of collecting the harvests and it is another sights in Dushanbe where one can plunge into the national motifs and obtain the blessed gifts of the Tajik land – fruits and dry fruits, agrarian products, honey and its products, famous Tajiks spices, halva, and many others. And also it is possible to a snack on the second floor and to see good in national style.

Multifunctional market “Sultoni Kabir”

The southern local sight where no one can find in any tourist guidebook is “Sultoni Kabir”. By the way if you want to buy household stuffs or car parts for the road you should visit this place. Particularly the interesting thing is the sellers, if you want to have an advice what to buy they can help you in time and easily will change the product if is not matched. If you are a man of repairing or you like to mend something so “Sultoni Kabir” is the perfect place for you.