Tajikistan

Overview

Tajikistan ( Tajik : Тоҷикистон Tojikiston ) is a landlocked country on the ancient Silk Road in Central Asia . The nation's majority culture is non-Turkic, unlike its neighbors to the north and west and east. Tajikistan is the poorest of the former Soviet states, owing to its remote geography and a devastating civil war that wracked the country from 1992 until 1997. But travelers here will find a land of stunning beauty, replete with soaring mountains, quaint pamirs (U-shaped valleys or plateaus surrounded by mountains), turquoise alpine lakes, Silk Road cities and ruins, and a charming and hospitable people. For those looking to experience a true adventurer's dream in the Roof of the World without the throngs of tourists in Nepal and Pakistan , Tajikistan is the place to be.

There is no universal system for transcribing Tajik into English. Having been part of the Soviet Union, Russian spellings are often used for transcribing place names into English, but this has become less common as Tajikistan has begun to establish its own identity. The most commonly seen spelling differences will be the interchangeability of O's and A's, A's and E's, and G's and H's. Sometimes consonants can be doubled. As an example, the Hisor mountain range can appear as Gisor, Gissar, or Hissar as well.

Street signs for major cities – at least those concerning toponyms – are written in both Tajik and English. Occasionally, these signs will write Ғ, Қ, and Х as G, K, and H, instead of Gh, Q, and Kh. The letter ъ, which represents the glottal stop, is usually written as an apostrophe ('), but may also be omitted when transcribing.

Sights and landscapes

There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tajikistan: the proto-urban site of Sarazm in Panjakent , the Tajik National Park encompassing the Pamirs in the east of the country, and the Zeravshan Valley (including the site of Ancient Panjakent). The mountains of Tajikistan are among the highest in the world with three peaks higher than 7,000 m and more than half of the country is over 3,000 m above sea level.

Tajikistan is landlocked and is the smallest nation in Central Asia by area. It lies mostly between latitudes 36° and 41° N , and longitudes 67° and 75° E . It is covered by mountains of the Pamir range, and most of the country is over 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) above sea level . The areas of lower land are in the north (part of the Fergana Valley ) and in the southern valleys of the Kofarnihon and Vakhsh rivers, which form the Amu Darya. Dushanbe is located on the southern slopes above the Kofarnihon valley.

The Amu Darya and Panj rivers mark the border with Afghanistan, and the glaciers in Tajikistan's mountains are the source of runoff for the Aral Sea . There are over 900 rivers in Tajikistan longer than 10 kilometres.

Tajikistan contains five terrestrial ecoregions: Alai-Western Tian Shan steppe , Gissaro-Alai open woodlands , Pamir alpine desert and tundra , Badghyz and Karabil semi-desert , and Paropamisus xeric woodlands .

Experiences

Tajikistan is a remarkable place, and there is plenty to do, from the Silk Road mystique of places like Khujand and Istaravshan, to the stunning, untouched mountain scenery of the Pamirs and their accompanying allure of trekking routes and unclimbed peaks. The Fann Mountains could be a good alternative to the Pamirs. They are easy to reach and provide good trekking options.

Culture and food

Food in Tajikistan is a cross between that of Central Asia and that of Afghanistan & Pakistan along with a bit of Russian influence. If you like Russian food, you will probably have a good culinary experience. If you find Russian food bland, you may have a rough time here.

Tajik butchers and chefs generally don't cut the meat according to those "cow maps" you see at butcher shops in Western countries. Tajik cattle live very robust and active lives, wandering around pastures and fields until they are butchered, so their meat is much more gamey in quality than what you may be used to at home.

Vegetarians in Tajikistan are blessed and cursed: on one hand, the Tajik national dish, Qurutob , contains no meat whatsoever and can be found quite easily in many restaurants. On the other hand, it's essentially the only thing on the Tajik menu that lacks meat. Travelers who are fine eating the same meal every day will have no problem with this, but travelers who want variety in their meals might.

The Tajik language is the mother tongue of around 80% of the citizens of Tajikistan. Urban centres in Tajikistan include Dushanbe (the capital), Khujand , Kulob , Panjakent , Bokhtar , Khorugh and Istaravshan . There are Uzbek , Kyrgyz and Russian minorities.

Planning your route

Scheduled minivans run between the major cities but otherwise hiring a vehicle or sharing one with other passengers is the only way to travel around the country. Prices are generally per person, not for the vehicle, and divided by the number of passengers. You can always pay for the entire car too if you are either in a rush or don't want to share with strangers. The nice thing about shared taxis is that the drivers will almost always drop you off at your destination, rather than a set point in the city like a marshrutka or minibus will do.

SUVs can be hired and leave daily from Khujand's large minibus terminal located just outside the city. Prices are negotiable but should be in the range US$60 per person. Check that the vehicle is fit for long road travel, and inspect the spare tire.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors) and Wikipedia article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.