Welcome to Tajikistan, my 133rd Visit and 128th Run UN Country out of a total of 193. This is a special end-of-country milestone as I have now 60 countries exactly left to go !!!
As usual, after the last lot of photos below is a brief summary of the country of Tajikistan and ten interesting facts that set this country apart.
My travels from one capital to another and one country to another was involved but went smoothly. I departed my hotel in Tashkent at 930am after a sumptuous sleep-in to 8am and on arrival at the very modern Tashkent International Airport discovered that my flight to Dushanbe was delayed by 2hrs. Something always happens to me but no worries – I found the first REAL cappuccino in the Stans for $4AUD (expensive for this part of the world) and settled down to blog post 21 until my flight opened at noon. Check-in was easy and I continued blogging until departure at 2pm. Another 30min in the Somon Air 737-800 until we were airborne at 230pm. Somon is the main carrier for Tajikistan and I knew I was in safe hands when half the flight were families !!! Flight took only 50min over some spectacular snow-covered mountains and emerald-green lakes that the truck had visited while I was in Tashkent but I was not to miss out – had a day trip planned to the truck lake in Dushanbe. It was 32C and very hazy on the ground and the hotel was only 3km away. I knew I was in the right place when I sighted our big orange truck out front. It was 430pm. I had made it in one piece after 3 nights solo and 13 days of no truck travel !!!
My 10km premier run through the outskirts of Dushanbe went well. Good time. My first impressions of the city is that it was definitely more run-down and poorer than Tashkent. No Chevrolets. Instead, more Toyotas and Lexus. There were still many pure electric cars but this time AION brand instead of BYD. My 6hr walk of the city kicked off at 9am and ended in the huge Mekhrgon Market where I found hot food for the remaining 2 nights in Dushanbe. I visited the following sites: Ayni Boulevarde (Main Commercial Thoroughfare), National Museum, Sadriddin Aini Monument, Hotel Poytakht (Crown for roof), Rudaki Avenue (Classic Thoroughfare), National University, Ayni Opera & Ballet Theatre, Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Culture, Nulevoy Clock Tower, Presidential Twin Towers, Friendship Square (10th Century Ismoil Somoni golden statue), National Library, State Emblem of Tajikistan, Palace of Nations (from a distance - Presidential Residence), Rudaki Park, Houses of Parliament & Supreme Court, Government Ministerial Buildings, Dushanbe Flagpole (2nd tallest globally at 164m high), Sultan Fiyessi Fountain, National History Museum, Amphitheatre & Stepped Apartment Building (from a distance). The highlight was Friendship Square featuring a huge statue of Ismoil Somoni (849AD – 907AD) who was the most successful Amir (King) of Tajikistan having authored the emergence of the powerful Samanid Dynasty. The Samanid royal family both spoke and advocated Persian, and also used many pre-Islamic bureaucratic titles, probably part of their aim to spread this belief over Zoroastrianism.
Dushanbe (Pop 1,563,400, Elev 823m) is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. In ancient times, what is now or is close to modern Dushanbe was settled by various empires and peoples, including the Persian Achaemenid Empire. In the Middle Ages, more settlements began near modern-day Dushanbe. From the 17th to early 20th century, Dushanbe grew into a market village, before being conquered by the Russian Empire. After the Tajik Civil War, the city became capital of an independent Tajikistan and continued its growth and development into a modern city, today home to many international conferences.
I would use the word GRANDIOSE to describe Dushanbe in one word compared to MODERN to describe Tashkent. Two very different Capitals placed back-to-back to enable a better comparison. See for yourself…
The next day was catch-up day. A day trip into the mighty mountains to see Iskanderkul, the lake that the truck had camped alongside for 2 nights while I was in Tashkent. “Mighty” is not adequate enough to describe what I saw during this day trip covering a total of 266km from 823m elevation to a high of 2,731m with total driving time of close to 5hrs return. The trip up and down is spectacular and the lake itself is jaw-droppingly beautiful. I shall let the photos do the describing. My driver Lioze picked me up at 9am and we headed to Victory Hill near the hotel to take a panorama of Dushanbe city centre which was not that great. Then it was off to the jaw-dropping lake through many gorges, roads cut into the slopes of giant mountains and lots of tunnels. We arrived lakeside at high noon at an elevation of 2,195m. This stunning lake is 2.4 km by 1.4km with a maximum depth of 72m and a surface area of 3.4 sq km. We then drove around the lake stopping to take photos and film at five select points since the lakeside road was elevated above the lake. We then turned back and headed to the main camping ground (where the truck had been). My driver had lunch whilst I took a 5min dip in the 12C water !!! A group of local Tajiks filmed me. When I came out of the water, most of the restaurant patrons shouted and applauded me for being the only one mad enough to go into the water. The name of the lake “Iskandarkul” is the Tajik word for “Alexander The Great” !!! Why you ask ? Because legend has it that the beloved horse of Alexander The Great (called Bucephalus) drowned in this lake and as a result haunts it, appearing by its shore every full moon. The drive home seemed faster. I think my driver was keen to get home. The hotel manager had asked him to stop by the supermarket before we set out so I could stock up on wine, cheese and olives for the next two days of bush camping on the Pamir Highway. We hot the supermarket at 4pm and by 5pm I was back at the hotel completely satisfied that every dollar of the $130USD I had paid for this day trip was worth every drop of Iskandarkul lake !!! That evening was a celebration of my first encounter with the stunning mountainscapes that Tajikistan is famous for ahead of the greatest encounter of them all – the Pamir Highway M41 starting tomorrow for the next 6 days !!!
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TAJIKISTAN IN A NUTSHELL
Tajikistan was home to several cultures of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of various faiths and cultures including the Oxus civilization, Andronovo culture, Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Islam. The area has been ruled by empires and dynasties including the Achaemenid Empire, Sasanian Empire, Hephthalite Empire, Samanid Empire, and Mongol Empire. After being ruled by the Timurid Empire and Khanate of Bukhara, the Timurid Renaissance flourished. The region was later conquered by the Russian Empire, before becoming part of the Soviet Union in 1929. On 9 September 1991, Tajikistan declared itself an independent sovereign nation as the Soviet Union was disintegrating. A civil war was fought after independence, lasting from May 1992 to June 1997. Since the end of the war, newly established political stability and foreign aid have allowed the country's economy to grow. Tajikistan is a presidential republic. While the state is constitutionally secular, the Islamic religion is nominally adhered to by 97.5% of the population. Mountains cover more than 90% of the country. It is a developing country with a transitional economy that is dependent on remittances, and on production of aluminium and cotton.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TAJIKISTAN:
1. Home to the world’s 2nd tallest flagpole at 164m.
2. 90% is mountainous with 50% above 3,000m.
3. Tallest mountain “Somoni” is No 50 globally at 7,495m (Everest is 8,849m).
4. Has 900 rivers over 10km in length.
5. Home to the world’s 2nd highest dam: Nurek at 300m. Now building the world’s highest dam at 335m tall for completion in 2028.
6. Home to the “ghost horse” of Alexander The Great seen at full moon at Iskanderkul Lake.
7. 35% of households have someone working overseas due to lack of jobs.
8. Home to the 77km long Fedchenko Glacier: Longest non-polar glacier globally.
9. Has 1,085 glaciers.
10. Famous for the Pamir Highway (M41): THE best part of the Silk Road & world’s second highest highway at 4,655m.
TAJIKISTAN SUMMARY
END OF TAJIKISTAN
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