Local Attractions
Dushanbe is the capital of Tajikistan, the largest scientific, cultural, political, economic, industrial, and administrative city of the country.
In 2001, Dushanbe was proclaimed «City of Peace» and, in 2009, the capital of the Center of Islamic Culture by the United Nations. The current (2023) metro area population of Dushanbe is 987,000, a 2.6% increase from 2022.
Dushanbe is a beautiful and very green city, located in a foothill zone. While in the city, you will be immediately imbued with the atmosphere of warmth, hospitality, friendliness, and the truly oriental flavor.
Dushanbe is an ancient and at the same time a young city. According to archeologists, it has a history going back over a thousand years. However, documents mention that the village of Dushanbe was founded in 1676 at a crossroads. On Mondays, a large Bazaar would be organized, which is how the village inherited its name «Dushanbe», meaning «Monday».
On July 14, 1922, the city was declared the capital of the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which in 1929 was transformed into the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1924-1929, the official name of the city was Dushanbe. In 1929, it was renamed Stalinabad in honor of Stalin. In 1961 the historical name of Dushanbe was re-adopted.