From Wikitravel

Tajikistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia that borders Afghanistan to the south, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and northwest. The ancient Silk Road passed through it.

[edit] Regions

• Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* (Khorugh)
• Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa)
• Viloyati Sughd (Khujand)
• Viloyathoi Tobei Markaz (Dushanbe)

[edit] Cities

• Dushanbe - Tajikistan's capital
• Khorugh
• Qurghonteppa
• Khujand

[edit] Other destinations

• Pamir mountains, with passes between 3200 and 4500 meters, and Lake Karakol.

• Penjikent, a town next to the border, 70km from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with ruins of an ancient city.

[edit] Understand

[edit] Climate

Midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

[edit] Terrain

The Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate Tajikistan's landscape. The western Fergana Valley is in north, and the Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in the southwest.

The country's lowest point is at Syr Darya (300 m), and it's highest point is at Qullai Ismoili Somoni (7,495 m)

[edit] History

The region of today's Tajikistan was a part of Persian empires for much of its history. This region has been an important place for flourishing Persian culture and language.

In recent history, Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a five-year civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from the USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997, and implemented in 2000. The central government's less than total control over some areas of the country has forced it to compromise and forge alliances among factions. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By car

Private cars and minivans run between Samarkand in Uzbekistan and Penjikent daily. From Osh in Kyrgyzstan minivans go to Murgab every few days for $15; hitch hiking on Kamaz trucks and ZIL petrol tankers is also possible anywhere enroute for $10.

[edit] By plane

There are flights from Moscow's Domodedovo airport to Dushanbe on Tajikistan Airlines, Domodedovo Airlines, and Samara Airlines. Tajikistan Airways flies Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kabul, Bishkek, Almaty, Sharjah and Istanbul. In the past, they have also flown to Urumchi and New Delhi. Turkish Airlines operates a popular twice-weekly flight to Istanbul (arrives in Dushanbe Monday and Thursday in the very early morning).

[edit] By bus

[edit] By boat

There is currently a ferry operating across the Pyanj river between Afghanistan and Tajikistan that costs roughly $10 one way. However, the opening of the U.S. funding bridge over the Pyanj will likely end this service, which crosses roughly three times per day and does not run on Sundays.

[edit] By train

The train to Moscow is popular with migrant workers. It crosses through Uzbekistan (twice) and Turkmenistan and takes around five days. Transit visas are required for all countries.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By minivan

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.

[edit] By plane

As the country is broken into many isolated areas by mountain passes that are closed in winter, travel during this time is by air only if the planes are flying. Tajik Air operates several daily flights to Khojand (between 35 and 70 minutes, depending on the plane) and Khorog, a thrilling plunge through mountain peaks. This flight does not go if it is windy. Ticket vendors next to the Green Market in Dushanbe can provide a reliable estimate of their timetable. Make sure you arrive early for your flight. Also, passports and visas will be checked on domestic flights, so bring them with you.

[edit] Talk

Tajik-Persian is the main official language. Russian is also can be useful in most cities. Tajik-Persian is useful for markets and cabdrivers. Even a few words will be appreciated. Tajik dialect of Persian is intelligible for the Persian-speakers of Iran and Afghanistan. Persian is the official language in these three countries.

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Traditional Tajik padded coats. Comfortable and perfect for the colder weather in the mountains. The ensemble can be completed with a hat and sash.
• Mercedes Benz (approx. $7000) cars and Land Cruisers from Dushanbe's Sunday Car Market. Also available russian cars, jeeps and minivans and an assortment of other models.
• Vodka. Ruski Standard is the best one by far.
• Rugs and carpets. The good ones are imported from Afghanistan or Uzbekistan.

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Plov. The national dish is made with rice, beef or mutton and carrots.
• Sambusa (samosas)

Take care with street food and do NOT eat unwashed produce. It's best to soak the produce in distilled water and cook thoroughly.

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Green tea. Tajiks customarily pour a small amount out three times and return it to the pot.
• Compote. A distilled fruit punch.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Sleeping options in Tajikistan include the following:

Hotels. In Dushanbe there are a small number of large hotels. Most are ex-soviet era and tend to be over priced and in poor condition. There are a couple of newly built hotels offering western standards of accommodation for around $70 per room.

MSDSP Guesthouses,

The Aga Khan's Mountain Societies Development Support Programme has a network of guesthouses in places like Kalaikhum and Khorog, offering a good standard of accommodation. Full board is around $40 per person

Formal Homestays.

The French NGO ACTED is establishing a network of Homestays in the Pamir region, around Murgab, For around $10 per person per night you get a comfortable bed in a family home. The facilities may be basic, i.e. no running water and an outside toilet, but guests can expect comfortable clean rooms, good local food and a very warm welcome.

Independent Guesthouses.

In Dushanbe, Khorog and Murghab there are a small, but growing number of independent guesthouses. These are similar in standard and price to the ACTED homestays. A good, English-spoken year-round guesthouse in Dushanbe city is, for example, Marian's Guesthouse (comes with swimming pool and Monet-style garden, and wireless internet).

[edit] Learn

Books can be ordered through Amazon. Internet access is unrestricted.

[edit] Work

At embassies, NGOs [1], some hotels. A few hundred expatriates live in Dushanbe. Several ads each week in the electronic newsletter WhatsOnInDushanbe. For investors, cf. [2] and similar publications.

[edit] Stay safe

Some factional fighting spilling over from nearby Afghanistan (as well as local warlordism) still occurs in Tajikistan. Visitors should keep abreast of the security situation and not take any unneccessary risks. After sunset, it is not advisable to walk around outside alone; and generally do not travel unaccompanied to rural areas. Any concern you should have during your stay in Tajikistan, please write about as soon as possible it to your embassy as well as the European Commission – External Relations Directorate General in B-1049 Brussels [roselyne.mancheron@cec.eu.int].

[edit] Stay healthy

DO NOT drink the tap water. There is no working purification system and outbreaks of typhoid and cholera are common. Other preventable endemic illnesses are hepatitis A, rabies, poliomyelitis, tick-borne encephalitis, and Japanese encephalitis. The occasional anthrax case comes in. There are, during the hot season, a few pockets where malaria can occur. There is now an English-speaking comprehensive primary care clinic in operation by the name of Prospekt Medical [3], immediately behind the Embassy of China. In the Pamir mountains, the risk of altitude sickness is substantial - one may read up on this here: [4] (in English) or [5] (in German). In case of ANY accident, call your embassy stat. Health insurance and medical evacuation insurance are recommended.

[edit] Respect

Tajikistan is a somewhat conservative society. Women should be fairly modest in public.

[edit] Contact

[edit] Cope

[edit] Embassies

• United States - 109A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Zarafshon, Dushanbe 734019, tel: +992-37-229-23-00, fax: +992-37-229-2309. The consular section is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and closed on U.S. and Tajik holidays.

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