Dushanbe, Tahikistan City Tour

The Navruz Palace.

The unbelievable size and opulenuence of the interior.

The workmanship and attention to detail is incredible.

We would love to know how much this all cost.

This weird animated blowup man was on the steps to the Palace and instantly found a friend.

School kids come for a photo op.

The other palace that we only saw from a distance.

Newly Weds who were happy to pose for us.

Tajik poet, Ismail Somoni

The president's face is everywhere and here is in a slideshow on this building.

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A reclining Buddha.

A great local market.

A fun and engaging seller.

A wedding in the park.

Saturday, May 3rd.

Our itinerary stated: “Today, we delve into the rich cultural heritage of Dushanbe with a visit to the Navruz Palace, a magnificent cultural center that showcases the talents of skilled local artisans. This privately funded project is a testament to the city's cultural vitality and the passion of its citizens.” In reality the palace is a testament to the ego of the president of the country, Emomali Rahmon.  He had it built as a showcase for the world and a place to host dignitaries. There is another palace nearby that he also uses to host official dinners and events of state importance, but he lives in neither palace and resides instead in a family home somewhere out of town. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and upon Tajikistan attaining its independence the country endured a civil war brought on by the clash of cultures and religions, that raged from 1992-95 killing thousands. When it was over Emomali Rahmon seized control and was supposed to serve as president for seven years, but he has managed to massage the office so that he can serve for life. He had a magnificent palace, that’s one word for it, another might be obscene given the state of the country’s economy, and infrastructure, built after the civil war. It is used very seldom except that now there is a movie theatre in it and school graduates, school classes, newlyweds and others come to have their photos taken there. Ninety-three percent of the land of Tajikistan is covered by mountains. There are seven major valleys (each represented with a star on the country’s flag) where the majority of the people live and agriculture takes place. The city's name, Dushanbe, translates to "Monday" in Tajik, reflecting its origins as a village that served as a popular Monday marketplace. After exploring a local market that felt third worldish, we continued with a visit to the Bag-i-Rudaki, a picturesque park named after the renowned Tajik poet, Ismail Somoni. The park features a towering statue of Somoni, a symbol of Tajik national pride. Next we visited the Museum of Antiquities. This museum houses a collection of artifacts that offer a glimpse into Tajikistan's ancient past. In reality it was a tired museum with the same type of artifacts we’ve seen in the last few museums. We are here to learn about the countries and the origins and history of the Silk Road, and the history of the Stone Age and Bronze Age offer little to cast light on that. However, the main highlight was the colossal reclining Buddha, one of the first examples of Buddist beliefs arriving in the area from the east. The museum also highlighted the burial place of the Sarazm princess and her skeletal remains, and more of the ancient wall paintings from Penjikent. Then we had a nice lunch at a local restaurant. After that we went to a good local market full of fresh produce, fruit, spices, nuts and other goodies. Markets are always good photo opportunities and often fun as the locals like to interact with us. Our final stop was the city's beautiful Botanical Gardens, a serene lush oasis that offers a respite from the urban hustle and bustle. Then it was back to the hotel. John and I went down to the pool and had a swim before joining a few others for dinner and a drink. That was the end of a much more relaxed day than yesterday.