Dushanbe

Dushanbe

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Dushanbe

Dushanbe (, Dushanbe; formerly Dyushambe or Stalinabad), population 661,100 people (2006 census), is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. The name is derived from the Persian word for "Monday" (du two + shamba or shanbe day, lit. "day two",??????) and refers to the fact that it was a popular Monday marketplace.

History
Economy
Buildings and attractions
Sister cities
See also
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History

Situated on the confluence of two rivers, Varzob and Kafernihon, Dushanbe is the capital of Tajikistan. Its location was once famous for its market on Mondays, and its name means ?Monday? in Tajik. Although archaeological remnants dating to the 5th century BC have been discovered in the area, there is little to suggest that Dushanbe was more than a small village until around 80 years ago. In 1920, the last Emir of Bukhara briefly took refuge in Dushanbe after being overthrown by the Bolshevik revolution. He fled to Afghanistan after the Red Army conquered the area the next year.

With the Red Army victory and coming of the railroad from 1929, the city became the capital of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic. Up until this time the city was named "Dyushambe", but in 1929 it was renamed "Stalinabad", after Joseph Stalin; as part of Nikita Khrushchev's de-Stalinization initiative, the city was renamed "Dushanbe" in 1961.

Monument of Ismail Samani in Dushanbe

The Soviets transformed the area into a centre for cotton and silk production, and relocated tens of thousands of people to the city from around the Soviet Union. The population also increased with thousands of ethnic Tajiks migrating to Tajikistan following the transfer of Bukhara and Samarkand to the Uzbek SSR. A peaceful and relatively prosperous city under Soviet rule, Dushanbe was home to a university and the Tajik Academy of Sciences. Severe rioting occurred in 1990, after it was rumored that Moscow planned to relocate tens of thousands of Armenian refugees to Tajikistan, which spurred local nationalist sentiment.

The city was badly damaged as a result of the Civil War in Tajikistan (1992–1997) that sprang up in the nation shortly after its independence. However resurgences in the Tajik economy have transformed Dushanbe into a rapidly growing commercial, cultural and industrial center. Many multi-story apartment and office buildings were constructed and the city was beautified during this period. Monuments and statues commemorating the city's Persian and Iranian past were erected.

The climate is damper than other Central Asian capitals, with an average annual rainfall over well over but is still highly continental and has the hot, dry summers typical of the region. Winters are not as cold as further north owing to the shielding of the city by mountain from extremely cold air from Siberia.

Economy

Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. In the city of Nurek, at the Nurek Dam, the world's highest hydroelectric station, provides 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River. A leading cotton textile center, Dushanbe also produces silk, machinery, electrical appliances, clothing, leather goods, tractor parts, and foodstuffs. The city of Dushanbe is now home to a number of modern telecommunications, aeronautic and other business corporations adding vitality to its economy. Tourism and ecotourism, to the beautiful natural scenery throughout the Dushanbe area is now a component of the burgeoning service industry, which includes world-class shopping centers, cafes, restaurants and hotels in the city's economic center. Cultural and Ethnic Museums and Theatres add a cultural element to the economy.