Tajikistan Become a Disney Travel Agent Near Me

This remote, mostly mountainous country in the heart of Central Asia was once an important link in the ancient Silk Road. Like the Himalayas of northern India and Nepal, it has towering mountains, where a mythical abominable snowman is said to dwell; like Tibet, it calls itself the Roof of the World. What it does not share with these other destinations, however, is a place in travelers' imaginations. And with good reason. In the past, Tajikistan's dangers have overshadowed the windswept beauty of its high mountain reaches and the exotic legacy of the most romantic of trade routes. Still, although the region's stability is still in flux, the country is slowly opening up to tourists, and the more adventurous set is now making its way to experience this undiscovered gem.

Remoteness has not protected it from conflict—internal and external. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a struggle developed between Communist rulers and an opposition made up of (at various times) nationalists, democrats and Islamic fundamentalists. Now, it must deal with the fallout of violence in its southern neighbor, Afghanistan.

Most of the country seems to have stabilized over the past several years, and the once violent capital of Dushanbe is now as green, peaceful and law-abiding as any other midsized city in Asia. Nevertheless, although peace may have arrived in Tajikistan, outbreaks of terrorist violence have occurred in the neighboring countries of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. A visit to Tajikistan, although certainly possible and worthwhile, should be considered in the larger context of the Middle East and Central Asia. Additionally, there is little true tourist infrastructure as yet, so unseasoned travelers should probably cut their adventure-travel teeth elsewhere.

Geography

History

The region's location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East made it a popular route for both conquerors and traders. Persian King Cyrus the Great swept through the area in the sixth century BC and was followed 200 years later by Alexander the Great (perhaps a bit greater because he conquered Cyrus' Persia). During his campaign, Alexander married a Tajik woman to earn the sympathies of the Tajik people.

By the second century BC, the Silk Road, a network of trade routes, had been established through Central Asia. It brought Chinese silk, jade and spices to Europe in exchange for glass, textiles, gold and silver. But the prosperity collapsed when the Europeans discovered a sea route to Asia around the tip of Africa in the 15th century.

Central Asia stayed off the world stage until the Russians invaded in 1717. Although this initial expedition was a failure (the entire army was massacred), Russia didn't lose interest. Over the next 150 years, the empire steadily pushed south, subjugating the peoples of Central Asia. This incursion greatly alarmed the British, who believed that the Russians were threatening their control of India. It also set the stage for "the Great Game," a 27-year-long struggle between the two powers for dominance of the region.

Most of what is present-day Tajikistan was the last area in the region to be conquered by the Soviets. Russia incorporated the area of modern-day Badakhshan into the empire in the last half of the 19th century. The western part of the country, and much of Central Asia, came under firm Russian control after the Communist Revolution in 1917, when the emirate of Bukhara was absorbed. In the late 1920s, as a means of quelling pan-Turkic nationalism, Joseph Stalin divided the region into five ethnic republics and established the boundaries of Tajikistan, which had initially been a part of Uzbekistan. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan became an independent republic, and the ethnically Tajik cities of Samarkand and Bukhara remained under the rule of the Uzbek government.

The current situation in Tajikistan is relatively quiet, but its recent past has been far from stable. With independence in 1991, opponents of the Communist regime had high expectations for reform. Other forces surfaced. The Communist Party president, Rakhmon Nabiyev, was forced to resign at gunpoint by the Islamic Renewal Party, a fundamentalist movement. A year later, political differences entwined with ancient clan rivalries and ethnic tensions led first to unrest and then to civil war that claimed at least 20,000 lives. The Russians sent 25,000 troops into the country to return the former Communist leaders to power.

The former Communists try to maintain an iron grip, and Russian troops remain stationed throughout the country. Russian border guards still protect the Tajik-Afghan border, a remote region where fighting occasionally erupts. (Afghanistan remains a hideout for rebels and refugees alike.) Isolated incidents of violence continue in other areas, particularly east of the capital. The U.S. government has reported that members of al-Qaida and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), another terrorist organization, may be hiding in parts of northern Tajikistan. Allegations of human-rights violations are widespread throughout Tajikistan. Despite the country's instability, however, improvements have been made. Elections were held throughout 1999 and 2000, and odd as it may seem, Tajikistan now has the distinction of being the most democratic Central Asian nation. (The current president is Imomali Rakhmonov.) Although Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have all reverted to repressive authoritarian regimes, the Tajiks have a multiparty system with key members of the opposition both in cabinet positions and in the parliament. On the road to democratic development, a free press is one of the country's greatest challenges. Although there are more than 200 newspapers in the country, a number of prominent Tajik journalists have been assaulted and attacked after criticizing the current government.

Snapshot

The chief attractions are mountaineering, scenic vistas, the Hissor Fortress, local markets, religious sites and hunting for bighorn sheep.

Only flexible, adventurous travelers who have previously visited Central Asia and are interested in deepening their understanding of the region should visit the country. It's a good and relatively safe introduction to the region, but there isn't quite the same level of tourist infrastructure that exists in some of the other "stan" countries.

Potpourri

Tajikistan is rich in natural resources: hydroelectric power, silver, gold, aluminum, petroleum, uranium (14% of the world's reserves), mercury and so on.

Despite the ongoing conflict across the border in Afghanistan, small groups of tourists still trek in the Pamir Mountains, including Somoni Peak (formerly named Mount Garmo), the tallest mountain in the region (24,584 ft/7,493 m). Surprisingly, the recent decline in the number of mountain climbers from the West is due more to rising prices than to fear of unrest. For example, an hour on a helicopter now costs US$700-US$1,200.

The Tajiks are a Persian-speaking people who mostly practice the Sunni form of Islam. In the Badakhshan, or Pamir region, people tend to follow Ismailis, a branch of Shia Islam, and hail the current Aga Khan, a Swiss-born businessman, as their leader.

Tajikistan has the highest fertility rate in the former Soviet Union: 4.55 children born per woman. As a result, some 43% of Tajikistan's population is 14 years old or younger, and only 4% is more than 65 years old.

Tajikistan had the next-to-lowest per capita gross domestic product in the former U.S.S.R., after Turkmenistan; the highest rate of population growth; the lowest educational level; and an extremely low standard of living.

About 65% of the population is Tajik; 25% Uzbek; 3% Russian; 6% other. Because of emigration and repatriation during the civil war, the Russian population of Tajikistan has declined by about 50% since the 1989 census.

Approximately 70% of the people live in rural areas, making Tajikistan the least urban of the former Soviet republics.

Tajiks are among the oldest surviving nationalities living in Central Asia. Related to the Persians, they have been inhabiting the region for three millennia.

Omar Khayyam, the noted 11th-century Persian astronomer and poet (he wrote The Rubaiyat), was from Tajikistan, as were the poets Hafiz and Rumi and the philosopher and mathematician Avicenna.

The nation has the dubious distinction of being in the most earthquake-prone zone in the region. The capital was, rather unwisely, built on a fault line.

The name Tajik derives from the Persian word for crown, taj. A crown is featured at the center of the Tajik flag.

Perso-Arabic script is taught to children in some schools, but the country still uses the Cyrillic alphabet—very few adults can read Arabic. Tajik has been declared the official language, and although Russian is still spoken by many people, English is quickly gaining a foothold as the second or third language of choice in schools.