There is a lot to see there indeed: snowy mountain caps on the background of dazzling blue sky, green fertile valleys with blooming gardens, rough mountain streams bubbling with white foam in narrow gorges. Even in America it is hard to find such quick flowing rivers with rapids. Have you thought of rafting there? Adrenaline won't go away for the next year. And the canyons?! Sharp, enormous, forbidden. Even a Hollywood movie cannot show those. The fans of rafting and mountaineering consider Tajikistan an ideal place for those who are up to active and dynamic vacations.
In Tajikistan there are many historical cities and monuments which any tourist will look at with awe. Another irresistible attraction is the national cuisine - a special topic for conversation. Tajik cuisine is famous worldwide! Moreover, there you will be treated with the most delicious fruit and vegetables grown not in artificial hothouses but in natural fertile Tajik soil - juicy and sweet as honey.
Hospitable Tajik people never say good bye to their guests without treating them with some gifts. You will take home with you not only bright impressions but also loads of hand crafted souvenirs from ceramics, wood, glass, fabrics. Local craftsmen have ke pt the secrets of their arts for many generations.
So as you can see Tajikistan is a unique country. Th ere is nothing there that is fake, made on purpose or borrowed from other cultures . The civilization has not entangled this country in its cobweb yet. You won't find noisy mega polises, highways, annoying neon advertis ements. Mother Nature reigns there. And if you want to meet her on your own - welcome to Tajikistan.
Republic of Tajikistan is a unitary and multinational state. It was founded on September 9, 1991 when the declaration on independence of the country was adopted. Tajikistan is a member of the Organization of Economic Cooperation set up by Iran, Turkey and Pakistan. Since 1992 Tajikistan has been a member of the United Nations and OSCE. T he country is governed by the President and Parliament. The legislative power belongs to the Parliament - Oliy Mazhlisi, the executive power - to the President. The president in coordination with the Parliament forms the government. The Constitution of the Republic ensures the rights and freedom s of its citizens.
With 300 sunny days a year you would be hard pressed to pick a wrong time to visit, although the sweltering temperatures of around 40ºC in the summer months (June-September) don’t suit everybody. This is the best time to see the mountains but in early summer some river crossings can be dangerous. Winter temperatures between November and February hover around freezing in the capital but can plunge to between -20 and -40º C in the Pamirs. Some mountain passes are closed at this time. The best seasons are spring (March - May) and autumn (September-October). Spring is mild but wet and avalanches and landslides can leave roads impassable. Autumn is also mild and is perfect for trekking.
A traditional spread consists of dried fruit, sweets and nuts followed by soup, then meat and, finally, plov (fried rice, meat and chopped turnip or carrot). Meals are served with non (flatbread). Other specialties include qurotob (flaky bread coated in cheese ball liquid and topped with onions), mantu (steamed meat dumplings), sambusa (meat and onion pasty) and belyash (fried yeast case stuffed with minced meat). You’ll find plenty of dairy products, most commonly chaka (sour milk) and yoghurt, as well as an abundance of grapes and melons. Tea is served with meals, between meals and whenever else the occasion calls for it.
In the capital and large cities such as Khojand buses, minibuses and taxis are plentiful. Getting from A to B elsewhere is no mean feat. Trains run to some of the major destinations. Shared taxis and minibuses ply certain routes such as the run from Dushanbe to Khojand and Penjikent, and east to Khorog. Self-drive car hire is available though roads are bad, petrol stations are few and far between and there are no car recovery companies should you break down.
