Khujand, Tajikistan to Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Drive out of Khujand
First 90 minutes or so
Stop in Istaravshan
In the foothills of the Turkistan Range this 2,500 year old city is renown for traditional crafts. We spent some time watching the metal smiths at work.
Drive out of Ura-Tyube
(that’s the Soviet name for Istaravshan) As we started to climb the mountains our van was sounding like trouble. Pulled off to the side of the road where it turned out to be a quick fix. Whew!
Caged songbirds everywhere you go!
Tunnel and next hour of drive
Tunnel built by China
Lunch
The next 2 hours of our drive
Arrived in Dushanbe
Nine hours after we left the hotel in Khujand.
Rudaki Park
Rudaki is credited as the first poet to use modern Persian.
The scent of the Mulyan stream drifts my way,
The memory of my kind friend comes to me.
The sands of the Amu [river] and the roughness of its path
Feel soft like silk beneath my feet.
Somoni
This monument of Ismoil Somoni was erected in 1999 to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the Samanid Empire which existed from 819 to 999 AD.
National Theater
