Introduction
The capital of Tajikistan, a small, mountainous country in Central Asia, Dushanbe is a relatively new city. It was built during the early 1900s, when the Soviet Union ruled the region. The city lies along the Varzob River in the southwestern part of the country.
Places of interest
Because of its recent development into a city, there are no historic buildings in Dushanbe. The city is the home of Barakat Market, where food and crafts can be found. Most of Tajikistan's major cultural and educational institutions are also located in the city. The Museum of Ethnography contains exhibits of Tajik artwork, including pottery, rugs, and jewelry. Also in Dushanbe is the Tajikistan Unified Museum, which has displays relating to the history of Tajikistan. The city houses the Tajik Academy of Sciences and Tajik State University, as well as medical, teacher-training, agricultural, and polytechnic institutes. Among Dushanbe's theaters is the Ayni Opera and Ballet Theater.
Economy
Photograph:Women embroider cloth in a workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
* Women embroider cloth in a workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Tajikistan is the poorest of the former republics of the Soviet Union, and simple farming dominates the country's economy. Dushanbe provides much of the republic's small amount of factory products. The city's light industries include clothing, electric cable, aluminum, and refrigerator factories.
History
People have lived in the area of Dushanbe since ancient times. Its location made it a trading center, and the area came under the control of many different groups of people throughout its history. However, until the Soviet Union conquered the area in 1920, the town of Dushanbe was simply a small market village. In the 1920s, the Soviets built Dushanbe to serve as the capital of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic. Beginning in 1929, the city was called Stalinabad; it was renamed Dushanbe in 1961. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Tajik republic became the independent country of Tajikistan, and Dushanbe remained its capital. During the 1990s, the city experienced violence during a civil war that stemmed from clashes between different clans. Population (1998 estimate), 513,000.
