Dushanbe is the capital of Tajikistan, and its history reaches back 3,000 years.  The city's name means "Monday," due to the the large marketplace that took place at the site every Monday.  Two main bazaars, Barakat and Shamansur, still occur regularly to this day.

There is no shortage of natural beauty in Dushanabe; it stretches along the Dushanbinka River and is surrounded by mountains and gardens. Visitors can explore endless streets, avenues, and squares such as Dusti Square (meaning "square of friendship"), which is the largest in the city, and the Square of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow Foundation.  The former is home to a monument of Ismoil Samani and a museum, while the latter pays tribute to cultural contact between Russia and Tajikistan and offers a large fountain, impressive lilac bushes, as well as the Tajik State Theater of opera and ballet.

The National Museum of Antiquities is not to be missed.  Built in 1934, it contains thousands of exhibits containing ceramics, metal, weapons, jewelry, manuscripts, sculpture, household goods, and embroidery to name a few. The prize object in the museum's collection is a statue of Buddha in nirvana, which stands 14 meters high and was reconstructed by  Tajik and Russian masters.

Dushanabe is home to countless beautiful and historic attractions that will surely keep tourists busy in this rapidly growing commercial, cultural and industrial center.