After we visited the bazaar, we still have time to do a city walk in Dushanbe. We go through the Khurarvi Dekhlavi and Valomatzoda Street to reach Rudaki Avenue. It is the boulevard of Dushanbe and leads to the center of Rudaki Park, which we have already visited.
Large densely growing trees provide a pleasant shade in Rudaki Avenue. Automatic sprinkler systems ensure that the green gets enough water.
We pass the National State University, which is adorned with a picture of the current President Emomalij Rahmon. He has been in office since 1994 and elected for a fourth term of office, in 2013.
In all Central Asian republics, one pursues a certain personality cult, to preserve a lifelong presidency.
Afterwards, we arrive at the Opera House of Dushanbe, which is a popular meeting place in the city.
Looking for a cool drink we visit the New Maza Café. Surprised we notice that every table has a charging possibility for mobile phones.
One reason might be that the Academy of Science is on the other side of the road. A monument of Bobodzhon Gafurov, a Soviet historian who has written a story of Tajikistan, is in the center of the semicircular building.
The yellow building with the white arched windows is the former National Library. The new one is at Rudaki Park.
The next outstanding buildings are the two towers of the Dushanbe Plaza. With their columnar structures at the top, they remind us of the Palace of Knossos the Minoans on Crete.
Large residential blocks dominate the next section. To our astonishment, there is a British Pub.
We reach the Rudaki Park again, but this time we do not stay long. On the right hand is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Later, we discovered a new building at the corner of Shohtemur Street. There is the seat of the government, the tax authority, and the foreign ministry.
Past the monument with the statue of Ismoili Somoni, the monument of Rudaki, and the Presidential Palace, or Palace of the Nations, as it is officially called, we reach the 165 m high flagpole. It stands on the shore of a small lake, where small excursion boats are also available. But during our stay it is still too hot, that’s why only a few people are en route in this park.
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More InformationOn the other side of the lake is the National Museum of Tajikistan.
We return to Shohtemur Street, with the Hotel Tajikistan, as well as a new convention center with an integrated hotel. On the east side of the Rugaki Park, the City Hall of Dushanbe is currently being converted.
It is still very hot and we prefer to go to our hotel and to spend the rest of the day there. Finally, we start our Pamir adventure the next day.
Please read on > From Dushanbe to Hulbuk
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