Tajikistan can boast not only of breathtaking mountain scenery but also with more than 3000 years of history. The territory of today’s Tajikistan has been at a cultural crossroads and over the millennia it has formed part of various empires that have straddled the region. More than two thousand years ago it came under the sway of the Persian Achamenids before in 336-330 BC falling to Alexander the Great and his armies.  On the banks of the Syrdarya in the north of the country, the Macedonian warrior-king founded a settlement that would later become Khujand, now Tajikistan’s second city.

Tajikistan was laying at the Silk Road, the network of trade routes that passed through Central Asia, eventually linking Europe and the Middle East with China.  To avoid the mountains – some soaring to over 5000m – the traders’ caravans passed through the lowland areas such as the Fergana Valley.  Ancient ruins, such as those at Panjakent – dubbed the ‘Pompeii of Central Asia’ – near the border with Uzbekistan, are testament to the country’s rich past.  In the 8th century, the Arabs arrived, bringing with them Islam, still the country’s main religion. A traveler who is looking to not only enjoy the nature but also learn about diverse cultures of the sedentary people of central Asia, who steel speak the ancient languages and preserved their culture, Tajikistan is definitely the destination to experience the mentioned.

Explore cultural tours in Tajikistan