At the moment there is no equal to this city in Tajikistan. And this is natural - the capital of the republic should be the main economic, industrial, scientific and cultural center. The history of Dushanbe begins a long time ago, archaeologists in the vicinity of the modern metropolis discovered artifacts that testify to the existence of an urban settlement in the ancient period.
From antiquity to the middle ages
Archaeologists date the emergence of the first large city in the territories of modern Dushanbe to the 4th – 3rd centuries. BC. This is evidenced by fragments of antique ceramics discovered during archaeological excavations.
The name of the village of Dushanbe was first found in written sources in 1676. By the way, the name was translated very simply - in the Tajik language this is the name of Monday. The settlement received such a place name for the reason that on the first day of each week a bazaar was organized on this place, which eventually grew to a large size.
By 1826, the settlement was referred to as Dushanbe-Kurgan, and on geographical maps as a city it appeared in 1875. It is interesting that urban development was carried out on a quarterly basis, the quarters were divided according to nationality and professionalism.
History of Dushanbe in the 20th century
The city was part of the so-called Bukhara Emirate. The events of 1917 did not immediately resonate in these territories; nevertheless, the Red Army got here too. In the first years after the revolutionary events in Petrograd, the following events can be noted, written in the history of Dushanbe (briefly):
- the arrival of the last Bukhara emir (1920) and the offensive of the Red Army;
- the seizure of city blocks by the Basmachs of Envar Pasha (1922);
- the liberation of the settlement by the Bolshevik troops, the proclamation of the capital of Tajikistan with the rights of autonomy within Uzbekistan (July, 1922);
- formation of an independent republic with the capital Dushanbe within the USSR (1929).
In addition, not only events radically replace each other, the city, like gloves, changes toponyms. Under the Bukhara Emirate - Dushanbe-Kurgan, until 1929 - Dushamba, from October 1929 - Stalinabad (in honor of the "leader of all times and peoples"), from 1961 - again Dushanbe.
Today the city is growing and developing; it is an important center not only of the political, but also of the economic, religious and cultural life of the country. The architectural appearance of the capital of Tajikistan has significantly changed, many new buildings and structures, religious and sports complexes have appeared.
