Tajikistan: The Roof of the World

Tajik food is hearty, shared, and deeply rooted in Persian tradition. Meals are centered around a "dastarkhan" (tablecloth spread on the floor).

Food in Tajikistan tends to be more basic than Kyrgyzstan's, with shorpo stew being a staple - consisting of broth, carrot, potato, and meat on the bone - and often seen alongside home-baked naan bread.

Whilst in major Tajik cities like Dushanbe, food variety is much more impressive with access to a wide-range of international cuisines, plenty of Central Asia's famous dishes like plov, lagman, manti and an infinite supply of hotdogs.

• Qurutob The national dish. Fatir bread layered with onions and vegetables, soaked in a sauce made from Qurut (dried cheese balls).
• Plov (Osh) The staple rice dish cooked with carrots, onions, and mutton, fried in copious amounts of oil.
• Non Sacred, large, round decorative flatbreads. Never place them upside down or on the ground.
• Chai Green tea is consumed at every meal, often served in "pialas" (small handleless bowls).

Tajikistan boasts a rich history, its culture deriving from ancient Persia. Historically a Zoroastrian practicing region, Islam was introduced by raiding Arabs in the 7th Century. The region was occupied by many people over the centuries, including many Turkic peoples, which lent it its historical name, Turkestan. The region that encompasses Tajikistan was a keystone region for the players of the Great Game, and eventually fell under Imperialist Russia control. During the Soviet era the GBAO was delineated, and the country collapsed into a brutal Civil War when the regime dissolved.

The Pamir Mountains, almost fully enclosed within the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, is home to many culturally unique people. Many of these people follow the Shia Muslim faith, calling themselves Ismailis. Traces of Zoroastrian tradition still manifest throughout the region in the form of fire ritual, traditional Mazar, or shrines, vibrant dance, music, and dress, and in the innate symbolism of the Pamiri House.

Tajikistan allows many countries to visit Visa-free for 30-days on the condition that tourists register with the OVIR office in Dushanbe within 10 days of arrival.

The process can be messy and corrupted. Official parties involved may request a never-ending list of clarifications and still ultimately reject the application. As a general rule, the second attempt will be successful.

If you'd like to avoid this headache, for a small fee we offer services that can greatly simplify the process. Reach out for more info.

Tajikistan is considered a very safe country to travel to. In the rural regions, the people are incredibly warm and friendly, demonstrating some of the best hospitality in the world.

Bigger cities such as Dushanbe and Khujand are also safe to visit. While locals can be more reserved here it is very safe to walk around the streets, even as a woman.

Like any city, it is important to remain alert and practice common sense since petty crimes can't be ruled out in Tajikistan's cities.

Tajikistan has two official languages: Tajik and Russian. Tajik is a dialect of Persian (Farsi) due to the Persian roots of the Tajik people and is often understood by native speakers from Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan alike.

Meanwhile, Russian is widely spoken in urban areas, particularly in Dushanbe, where it is spoken as a first language. However, in more remote regions of Tajikistan, Tajik becomes the dominant spoken language and locals can only speak limited Russian.

Similarly to Kyrgyzstan, English is rarely spoken.

Withdrawing money in Tajikistan can be challenging, particularly in remote regions. In Dushanbe and other major cities, there are many banks and ATMs. Although some may not accept your card, usually you can find one that eventually works. (Halyk Bank tends to be the most reliable of them all.)

We highly recommend withdrawing sufficient amounts when we reach Murghab, as cash is king in Tajikistan. Card payment options are extremely limited outside of the major cities.

It's always useful to have a few US Dollars set aside for emergencies, as it is still a powerful currency that locals will sometimes accept as a last resort payment, even in Tajikistan.

The Pamir Plateau lies at an elevation of roughly 4000m and is severely continental. Little grows there but hardy grasses and stunted wild oregano. It is home to significant populations of Himalayan Wolf, Snow Leopard, Marco Polo Sheep, and Ibex.

Sedentary life is generally contained to the ranges major river systems, which transport rich sediments and foster narrow strips of verdant arable land. Much of what lies between is empty, uninhibited space, save for the spare shepherd and flock.

It is an exceedingly dry place, though violent weather is no stranger. The life that calls it home is adapted to survive in some of the harshest conditions on the planet.

Tajikistan boasts a rich and complex history, drawing significant elements of its culture from ancient Persia. Tajiks are direct descendants of ancient Iranians, who practiced Zoroastrianism through the middle of the 1st millennium BC. Through Alexander the Great's campaign they were incorporated into ancient Persia, though over the course of the first 6 centuries AD faced subsequent invasions from empires such as the Kushans and White Huns (Hepthalites).

Much of the Great Game - a cold war waged between Great Britain and Russia - took place within modern-day Tajikistan. The game itself can be defined as a complex interplay of diplomatic conspiration and direct military intervention within the region of Central Asia. Both parties sought to establish territorial gains into the ambiguously-defined frontier zone between the two empires. More specifically, Great Britain sought to establish control over potential channels into British-occupied India, including the southern Pamir's Broghil Pass, while Russia focused its interests on forcing political concessions by leveraging Britain's paranoia of a military invasion. Ultimately, Afghanistan was declared the neutral buffer zone between the two superpowers.

The Soviet military campaign through Tajikistan ultimately resulted in the delineation of the country's contemporary borders, including the establishment of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) where we will spend our time. The region saw swift and drastic socioeconomic reform until the fall of the USSR in 1991.

Following the Soviet disintegration, Tajikistan declared independence before rapidly descending into civil war. The main actors were the former Soviet strongmen set against an unlikely alliance of Islamic fundamentalists and democrats.

Central Asia is safe to travel to, even for solo women. Though Islam is the predominant religion in most of Central Asia, it is not enshrined in everyday life, and there is a broad acceptance for different religions in even the most religious leaning Central Asian countries. It is not uncommon to walk the streets in Bishkek and see a western style dressed young women waiting at a road crossing next to a women wearing religious clothing without either batting an eye at the other.

That being said, the role of women is not yet as advanced as in some of the more westernized societies. This is especially true deep in the countryside where our trekking will take us. There when interacting with local shepherds and farmers, it is more common to be greeted by the male steward of the household, whilst the local women tend to keep to the background. Local men will also sometimes preferentially interact with the men of the group, and be somewhat awkward in interacting with foreign women.