KALEIDOSCOPE OF CULTURE
The Republic of Tajikistan is a small country, just 55,300 square
miles, which does not get much international attention. Yet, for a
country with a population of just 8 million, it has a beautiful and
diverse culture.
Long ago, the famous Silk Road cut through the region and the
different traders brought various cultures and customs with them.
At different times in its history, the territory was also ruled by
various empires — the Achaemenid Empire, Sasanian Empire,
Mongol Empire, Timurid dynasty, and, finally, the Russian Empire.
Tajiks gained their independence from the Soviets in 1991, but today
traces of the previous empires are still visible.
The country’s rich history can been seen in many aspects of daily
life — food, clothing, and art, to name a few. Language stands out
as a particularly motley and vibrant facet of the society. n
Dushanbe
Legend:
Tajikistan
Linguistic Map
FALL 2016
Bartangi
Ishkashemi
Oroshori
Rushani
Russian
Kyrgyz
Shughnani
Tajik
Uzbeki
Wakhi
Yaghnobi
Yazgulemi
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