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According to local academics, Tajikistan is a highly religious Islamic nation with more than 90 percent of its population being Sunni Muslim. This religious landscape is strongly shaped by the Hanafi school, the official religion of Tajikistan which is a prominent “school of thoughts” (“Madhhab” in Arabic, and is also known as Sunni schools of law) that spreads the Sunni Islamic ideologies of Persian theologian Abu Hanifa. Concepts from the Quran (Islamic religious text) are highlighted with the ijma (obeying the Islamic religious law) that is practiced with local customs. For example, in the school, there are minor differences in the placement and movement of hands during prayers, that were a result of the Islamic law’s interactions with the local culture, forming unique legal decisions that are implemented in the school and the society. Remarkably, the school emphasizes the reasoning approach to understand and implement Islamic rules in different situations, promoting the adoptability of Islam which is more acceptable to the Tajik citizens. Therefore, after the introduction of Sunni schools of law to Tajiks, the religious law, teachings, and practices are recognized as the official religion for Tajiks, shaping their religious landscape.

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As an online contributor to the Kaleidoscope Museum project, I aim to preserve Tajikistan's traditional culture, which is enriched by its inextricable historical and cultural connections with Persia, the Soviet Empire, and Uzbekistan. Tajik culture helps us understand traditions in Central Asia as one of the most ancient civilizations in the world where tradition is still seen in the local culture in terms of language, literature, religions, clothing, food, architecture, rituals, and musical entertainments. However, those Tajik cultures have been threatened by other influential cultures from more politically and economically developed countries, such as Russia and China, which offer financial attractions such as scholarships that can cause a massive young Tajik exodus. Furthermore, the unique traditional cultures of minority ethnicities in the rural areas of Tajikistan are even more threatened by the suppressive political and societal challenges in the borderlands. Therefore, it is especially important to render cultural awareness of all Tajik ethnicities to both the citizens and the global population to avoid the fading of Tajik and its related culture as globalization continues. The site will highlight Tajikistan's unique culture and traditions and its historical and cultural heritage and values to promote this culture which is distinguished from the rest of the world.

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Early Tajik folklore does not take a written form but is often sung by Tajik citizens. They usually include heroic themes to celebrate the victories of their ancestors: Tajik Folklore is recorded in Arab chronicles in 789 AD. The folklore shows the victory of the highlanders of Khatlon defeating Arab troops.  Later folklore became orally performed in public. One example is the fairy tale Samak-e Ayyar (Samak the Trickster) by Faromurz. It references ideas from the Avesta (Zoroastrianism sacred text), reflecting the importance of honesty and other moral concepts and beliefs from Tajik popular religions such as Zoroastrianism in Tajik values.

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In the tenth century, Tajik literature was inextricably connected with Persian literature as a part of the Persian Empire. One famous epic is “Shahnameh” (Book of Kings) which is believed to have been written and edited by Tajik, Turkmenistan, and Uzbek poets in the tenth century. It tells the great victories and myths of Iranian kings, and how they defeated devils and Arab occupiers to protect and continue the empire. The stories highlight Zoroastrianism beliefs and other spirits and ideologies of past-day Persians and Central Asians that also determined their societies today. The ancient language and content of the book represent the Persian cultural influence on Tajik Persians. Click here for a video on the specific stories in the Persian epic “Shahnameh”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRNJt2a22xE

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Minority ethnicities in Tajikistan have special oral storytelling traditions that preserve their literature and other cultures. Those storytelling are orally passed on and often surround the topic of legend and tales, which highlight the history, wisdom, and beliefs of those societies. Click this link for a text-based document on examples of traditional Shahlo folktales (with English translations): https://content.endangeredlanguagealliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Unheard-of-2-presentation.pdf

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Tajiki is also known as Tajiki Persian, a dialect of Persian that is spoken in most Western parts of Central Asia, especially people in the Pamir mountains. Old Persian is adopted by Tajikistan under the governance of the Persian Achaemenid Empire (4 to 6 B.C.). Tajik is fundamentally Old Persian as they share most grammar and vocabulary. This can be noticed in Tajikistan’s country name, which like many other Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries, has the suffix 'stan which means 'land of' in both Tajiki and Persian, showing the linguistic connections and related cultural ties between the two languages. Meanwhile, distinct characteristics are adopted correspondingly to the country's state in history. Traditional Tajiki was written in the Persian alphabet then it adopted the Latin alphabet in 1928 and Cyrillic alphabet and absorbed some Russian words in 1930 under Soviet rule. Recently, the Tajik government plans to switch back to the Persian alphabetic system and increase its usage of the Tajiki language as a way to declare its independence and celebrate its original Tajik and Persian culture. Today, Tajik students are obliged to learn Tajiki (the state language), and other protections are also done to preserve the original Tajiki language heritage. Click here for a video on the basic pronunciations in Tajiki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0HdQ8ZiFeM

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The other official language is Russian as Tajikistan is one of the Central Asian countries governed by the Soviet Union in the 19th century. Russian is still commonly spoken as the main language in Tajikistan and is popular among learners as Russian is considered a means of accessing more financial resources and opportunities. Many Tajik children receive Russian-teaching education to later be sent to Russia, which is considered a guarantee of children’s future. This tendency of Russian-relying Tajiks is contributed to by Russia’s culture and economy's dominant role in Tajikistan, which can lead to the fading of Tajik's original culture if the protection of their own culture is not done thoroughly. Notably, there is a recent influx of Russian immigrants into Tajikistan due to the Russia-Ukraine war, increasing the Russian influence in Tajikistan.

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Minority languages in Tajikistan include Uzbek, Pamiri languages, and Yaghnobi since there are about 11 percent of Uzbek and 2.2 percent of Pamiri people. Pamiri languages include 6 dialects, which are brought by the Iranian tribe Pamiri into Tajikistan. Another marginalized ethnic group in Tajikistan is Yaghnobis, who were expelled from their own country. Yaghnobi culture is endangered and a majority of Yaghnobi live in poverty. Pamiri and Yaghnobi are both Eastern Iranian languages and should both be protected to preserve their culture in Tajikistan. Click here for more information on the Shughni Language: https://www.rch.uky.edu/Shughni/Stump_PROOF_5.pdf (text-based document). Click here for a woman singing Shughni lullaby (audio file): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-li1kcH0BQM

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However, the rights of Islam believers have been violated in Tajikistan due to politics and other reasons since 2000, which now evolved into a new form of Islam. Firstly, in 2005, female students and other females were forbidden from wearing hijabs due to concerns about children’s academic performance being hindered by spending too much time in mosques. More recently, numerous mosques have been closed down by being destroyed or rebuilt under the Tajik government, making people believe that the religious crackdown is a result of the government's concern about the potential power held by religious leaders. From 2011 onwards, the government prohibited hijab and religious activities for children, banned using loudspeakers for reminding people to do prayers, banned women from entering mosques, and more. Those are to prevent the spread of religious extremist ideologies into Tajikistan, but they also violate people’s religious liberty, which forced Tajiks to practice Islam in a more conserved way. Nowadays, some traditional Islamic religious practices evolved into modernized versions while the youth population in Tajikistan views Islam as an important yet vulnerable part expression of their cultural identity, bringing more attention to the traditional Islamic practices on online platforms or even protesting for their religious freedom to preserve their beliefs and values.

Click here to check out a video of an interview (audio file) with two Tajik women on their difference in lifestyles as Islamic and non-religious individuals and how they each think about the religious crackdown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXU2duwB2i4

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Tajik culture is deeply connected to its religion. As the Quran teaches, Islams cover their arms and legs in loose clothes as a practice of modesty and security. Traditionally, women in Tajikistan wear hijabs to cover their hair while men wear kufis caps and long shirts. On a daily scale, Tajik Muslims pray five times a day, and the time of prayers is based on the position of the sun, which represents the Islamic concept of integration of worship and daily life. While there is no specific rule, they often pray at mosques, at home, or even in public spaces that specifically offer people to do their prayers. In the holy month of Ramadan, Tajik Muslims fast from dawn to sunset and have special prayers. Those Muslim cultures are common sights in Tajikistan, which shows their faithfulness and discipline in Islam that unities people in the land.

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Traditional upper attire worn by both Tajik men and women is knee-length trousers (tomban), which originated from ancient Persia. The clothes are also shared with Tajikistan’s neighboring countries, from Afghan and Uzbekistan to Turkey. It is loose with an open collar and is made from one folded piece of fabric. It often has beautiful embroidery of floral or linear patterns as well as decorative beads and sequins. The trousers' fabrics adapt to Tajikistan’s diverse climate in high mountains, varying from light cotton to heavy wool. Men’s trousers are accompanied by “kamarbands”, a belt that indicates people’s status through golden threaded embroidery. Interestingly, the belt can also serve as a pocket, which likely originated from Silk Road traditions.

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Besides trousers, Tajik women also wear long-sleeved straight dresses with embroidery. The clothing is made from cotton and silk and it also indicates a woman’s marital status with more elaborate and colorful clothing with a vertical collar indicating married women, which is helpful to sustain social harmony and preserve clothing and societal traditions. The colors and embroidery on the dress each represent different values and identities such as freedom and beauty. In sum, Tajik women’s long dresses have an elegant as well as youthful appearance, which emphasizes Tajik social culture and Tajik women’s traditional feminism.

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Headgear in Tajikistan does not only protect people from extreme climate but also represents regional identity as an important part of Tajik formal attire. A headgear called tubeteika and kolah (men’s skullcap) or (women’s headdress) is a cap in many places that is popular among both men and women as well as children. While men’s skullcaps are mostly black-and-white, women’s caps (known as headdresses) are more colorful with colors such as red, yellow, purple, green, and black. The skullcap has a round and close-fitting shape and has intricate embroidery of floral and geometric patterns, symbolizing nature, balance, and beauty. Women’s headdress may also contain silver and jewelry decorations around the cap. Tajik headgear’s unique appearance makes it relatable to Yurt and other Central Asian cultures, highlighting Tajik cultural symbolism.

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Falak is a unique dance and music for the mountain people (mainly the Pamiri) of Tajikistan. Falak means ‘heaven’ and ‘fortune’ in their language, symbolizing good luck and happiness. The Falak dance and music are performed not only in celebrations but also accompany daily tasks to express happiness, fortune, hard work, and more. The dance consists of slow, elegant hand and leg movements that are performed with a group of people circling. The dance and music express people’s love and passion in life as well as the beauty of their land but they may also have philosophical meanings and messages that apply to people’s stages of life, blending in a part of the Pamiri lifestyle.

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Aspak (meaning “the horse” in Tajiki”) dance is a unique horse dance in Tajikistan as well as its neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. In the dance, performers will each carry a horse that is carved from wood, and the sides of the horse are covered with fabric to hide the performers’ lower bodies, and the people will imitate a running or a roaming horse with hand and body movements that express speed, elegance, or freedom. By doing so, it represents a big part of Tajik identity and lifestyle by demonstrating the people-horse relationship for Tajiks that it has been used for transportation throughout history and the energetic horse movements symbolize freedom and strength, which makes it very entertaining and interesting to watch. It is often performed during celebrations as a highly energetic entertainment that energizes the Tajik people, who are supposedly good equestrians in nature. Click here for a video on Tajik Aspak dance’s craft and the dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=o_txh4JYPrI&t=0s. Askpak dance part: (start to 3:20 and 33:25 to the end)

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Lazgi dance is a dance that was initiated in the Khorazm Region, Uzbekistan, where ancient culture and lifestyle take place in the development of such dance. There are 9 different types of Lazgi dance and the dance movements depend on the theme of the dance, which is different parts of nature. Some of the dances imitate the animal’s unique habits and movements of animals while others only imitate sounds in nature using a specific tool or part of the body. While imitating sounds and movements of nature, the dance highlights harmony, and balance in the movements to express a natural beauty. The dance is often used to express joy and good spirits and is performed during national festivals, highlighting Tajiks' natural lifestyle. Click here for a video on Lazgi dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2QkeYjh9AU&t=43s

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Tanbur: Tajik handmade instruments play a big role in many aspects of Tajikistan’s folk musical culture. They are mainly stringed instruments made from wood, which can make unique sounds from the simple instrumental structure. Tanbur is a Tajik national instrument that can be easily carried around with its long neck and round hollow body of mulberry wood with four silk, gut, or metal strings, which represent natural resources and lifestyle in Tajikistan. It is also common in musical cultures in rituals and festivals in Mesopotamia, Persia, and other parts of Central Asia. It plays a main role in shashmaqam, a music genre that expresses divine love, and adds light and clear sound. Click here for a video on the crafting skills of Tanbur and other stringed instruments in Tajikistan: Tajikistan-Skills of Making Musical String Instruments

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Rubab: Rubab is one of the oldest instruments in Central and also South and Southwest Asia. It is constituted of a short neck, a soundbox made from animal skin, and gut or nylon string, allowing it to emit a special rich low, and resonant sound that is highly emotive. Therefore, it is often the lead instrument in music performances during celebrations and rituals, alongside poems sung by elders during social gatherings. Today, the instrument’s effortful crafting techniques are mostly passed on by highly respected elders. Therefore, the rubab is a Representative of the Intangible Cultural Heritage according to UNESCO as it carries a special role in people’s shared joy and memory and a strong expression of Tajik cultural identity. Click here for an interview with Australian musical group Hashshashin and how they created a new musical genre from Afghan rubab (that is, the origin of the rubab) and rock music (include a video file of his works): https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2021/02/hashshashin-interview.html

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Plov (osh) is the national dish of both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It consists of rice, vegetables, meat, and unique Central Asian spices. It is said to have been invented for Alexander the Great’s army in Central Asia to provide adequate nutrition in 4 B.C., later spreading it across the Silk Road. It is a significant part of Tajik culture as it is served in rituals and celebrations, symbolizing and expressing hospitality and kindness. Notably, it is on Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List as a cultural heritage symbolizing emotional attachments in Tajik and other Central Asian countries.

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Another Tajik national dish is qurutob, which is a medley of pieces of torn fatir bread (an ordinary Tajik flatbread), qurut cheese (salted yogurt), and some onions in a yogurt sauce or even with spices and lamb. The dish has a multifaceted taste experience containing sour and spicy and also fresh meat scent. This dish is eaten with hands, has representable Tajik agricultural products (such as yogurt, cheese, and flatbread), and is served on traditional wooden plates, which are features of rural culture in southern Tajik. Therefore, it highly represents the traditional culture of the original Tajik population in southern cultural cities like Khatlon. Click here for a qurutob recipe that you can cook at home: https://foodperestroika.com/2013/10/15/qurutob-tajikistans-national-dish/

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Tajik soups are important in Tajik meals that are consumed daily for good health. It is highly nutritious with ingredients such as meat, vegetables, herbs, and spices. The soups often taste thick and are served in large bowls (‘kazakhs’) for sharing. A traditional soup is shurbo, which contains meat, onions, and broth. It has different variations due to the meat and vegetable types, but popular ones are lamb and chicken with turnips and pumpkin. The ingredients are first fried, having a fresh scent and rich, oily taste making it more nutritious.

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Tajik bread or naan is the lifeblood of Tajik meals, with about 15.1kg of bread consumed per capita every year by its citizens. The most common bread type is flatbread, which is torn into pieces in soups and yogurt. While fluffy patterned bread is also a type of flatbread, rough unleavened flatbread called Kalama is more popular among the locals. It is made of wheat and some yogurt, creating a hard yet dairy and special taste. The baking process includes pressing the flatbread onto the hot walls of the tandoor like Indians and Middle Easterns, using consistent heat from burning wood and the wall to create a crust on the surface. Tajik flatbread has several distinct Tajik tastes, making it a main part of people’s meals.

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Tajik drinks are also common in Tajik meals. It can also symbolize hospitality towards guests. Common local drinks are green tea and Shirchay, which are believed to bring health benefits. Shirchay or Tajik milk tea is popular in the Pamir mountain region and also in Afghanistan and Pakistan, bringing people warmth and healthcare for one’s digestive system. It includes many local products in Tajikistan, consisting of tea, milk, butter, and salt. This adds a buttery yet salty flavor. This drink is often accompanied by breakfast and with flatbread as a nutritious and body-warming drink.

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Sada (‘one hundred’ days and nights from spring) celebration is another Tajik national holiday celebrating the end of the cold winter on 30 January and the preparations for plantation on farmlands. This is a Persian and agricultural holiday with Zoroastrianism ideologies such as light defeating darkness. The celebration includes singing, dancing, praying, and eating fruits and traditional dishes around a fire as well as fertilizing lands, symbolizing the arrival of light and joy. The festival highlights Tajikistan's agricultural and food traditions and their importance, which involves religious ideology. Click here for a video of a local celebration of Sada in Tajikistan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HMCti1HXs4

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Navruz (‘new day’) is a popular holiday in Iran and Central Asia that celebrates the arrival of spring and is the Persian New Year. The festival happens on March 21, when daylight and darkness are at the same length according to the Iranian Solar calendar. It was originally invented as an agricultural ritual related to the sun worship culture, signifying the rebirth of nature. The festival performs a series of celebrations and entertainment, including traditional equestrian competitions and sharing Uzbekistan and Tajik pastries and treats. Traditional holiday food includes plov and sumalak (a soup of wheat grains). The cleaning and refreshing ceremony is performed by cleaning houses, jumping over fires, forgiving and forgetting previous enemies and events to indicate the concept of a new start and the Tajik value of friendliness and generosity.

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Mehrgon is a thanksgiving for harvest in the Zoroastrian religion that has existed in Tajikistan and Persia since the 10th century. It honors the Zoroastrian God Mithra, the God of light, truth, and the sun, who contributes to their harvest. In autumn, people gather and enjoy big feasts of fruits as well as dance to express their gratitude and joy for the harvest. It highlights Tajik values of gratitude and friendship. Click here for a video of a local celebration of Sada in Tajikistan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUENKB73R7o

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The Navruz Palace is one of the 8 Wonders of the USC and was built by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, to revive Tajik historical and cultural heritages. The museum stands are in the center of the capital Dushanbe with 15 halls. Throughout the building, Tajik arts of painting, carving, woodworking, and plaster are showcased. Remarkably, the building includes 16 delicate columns with semi-domes on top and other architectural elements that each symbolize one Tajik historical, cultural, or geographical landmark, including different Tajik landmarks.

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Istiklol (Independence) Square and Monument

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Istiklol (Independence) Square and Monument

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The Istiklol Square is a 121-meter monument that honors the country’s independence and freedom that was recently built by the government in 2022, the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence. The design of the building is highly symbolic, with the lower 30 meters representing the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence, the upper 91 meters representing the declaration of the country’s independence in 1991, and the 8-meter crown on the top of the building symbolizes the nation’s civilization, knowledge, and diverse culture.

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Dushanbe’s Mehregon Market sells a variety of Central Asian goods from food to artisan products and it spans over 10,000 square meters. It can be dated back to the 19th century when it used to be an international trade center with the Soviet Union then it became a local market after the country’s independence. It adopted Silk Road architecture as a representation of the cultural influence of the neighboring Central Asian countries and its history. It has a tall open space with decorative giant columns and stone ground, which are decorated with elaborate Central Asian and Persian patterns that combine flowers and geometric shapes. The food had not changed much, selling Central Asian products such as dried fruits and nuts, spices, bread, cheese, and meat, making it a representative of both the agriculture and food culture of the Tajik local market.

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Wedding Ceremony. Click here to check out more unique and interesting cultures of Tajik weddings: 

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Wedding Ceremony. Click here to check out more unique and interesting cultures of Tajik weddings: 

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Tajik weddings often lasts for an entire week that is filled with both unique and traditional rituals that are related to their religion. Firstly, the couple has to go through several steps of engagement. After mutual agreement, the couple will consume plov (pilaf treat) and sweets, which symbolize happiness and an abundant life after marriage. Then the bride will receive white-colored presents from relatives, representing purity. In the wedding ceremony, the bride will have a unique wedding attire which is the dress version of traditional Tajik custom, which looks young, energetic, and beautiful with exquisite Tajik embroidery, silver decorations, and a gold carpet on the bride’s head. The main wedding ceremony is “nikoh”, which lets the couple read Quran verses and drink holy water as a commitment to do their jobs as husband and wife. As shown, Tajik weddings contain a lot of symbolic ceremonies which bless the couple.

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Unique & Interesting Cultures of Tajik Weddings_ PPT

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The funeral rituals are mostly influenced by Islamic ideologies, blessing the deceased with a better afterlife. Firstly, the body is covered with a white cloth to symbolize purity. After, the body is taken to a mosque and receives prayers and Quran recitations for a peaceful afterlife. At the funeral, the body is placed in the direction of Mecca, a holy city in Arabia where many imams are from, to show their unity with Allah. After the funeral, relatives often grieve for months depending on different factors, but all include prayers that are to bless the deceased to leave the world peacefully and also help with people’s recovery.

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Click here for a biography on Abu Hanifa (Islamic theologian)

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Click here for a biography on Abu Hanifa (Islamic theologian)

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Check Out a Photo Gallery of Tajikistan’s Most Stunning Architecture and Cultural Centers

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Check Out a Photo Gallery of Tajikistan’s Most Stunning Architecture and Cultural Centers

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Click here to check out a photo gallery of Tajik men and women in their traditional clothes: 

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Click here to check out a photo gallery of Tajik men and women in their traditional clothes: 

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Tajikistan’s Traditional Clothes Photo Gallery

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Click here for a biography of Abduvali Abdurashidov (a tanbur performer)

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Click here for a biography of Abduvali Abdurashidov (a tanbur performer)