In 2022, I had the opportunity to visit Tajikistan for a business trip, during which I gathered and researched various pieces of information that I would like to document.
In the previous installment, I provided an overview, and information on the geography and population. This time, I will introduce new topics.
Culture
- The city is home to artisans such as weavers, potters, blacksmiths, wood carvers, and plasterers (working with decorative plaster), with some regions specializing in patterned papers and silk fabrics.
- Most carpets were woven on simple looms, and these traditional patterns remain popular in contemporary embroidery designs.
- Today’s artisans continue to decorate household items such as skullcaps, women’s dresses, and wall embroideries like suzane (decorative panels), ruijo (decorative overlays), and dastarkhan (tablecloths), in the same way as they did hundreds of years ago.
- Prior to the Arab invasion, the main religions were Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, which were later replaced by Islam.
- Many mosques were built, and significant monuments from the 11th-12th centuries, like the mausoleum in the Gissar Valley and the mosque monuments in Ura-Tyube, and the 15th-century Mazar-i-Sharif in Sayat, are well preserved.
- Tajikistan's religion is said to reflect their desire for peace to understand science and literature, although the Arab invaders nearly obliterated the Tajik language.
- Despite this, true masterpieces of Tajik classical literature, songs, and scientific works have been revived.
**Hissar Fortress**
Ecosystem
- Tajikistan's ecosystem can be classified into 12 types: glacier zones, high-mountain deserts, high-mountain pastures and steppes, mid-mountain coniferous forests, mid-mountain temperate forests, mid-mountain dry forests, mid-mountain semi-savannas, hilly semi-deserts and deserts, wetlands, agricultural ecosystems, urban areas, and wastelands.
- The lowland areas (below 200m above sea level) include the southwestern watershed basin, the fertile Fergana Basin in the far north, and the western hilly and steppe regions.
Climate Characteristics
- The climate is continental. Cultivated areas on floodplains experience hot and humid summers and mild winters.
- The annual average rainfall is 691mm, ranging from 100mm in the southeast to 2,400mm in the central Fedchenko Glacier region, mostly occurring between September and April.
- The average temperature is 16-17°C, with the highest recorded temperature being 48°C in July and the lowest being -49°C in January. The daily average temperatures are about 7°C in winter and 18°C in summer.
- The plains around Dushanbe and Khujand have a milder climate, with hot and dry summers, while Dushanbe experiences more rainfall in winter.
- In contrast, the northern region around Khujand sees less snowfall in winter.
- With 93% of the country situated above 1,000m, polar climates prevail in the mountains above 3,000m during winter.
- Tajikistan is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, being one of the most economically impacted countries by climate-related events in the region. From 1992 to 2016, the economic loss from natural disasters amounted to $1.8 billion.
- The country frequently experiences extreme weather events that cause land, crop, and infrastructure damage or destruction, as well as human casualties. Significant climate changes, including temperature rises, glacier retreat, and shifts in average and extreme precipitation patterns, have already been observed.
In this second installment, we explored Tajikistan's culture, ecosystem, and climate characteristics. I will continue to strive to provide relevant information.
Thank you.
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