Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Russian Embassy
(
%
235 98 27; www.
rusemb.tj; Sino 29/31, Dushanbe;
h
10am-
12.30pm & 3-5.30pm Mon, 9am-12.30pm &
3-5.30pm Wed-Fri)
Turkish Embassy
(
%
221 22 08; turemdus@
tajik.net; Rudaki 15, Dushanbe)
Turkmen Embassy
(
%
224 11 62; fax 221 68
84; Akhunbabaev 10, Dushanbe;
h
application
9.30am-12.30pm Mon-Fri, document collec-
tion 3-4pm) Transit visas for Turkmenistan
cost US$55, and take around one week with
copy of your passport and a visa for the
country you are transitting to (ie Iran or
Azerbaijan).
UK Embassy
(
%
224 22 21, emergency 91-770
80 11; http://ukin tajikistan.fco.gov.uk; Mirzo
Tursunzoda 65, Dushanbe)
US Embassy
(
%
229 23 00; http://dushanbe.
usembassy.gov; Somoni 109, Dushanbe) Way
out in the western suburbs.
Uzbek Embassy
(
%
224 15 86; www.uz
embassy-tadjik.mfa.uz; Sanoi 32, Dushanbe;
h
9am-noon Mon-Fri) In theory visas for
Uzbekistan take a week to process and cost
US$75 for most nationals. You'll need to get
the form (Anket) filed by the folks at the pale
yellow unmarked building, one house east at
Sanoi 30 (behind the Mehrob sign). That costs
8TJS and takes 10 minutes but no English is
spoken. Several travellers have reported wait-
ing much longer than a week.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
With its links to a Persian past, Navrus (Nawroz)
is the year's biggest festival and you are likely to
see song and dance performances. The biggest
buzkashi
(dead-goat polo) matches are generally
held around this time, albeit usually in relatively
inaccessible locations.
As well as national holidays, Ismaili communi-
ties in Badakhshan and beyond celebrate
Ima-
mat Day
(11 July, the anniversary of the current
Aga Khan taking over the Ismaili Imamat),
Ruz-i-Nour, the Day of Lights
(25 May, com-
memmorating the irst visit of current Imam to
gorno Badakhshan 1995) and
Ruz-i-Mavlud
(13 December, the Aga Khan's birthday). On all
three days you can expect concerts, folklore
shows and/or sports events in Khorog City
Park, Dushanbe's Ismaili Centre and almost any
Ismaili village.
July's
Roof of the World Festival
(www.
pamirtours.tj/the_roof_of_the_world_festival)
in Khorog features music, singing and dance
from across the region.
In early August, Murgab's At Chabysh festival
(p353) is aimed at reinvigorating horse tradi-
tions among the Pamiri Kyrgyz. Horse games
abound but don't expect
buzkashi
.
HOLIDAYS
1 January
New Year's Day
8 March
International Women's Day
21-23 March
Nawroz, or Navrus (Persian New
Year), called Ba'at in Badakhshan
1 May
International labour Day
9 May
Victory Day (a commemmoration of
WWII)
27 June
Day of National Unity and Accord (for
reconcilliation after the 1990s' civil war)
9 September
Independence Day
6 November
Constitution Day
Major Islamic hoildays are also celebrated
including Idi Kurbon (Eid al-Azha, Feast of Sac-
riice) and Idi Fitr (Eid al-Fitr, end of Ramadan).
See p469 for dates.
INTERNET ACCESS
Internet cafes are widespread in bigger towns
but don't count on getting online in Murgab. Mo-
bile internet coverage is reasonably widespread,
allowing connection wherever your chosen
server/provider has signal. In reality some rural
signals aren't strong enough to do much suring.
Megafon and T-Cell are the best choices though
each has its coverage 'holes'. Both ofer fast/
slow dongles (200/100TJS) for your computer
whose free initial traic-credit may prove sui-
cient for several week's email usage if you're not
streaming or downloading big iles.
MAPS
¨
Marcus Hauser's 1:500,000 maps cover
Tajikistan in three very accurate, info-packed
sheets,
The Pamirs,
Northern Tajikistan
and
Southern Tajikistan.
Each available from www.
geckomaps.com.
¨
A series of detailed maps is downloadable as
an offline Android smart-phone app through
Oruxmaps.com
¨
The University of Berne's Centre for Develop-
ment and Environment has topo and satellite
maps of the Pamirs online at http://cdegis.
unibe.ch/pamir.
MONEY
The Tajik somani (TJS) is divided into 100
dirham. Somani notes come in one, ive, 10, 20,
50 and 100 denominations. Dirham coins are
rarely used.
US dollars, euros and Russian roubles are
easily changed at city exchange booths and at
least one bank in any regional centre. Carrying
at least some US-dollar cash makes sense: even
in rural areas usually drivers and homestays will
accept them should you run out of somani. ATMs
are now available in bigger towns (not Murgab)
but not all take the cards they claim to and some
have preposterously low withdrawal limits.
generally Maestro seems to be harder to use
than Visa. There is no black market for currency
transactions.
