Culture of Tajikistan

Theculture ofTajikistanhas developed over several thousand years. Tajik culture can be divided into two areas, Metropolitan andKuhiston(Highland). Modern city centres includeDushanbe(the capital),Khudjand,Kulob, andPanjikent.
Zoroastrianismhad been adopted by Persian emperors as a state religion, and was practiced inCentral Asiaas well. It eventually declined after the Arab conquests. The largest celebration in Tajikistan to come from the pre-Islamic period isNavruz, which means "New Day". It is held on March 21 or 22, when the cultivation of the land starts. During Navruz, many families visit relatives, throw out old belongings, clean the house, and play field games. Special dishes are also served. Other pre-Islamic Tajik traditions like fire jumping, dancing around the fire, and fighting 'devils' with fire, still occur in the more remote regions.
Tajikistan's government has shownintoleranceof some religious faiths, such asJehovah's Witnesses, and has demolished religious buildings.
Tajik cuisine has much in common withUzbek,Afghan,Russian, andIranian. It is known for dishes such askabuli pulao,qabili palau, andsamanu. The national food and drink areplovandgreen tea, respectively.
Traditional Tajikistani meals begin with small dishes ofdried fruit,nuts, andhalva, followed by soup and meat, and finished with plov.Teaaccompanies every meal, and is often served between meals as a gesture of hospitality. It is often drunk unsweetened. Tajik cuisine offers a large variety offruit,meat, andsoupdishes.
Tajikistan's mountains provide many opportunities for outdoor sports, such as hill climbing,mountain biking,rock climbing,skiing,snowboarding,hiking, andmountain climbing. The facilities are limited, however. Mountain climbing and hiking tours to theFannandPamir Mountains, including the 7,000 m peaks in the region, are seasonally organized by local and international alpine agencies.
Footballis the most popular sport in Tajikistan. TheTajikistan national football teamcompetes inFIFAandAFCcompetitions. The top clubs in Tajikistan compete in theTajik League.
Four Tajikistani athletes have won Olympic medals for their country since independence. They are: wrestlerYusup Abdusalomov(silverin Belijing 2008), judokaRasul Boqiev(bronzein Beijing 2008), boxerMavzuna Chorieva(bronzein London 2012) andDilshod Nazarov(gold inhammer throwin Rio 2016) .
Tajikistan's film industry dates from 1929. The first official movie studio, calledTajikkino(later renamed toTajikfilm), began operation in 1930. In 1935,Tajikkinostarted producing movies with voice-over.Some experts believe 1970–80 to be the golden age for Tajikfilm. Subsidized by the government, the studio was able to produce about six feature films each year.
Examples of Tajikfilm's success during the Soviet times are such movies asThe Legend of Rustam,The Legend of Rustam and Siavoush, andThe Legend of the Smith Kova, based on stories fromFerdowsi'sShahnameh;First Morning of Adolescence(Юнности Первое Утро), which tells the life story of people living inBadakhshanin the beginning of the Soviet Empire, when its army was still struggling with theBasmachi movement; a trilogyNew tales from Shaherizada, based on Arabic talesOne Thousand and One Nights.
Among prominent Tajik producers are Valeriy Ahadov and Davlat Khudoynazarov.
After the breakdown ofSoviet Unionand the civil war in Tajikistan (1992–1997), Tajik cinema went downwards. The studio mainly survived by taking small foreign orders,and produced only a few of its own movies.Mohsen Makhmalbaf's filmSex & Philosophyfrom 2005 was set and produced in Tajikistan, as was the filmAngel on the RightbyJamshed Usmonovfrom 2002. Other Tajik movies produced in the past two decades include:Kosh ba Kosh(1993),Business trip(1998, documentary), andLuna Papa(1999, a joint project of Tajikfilm with some counterparts fromGermany,Austria,Switzerland,Japan, andRussia).
Chakan embroidery is the practice of sewing symbolic images on cotton or silk with brightly colored thread.These depict mythological images, nature, or the cosmos. The embroidery is done on clothing and on common household items such as curtains, bedspreads, and pillows. Chakan items are an important part of marriage ceremonies, with a bride wearing a Chakan shirt and the groom wearing an embroidered skullcap called a "tāqi". Tajik women and girls will commonly wear Chakan clothing during national festivals and holidays.
Women create this art form, either individually or in communal settings.When working individually the craftswomen will get help from their daughters and other family members. In a communal setting the craftswomen gather in one home, taking direction from the most experienced one and being assigned an individual task for the process. These tasks can include image design, fabric cutting, embroidering, sewing garments, and taking orders for the sale of the products. The products created by these craftswomen are sold inbazaarsor dress shops, providing an important source of income.
The practice of Chakan embroidery is passed down from one generation of women to the next, to ensure the practice continues to thrive.A craftswoman will pass down her knowledge to her daughter, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law. Chakan embroidery can also be learned in group settings from an expert craftswoman, referred to as the "ustod-shogird" or "master-student" method.
In 2018, Chakan embroidery was inscribed onUNESCO's RepresentativeList of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Traditional Tajik music is closely related to other Central Asian music forms.Shashmaqamis the predominant style of Tajikfolk music, thoughfalakis popular in southern Tajikistan. The Pamiris of theGorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Provincehave their own distinct style of music as well.
Traditional centers of Tajik literature wereSamarkandandBukhara, however these cities are now inUzbekistan. In recent history, Tajik literature has been predominantlysocial realist. Though Tajiks do not draw a line, between their own literature and generalPersian literature, there have been a few notable Tajik writers and poets. The standardization of the Tajik language has shaped Tajik literature in recent decades as well.
One thousand years after the Samanid period, another cultural revival occurred; this time due to theSoviet's moderndrama,opera, andballet. Poets such asMirzo Tursunzoda,Mirsaid Mirshakar, andLoik Sherali; novelist and historianSadridin Aini, all figured prominently in this revival, as did professorsM IshokiandOsimi, scholarSotim Ulughzoda, novelistJalol Ikromi, and anthropologist and historianBobojon Ghafurov. In 1969,Malika Sobirovawon a gold medal in an international ballet competition.
Since independence, there has been a pre-Soviet cultural revival in an attempt to foster a sense of national identity. NovelistTaimur Zulfikarov, and professorsRahim MasovandBozor Sobirbeing prominent.