Dushanbe: Soviet boulevards at the foot of the Pamirs

Tajikistan's capital grown rapidly from a village during the Soviet era, Dušanbe hosts some of Central Asia's tallest monuments.

The center, with its Soviet-era avenues, is comfortably explored on foot at the foot of Pamir peaks.

The National Flag of Tajikistan, hoisted on a flagpole that was for years the world's tallest, dominates the main square of the capital.

A few steps away, the National Museum of Tajikistan displays artifacts from the Silk Road civilization, including a reclining Buddha over twelve meters long.

Continuing, one walks along Rudaki Avenue, the main tree-lined thoroughfare of the city, flanked by government buildings in monumental Soviet style.

Toward evening, the market of Shohmansur, known locally as the 'Green Market', sells dried fruits, spices, and local products of Central Asia.

The name Dušanbe derives from the Persian word for 'Monday', the day when the weekly market of the village that gave rise to the modern city was historically held, growing rapidly only after being chosen as capital in the Soviet era.

The flagpole of the Tajik national flag, over one hundred sixty-five meters tall, held for several years the world record for the tallest flagpole before being surpassed by other countries.