Dushanbe

Dushanbe, formerly Stalinabad, capital city of Tajikistan, in the Hisor Valley. Manufactures of this industrial and transportation center include textiles, electrical equipment, machinery, and processed food. The city is the site of the Tajik State University (1948) and the Tajik Academy of Sciences.

The site of Dushanbe has been inhabited since ancient times. In 1929 the village of Dyushanbe was made the capital of the newly created Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic and renamed Stalinabad. A railroad link was completed in the same year, and the ensuing growth of the city was rapid. It was renamed Dushanbe in 1961, and following the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991, the city became the capital of an independent Tajikistan. In 1992 the capital was the scene for battles fought between Islamic-democrats and the pro-Communist government. The Islamic forces briefly controlled the city before being ousted later in the year. Population (2002 estimate) 575,900.