Tajikistan and the High Pamirs: A Companion and Guide

"Tajikistan and the High Pamirsranks as the most comprehensive guidebook."—Condé Nast Traveler
Fringed by the two great rivers of Central Asia, the Oxus and the Jaxartes, Tajikistan can boast not only of breathtaking mountain scenery, but also of 3,000 years of history. The land where Alexander the Great fought desperately against the Scythian nomads, his most formidable adversaries, Tajikistan is an ancient cradle of Persian culture. Originally, it was the home of the Sogdians, the famous trading peoples of the Silk Road; eventually this country was at the heart of the 19th century “Great Game”, a place of contention for the adventurers and spies of Britain and Imperial Russia. Now recovering from the misfortunes of the 20th century—the travails of Soviet rule and several years of civil war—it is able to offer visitors not only its legacies of cultural and ethnic diversity, but also unparalleled opportunities for adventure.
Features:
Vital insight into a crucially positioned nationDushanbe, Central Asia’s friendliest capital cityMountaineering and trekking on the roof of the worldHistorical insights into explorers and travelers of the ancient Silk RoadCulture, music and ethnic traditionsEssays on wildlife, botany, geology and archeology including a contribution by Dr. George SchallerPublished to appeal to the armchair traveler as well as the intrepid visitor