The National Museum of the Republic of Tajikistan, named in honor of Kamoliddin Behzod, was established in 1934 by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. The museum was originally founded on the basis of the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy, held in Dushanbe. At its inception, the museum housed only 530 exhibits, but today its collection boasts more than 50,000 items. The museum’s initial collection of paintings and sculptures was sourced from various prominent historical and art museums across the Russian Federation. As the first state museum of the then young Soviet Republic of Tajikistan, it was named after Kamoliddin Behzod, a renowned miniature painter from the 15th-16th centuries.
In the 1960s, the museum’s exhibitions were relocated to a building that formerly housed a technical school, situated in the heart of Dushanbe. This three-story building has been the museum’s home for over 40 years. From the beginning, the museum has been under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture of Tajikistan, and in 1999, it was granted national status by the Government. The museum holds the largest and most comprehensive collection in the republic, with over 50,000 exhibits covering the history, culture, and natural environment of Tajikistan. The collection includes works of painting, sculpture, and graphic arts, samples of flora and fauna, mineralogical collections, and archaeological, ethnographic, numismatic artifacts, as well as fragments of significant architectural monuments. Among the museum’s treasures are masterpieces of traditional Tajik decorative and applied arts from the 19th and 20th centuries and unique archaeological artifacts from the Neolithic, Bronze, and Medieval periods.
A particularly valuable part of the museum’s collection is its numismatic section, featuring pre-Islamic coins (from the Greco-Bactrian, Kushan, Sassanid, and Bukhar-Khudat periods) as well as Islamic coins (from the Arab, Samanid, Karakhanid, Seljuk, Khwarezm, Timurid, and Manghit periods). The museum’s collection of epigraphic monuments is also noteworthy, containing inscriptions in Greek, Pahlavi, Sogdian, and Arabic. Chronologically, the museum’s collection spans from the 3rd millennium BC to the early 21st century.
The museum’s archaeological collections include fascinating pieces such as the terracotta sculptures from Sogdia, dating back to the mid-1st millennium BC. Another highlight is the collection of material culture items from the Sogdian castle on Mount Mug, dating to the 8th century AD, discovered during Professor Freiman’s expedition in 1933.
A priceless cultural artifact of the Tajiks housed in the museum is the intricately carved wooden Iskadar Mihrab from the 11th-12th centuries AD. The Mihrab, an arch-shaped niche in the wall of a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca, was discovered by Professor M.S. Andreev in the village of Iskadar in the Samarkand region in 1925. The Sassanid-era Mihrab is now considered a unique architectural and ethnographic monument. Comprising over 300 parts, the Mihrab features more than 100 different types of ornaments and was assembled entirely without nails or glue, using a meticulous process of fitting the components together. It also bears a Kufic inscription representing a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad.
The museum’s exhibitions are spread across three floors. The first floor hosts a permanent exhibition dedicated to the diverse natural environment of Tajikistan. Here, visitors can see numerous taxidermy specimens of animals and birds native to the plains and mountains of the republic, including rare species listed in the Red Book. The exhibit also includes ichthyological collections and samples of reptiles. A significant section of this floor is devoted to Tajikistan’s minerals and flora. The exhibition addresses contemporary environmental issues in the republic, highlighting conservation efforts, protected areas, and nature reserves.
The first floor also contains halls for temporary exhibitions, which the museum both hosts and organizes. The second floor is home to archaeological and ethnographic collections that trace the long history of the Tajik people and explore Tajikistan’s ancient past. The decorative and applied arts department showcases clay toys and finely crafted knives from Istaravshan, ornately carved wooden dishes from Konibodom, vibrantly embroidered coverlets and dance costumes from Kulob, multicolored woolen socks from Pamiri, traditional musical instruments, women’s jewelry, and the interior decor of a traditional Tajik home.
Permanent exhibitions from the museum’s collection of paintings, graphics, and sculptures are also located on the second floor, featuring works by Western European, Russian, and national artists.
The third floor is dedicated to the history of Tajikistan in the 19th and 20th centuries and the achievements of the President of the Republic, Emomali Rahmon. This section presents materials on the establishment of Soviet power and the civil war of the early 20th century in Tajikistan, reflecting the contributions of the republic’s peoples to the USSR’s victory in World War II. It also covers Tajikistan’s economic and cultural development in the latter half of the 20th century, the establishment of independence, and the evolution of sovereign statehood. The exhibition labels are provided in both Tajik and Russian.
The museum regularly organizes exhibitions of paintings from its own collection, hosts international photo exhibitions, and participates in various temporary exhibitions throughout Tajikistan. It also conducts guided tours and lectures for schoolchildren and students and offers professional development courses for museum staff in Tajikistan. The museum is actively involved in restoration, preservation, and documentation projects in collaboration with international organizations and foundations such as the Open Society Institute, UNESCO, and Restorers Without Borders.
Address: 734025, Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, 31 Aini Street
Phone: (+992-37) 221-60-36, 227-15-08
Email: museumtj@rambler.ru
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
**Closed on Mondays
Admission Fee: Entrance is paid.