The National Museum of Tajikistan (Tajik: Осорхонаи миллии Тоҷикистон) stands proudly on Ismoil Somoni Street, adjacent to the State Flag Square in the heart of Dushanbe. Established in 1934, the museum initially started with a modest collection of 530 items, derived from the achievements of the Tajik SSR’s Academy of Sciences and various expeditions. By 2011, the museum, previously named after the renowned Persian miniaturist Kamoliddin Behzad, was renamed the National Museum of Tajikistan and relocated to its current expansive facility in March 2013.
Today, the museum boasts over 50,000 artifacts, showcasing a rich array of archaeological and ethnographic collections. These include ceramics, metalworks, weaponry, jewelry, numismatics, manuscripts, sculptures, household items, and embroidery. The museum’s chronological span extends from the Bronze Age (4th millennium BC) to the early 20th century.
A notable highlight of the collection is its numismatic treasures, including Samanid silver and copper coins with Kufic inscriptions from the 9th century, a gold coin from Kushan king Vasudeva from the 4th century AD, and a Bukhara silver coin with Sogdian inscriptions from the 5th-6th centuries AD. The museum’s pottery collection, featuring bowls, pitchers, and various vessels from Sogdiana (the Zeravshan and Kashkadarya river basins), dates back to the mid-1st millennium BC and includes items discovered near ancient Penjikent.
The museum also houses a fascinating collection of material culture from the Sogdian castle on Mount Mug (8th century AD), uncovered by Professor Freeman’s expedition in 1933. Among the museum’s treasures is the globally renowned Iskandar Mehrab (11th-12th century AD), a wooden mihrab (prayer niche) intricately crafted without nails or glue, featuring 300 parts and over 100 ornamental motifs. The Kufic inscription on this mihrab, deciphered by Sharipov A. in 2000, reveals a saying of Prophet Muhammad. The mihrab also incorporates elements of Zoroastrian symbolism, such as the whirling cross and the circle with a hemisphere, which have long been solar symbols.
The museum’s collection of terracotta sculptures from Sogdiana, depicting humans and animals, reflects the religious beliefs of ancient Tajiks. Among its most famous exhibits is the world’s largest clay Buddha statue, discovered by Tajik archaeologist B.A. Litvinsky at the Ajina-Tepa Buddhist temple in the Vakhsh River Valley between 1964 and 1968. The statue, damaged during the Arab conquest in the 7th century, was painstakingly restored by a team from the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad. The restoration, led by V.A. Fominykh, was completed over two seasons, culminating in the statue’s assembly and display in the National Museum of Antiquities.
The museum’s new building, inaugurated in March 2013, features 22 exhibition halls across 15,000 square meters. The museum includes sections dedicated to nature, antiquity, the Middle Ages, modern and contemporary history, and both fine and applied arts. It also houses a research department for written heritage, archaeology, and numismatics, alongside an international cooperation division. The National Museum of Tajikistan remains a pivotal cultural institution, offering a comprehensive view of Tajikistan’s rich historical and artistic legacy.