Tajikistan. The Land of Unique Heritage

The MUCIV-Museum of Civilizations, in collaboration with the National Museum of Tajikistan, presents the exhibition Tajikistan – the Land of Unique Heritage, which brings together precious archaeological finds and world-historical and cultural heritage items from the country's most important sites, offering a journey through time from the 6th century BC to the 20th century.

The exhibition is divided into two distinct sections. The first explores the archaeological sites and empires of antiquity: here we find masterpieces such as the regal bronze ram heads of the Achaemenid period, the exquisite finds from Takht-i Sangin, the Buddhist sculptures from Ajina Tepe and the Kushan Empire, the carved woodwork from the Bunjikat Palace, and the famous "Kneeling Man" mural from ancient Penjikent, known as the "Pompeii of the East". The second section celebrates the heritage of traditional Tajik applied arts, displaying rare musical instruments such as the dutor (or dotar) - an ancient plucked string instrument of the long-necked lute family - and the rubab (or rabab) - a traditional stringed instrument of Central Asian origin - as well as elegant engraved copper artifacts, Kundal relief panels, and Suzani embroidery, among which the colorful Chakan dresses, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, stand out.

The exhibition, which covers therefore over 2,500 years of history, with archaeological masterpieces from ancient empires and traditional Tajik applied arts, aims to illustrate the fundamental stages in the history and development of the Tajik people, to promote a deeper understanding of a great civilization.

Photo: official poster of the exhibition