Tajikistan

Spending time in Tajikistan means “gaining altitude”! The country’s land is 93% covered by mountains, with more than half of the territory situated at least 3,000 meters above sea level. The highest point is the Ismail Samani peak, reaching an impressive 7,495 meters.

The two main massifs are the Pamir, famous since the days of the Silk Road, and the Alay Mountains, which run along the northern part of Tajikistan and the southern part of Kyrgyzstan.

Hiking through the Alay Mountains, valley after valley and pass after pass, allows you to meet the Tajik shepherds who live there. These nomads move with the seasons alongside their herds. Their traditional dwellings are called “Kappa”—wooden tents covered with animal skins. There are also permanent villages where stone and cob houses are huddled together for protection against the harsh winters.

Through these photographs, I invite you to discover the mountainous landscapes of Tajikistan, its turquoise glacial lakes, and the people who call these heights home. These images were captured in the Fansky Mountains, part of the Alay range.

Mountain panorama

Tajik pride

Glacial lake of Moutny (3500m), and Chimtarga (5489m)

Sahid and his daughters

Graffiti

Nomadic village of Vole ethnic group, Sarmat valley

Reude river

Tajik smile

Tajik curiosity

Culicalon lake (2880m)

Mountain of war

Sight of view to Chabdara (5049m) from Aloudine mountain pass (3840m)

Sunset on the war mountain

Dried grass and pasture

A donkey, in front of Chimtarga (5489m)

A mountain huddled houses village

Mother and daughter

Hikers in the mountain

A donkey caravan moving in

Few hours are enough to erect a kappa

Kappa assembly

Specific actions during the assembly of a Kappa

Kids of Vole ethnic group

A spinner at work

Pasture valley

Herdsman walk the mountain

Young girl

Sahid

Inhabitants in the valley Archi Maidan

Zamira

Culicalon lakes system

Culicalon lake (2880m)

Aloudine lake (3700m)

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