Palace of Nations

Dushanbe


This grand modern building, dubbed locally as the White House, is the official seat of the president of Tajikistan. Although closed to the public, its gleaming white structure, with golden dome and multiple four-storey high pillars, makes an impressive piece of foreground against Dushanbe's panorama of snow-capped mountains.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dushanbe attractions

1. Bayrak

0.2 MILES

Built to commemorate 20 years of independence, the world's second tallest flagpole stands at 165m and is the centrepiece of Dushanbe's central ensemble of…

2. Parchan

0.22 MILES

Crowning the fountain-filled thoroughfare outside the National Library, this national monument was built to commemorate Tajikistan's independence. Cast…

3. Rudaki Park

0.23 MILES

Extensive Rudaki Park, with its beautiful canopy of mature trees, offers a series of pathways through flower gardens and alongside lakes and fountains…

4. Rudaki Statue

0.26 MILES

Beneath an impressive arc of blue mosaic stars, the nation's most revered poet, Rudaki, is honoured here at the heart of the central park named after him…

5. National Library

0.34 MILES

Opened in 2011 and constructed to resemble an open book, this US$40 million archive is reputed to be Central Asia's biggest library. It makes an…

6. Statue of Ismoil Somoni

0.38 MILES

One of Dushanbe’s most impressive modern monuments, this statue celebrates the 10th-century founder of the Samanid dynasty. With an art-deco quality to…

7. National Museum

0.4 MILES

Tajikistan's national museum is housed in an impressive modern building with an elliptical roof and giant atrium. The collection encompasses three main…

8. Writers’ Union Building

0.55 MILES

Tajikistan’s Persian past is invoked in the facade of the Writers’ Union Building. Adorned with sculpted-stone figures of Sadruddin Ayni, Omar Khayam,…