Chaikhana Rohat, Dushanbe

Amid the Dubai-ification of Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe, where each return visit hails yet more high-rise apartment blocks, there still remain some vestiges of the city's historic architectural splendour.

Steadfastly surviving* repeated calls for demolition and modernisation, the glorious Chaikhana Rohat, or Comfort Tea house, sits squat and unassuming on the main street, Rudaki Prospekt. To venture into the shady interior hall on a hot Dushanbe lunchtime is to be instantly cooled and gladdened by the sumptuous carved ceiling, built by master craftsmen in 1958.

This has long been a meeting place for both men and women, and its cultural significance to Dushanbe-ites has been a major factor in surviving the choppy waters of the capital’s architectural reformation. No visit to Dushanbe is complete without a visit here to drink green tea, eat chunks of non and marvel at the beauty of the craftsmanship.

Visit Chaikana Rohat as part of a tailor-made journey to Tajikistan, or the wider Silk Road. To find out more, contact us here.

Photo taken by our friend Michael Turek.

• Since this blog post was written, sadly the teahouse has now made way for new buildings. A heroic effort to keep the historic building was effective for years, but the push for a new Dushanbe has meant that Rohat has now been consigned to the history books.