Dushanbe (Tajik: Душанбе, Dushanbe; formerly Dyushambe or Stalinabad), population 661,100 people (2006 census), is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. The name is derived from the Persian word for “Monday” (du two + shamba or shanbe day, lit. “day two”) and refers to the fact that it was a popular Monday marketplace.
