Dushanbe is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. As of February 2023, it had a population of 1,228,400, which is largely Tajik. The city is divided into four districts: Ismail Samani, Avicenna, Ferdowsi, and Shah Mansur.
Located in the Hisar Valley, the city sits at an elevation of 750–930 meters. It is bounded by the Hisar Range to the north and east, while the Babatag, Aktau, Rangontau, and Karatau mountains border it to the south. Historically, the city was known as Dyushambe until 1929, when it was renamed Stalinabad in honor of Joseph Stalin; it reverted to Dushanbe in 1961.