On January 31, a free tourist route called “Sayri Sada” will be organized in the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, for tourists and guests of the city, according to the Dushanbe Tourism Development Department.
The tour is being held on the initiative of the Dushanbe city government as part of the celebration of the ancient Tajik holiday of Sada. The event will be attended by foreign tourists, members of the diplomatic corps, international students, as well as media representatives.
Guides will provide information in Tajik, Russian, and English, focusing on both the tourist opportunities in Dushanbe and the cultural significance of the Sada holiday.
Participants are expected to gather at 8:00 AM on January 31 near the Ismaili Somoni Monument. The tour will start at 8:30 AM, and guests will travel through the city to the venue of the Sada celebration — the Abulqosim Firdavsi Park.
Registration for the tour is open and free of charge. Ministries, agencies, and tourism companies can register their guests through the following channels:
· Facebook: Dushanbe-travel
· Instagram: dushanbe.travel
· Email: [email protected]
For additional information, please contact: 2212561; 777000443; 555080303; 003881616 (WhatsApp, Telegram).
Celebrated 50 days before the UNESCO-registered Navwrouz, the Iranian New Year, and 40 days past the UNESCO-listed ancient festival of Shab-e Yalda (Yalda Night is the longest and darkest night of the year), the Sada festival is widely believed to symbolize warmth, unity, and the triumph of light over darkness.
Recall, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the Sada (Sadeh in Persian) on the UNSECO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December last year of the festival was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December of 2024. A joint dossier of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Tajikistan was submitted during the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Kasane, Republic of Botswana.
Sada is an ancient Iranian festival that dates back to the first Persian Empire, Achaemenid Empire.
Sada in Tajik means “hundred” and refers to one hundred days and nights past the end of summer (or the beginning of long-winter known to start at the end of summer in ancient Iran). Sada is a mid-winter festival to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold.
Sada is the third important festival of Iranians, which has been celebrated from ancient times until today. In the past, ancient Iranians had a special festival for each month of the year, and the Sada Festival, held on 10th of Bahman (January 30th), is one of the most significant festivals. Iranians believed that on this very day humans discovered fire which is a sign from God, the symbol of light energy and warmth, and also a weapon for battle against darkness and Ahriman (devil). Some historians believe that Sada was a religious ceremony, however historical evidence show that it was a national festival held by normal people.
