What is the Tajikistan Somoni?
If you’re headed to Tajikistan on tour, you’ll need to pick yourself up some local currency. For Tajikistan, this is the Tajikistan Somoni.
As with a lot of countries around Central Asia, the Tajikistan Somoni is relatively new, being introduced in 2000 after the turmoil surrounding the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
One Tajik Somoni is sub-divided into 100 Dirams and is named after Ismail Samani (Ismoil Somoni) the Emir of Khorasan, a historic emirate which encompassed much of Central Asia during the 10th century. It was under the rule of Somoni that the Samanids became a powerful force in the region; after the fall of the USSR, the legacy of Somoni was promoted in Tajikistan, hence the name of the currency.
Where and How to get Tajikistan Somoni
It’s relatively easy to get currency in Tajikistan, although as with many countries in the region, there are a few obstacles to get around.
The easiest way to pick up some currency is at the airport – here you’ll be able to exchange your foreign cash for local currency.
There are also public ATMs in Tajikistan where you’ll be able to top up your wallet, although be aware that these may not always have cash available and so shouldn’t be relied upon. Banks are also a source of currency for the foreign traveller, although this might take time to process and local banks often have very strict opening hours.
The Soviet Ruble, Tajikistan Ruble and Tajikistan Somoni
From the formation of the Soviet Union in 1917, the various Soviet Socialist Republics which made up the USSR began to use Soviet Rubles as the official currency. This was the status-quo until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 which saw the various new nation-states in Central Asia and beyond transition to new currencies.
Tajikistan was the final country to stop using the Soviet Ruble, keeping the currency in circulation until 1993, a full three years after the USSR’s dissolution. When Russia began to mint new Russian rubles, Tajikistan used these for a few years.
In 1995, Tajikistan started using its own currency, the Tajikistani Ruble. However, over the following 5 years, the currency was plagued with issues and as the century drew to a close, plans were drawn up to replace the ruble with a new currency; the Tajikistan Somoni.
Banknotes and Coins in Tajikistan
The currency in Tajikistan is issued in both coins and banknotes. The designs and denominations are as follows:
Coins
Issued in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 diram and 1, 3 and 5 somoni.
Each diram coin holds it’s value on the obverse and the Tajik coat of arms on the reverse. The 1 somoni coin holds an image of Ismail Somani on the reverse whilst the 5 somoni coin has an image of Abuabdullo Rudaki on the reverse, a famous Persian poet.
Banknotes
1 Diram
The one diram banknote is brown in colour and has an image of the Sadriddin Ayni Theatre and Opera House on the obverse and the famous Pamir mountains on the back, one of the most beautiful landscapes in Tajikistan.
5 Diram
The five diram note is pastel blue with the Arbob Cultural Palace, a cultural palace in Khujand, Tajikistan modelled after the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, depicted on the obverse and the shrine to Mirzo Tursunzoda, a famous writer, Hero of Tajikistan and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Tajikistan depicted on the reverse.
20 Diram
A green banknote, the 20 Diram note depicts the meeting hall of Tajikistan’s Central Bank on the obverse and a non-descript mountain road on the reverse – a nod to Tajikistan’s mountainous terrain.
50 Diram
The largest of the Diram banknotes, this purple banknote has an image of Ismail Somani, for whom the currency is named after, on the front and another non-descript mountainous scene on the reverse.
1 Somoni
The front of the 1 Somoni note holds an image of the aforementioned Mirzo Tursunzoda on the obverse and the National Bank of Tajikistan on the reverse. The note is coloured light green.
3 Somoni
A violet coloured banknote, the 3 Somoni note holds a portrait of Shirinsho Shotemur on the obverse. Shotemur was a politician who worked towards the formation of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic and was instrumental in the history of communist Tajikistan. On the reverse there is an image of the Supreme Assembly building, the seat of the legislature in the country.
5 Somoni
The portrait adorning the obverse of the blue-coloured 5 Somoni banknote is of Sadriddin Ayni, Tajikistan’s national poet. On the reverse, an image of the aforementioned Abuabdullo Rudaki.
10 Somoni
This red & yellow coloured note seems to be themed entirely around one man – Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani. An Iranian scholar, Muslim saint and a poet. His portrait adorns the obverse whilst his tomb, located in Kulab, Tajikistan, is depicted on the reverse of the note.
20 Somoni
The 20 Somoni note is coloured faintly yellow and, once again, holds a portrait on the obverse – this time it’s Ibn Sina, one of the most significant astronomers, physicians, and writers during the Islamic Golden Age. On the reverse is Hissar Fortress, a major historical site in Tajikistan.
50 Somoni
The 50 Somoni banknote displays a portrait of Bobojon Ghafurov, an author and historian of the 20th century. The reverse depicts Chaikhana Sino, all displayed against the blue colour of the banknote.
100 Somoni
This brown banknote depicts the national hero Ismail Samani on the obverse with the Tajik Presidential Palace on the reverse.
200 Somoni
The obverse of the 200 Somoni note displays the portrait of Nusratullo Maksum, a Tajik-Soviet politician, recipient of the Order of the Red Banner, member of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and a victim of the great purge in the 1930s. On the reverse is held an image of the National Library in Dushanbe.
500 Somoni
The largest denomination note in Tajikistan, the 500 Somoni note is somewhat purple, blue and grey in colour. The obverse depicts the previously mentioned Persian poet Abuabdullo Rudaki. On the obverse, the Palace of Nations in Dushanbe; the palace serves as Tajikistan’s presidential residence.
