An entire building facade in central Dushanbe has been covered with larger-than-life statues of eleven figures from classical Tajik and Persian literature. The effect is striking — a building that functions as a monument, with poets and philosophers staring down at the street from the upper floors.
The figures are a mixture of historical accuracy and national mythology, but the ambition of the thing is impressive. It's visible from Rudaki Avenue and best viewed in the morning light. Rudaki himself, the 10th-century Samanid court poet, is the central figure. The memorial is a short walk from the National Library.