Roofing in Tajikistan

Tajikistan is the most mountainous country in Central Asia, with the Pamir range occupying its eastern half. Its best-documented vernacular roof is that of the Pamiri house, or chid, in the Badakhshan region: a flat earth roof on timber beams and five carved pillars, lit through a stepped square skylight, the chorkhona.

Climate and hazards

The high Pamirs have long, very cold winters and a dry climate; settlements such as the village of Hichigh in Badakhshan stand at around 3,700 m (12,250 ft). Earthquakes are a major hazard across the country.

Roofing history

The Pamiri house carries layers of symbolism that its inhabitants trace back more than 2,500 years, overlaid by the Ismaili Muslim tradition of the region. During the Soviet period, building in towns followed all-Union codes, including the seismic design codes SNiP II-A.12-62 and SNiP II-A.12-69, which introduced dynamic-theory design. After independence Tajikistan adopted its own anti-seismic construction code in 2007.

Traditional and vernacular roofs

Pamiri house (chid). Walls are of stone with mud or plaster. Inside the single main room, five timber pillars support two main beams, over which lie groups of smaller beams, usually thirteen, and then the flat roof. The roof is a working surface, used to dry hay, apricots, mulberries and dung for fuel. The only daylight enters through the chorkhona ("four houses"), four square timber frames stacked one above the other up to the roof opening, said to represent earth, water, air and fire. The pillars were traditionally of juniper, which has become too scarce to use in new houses. Each of the five pillars is named after a member of the Prophet's family and marks a place for particular household activities.

Codes, standards and regulation

Tajikistan approved an Anti-Seismic Construction Code in 2007; a new edition, SNiP RT 22-07-2018, was adopted in 2019.

Notable roofs

• Pamiri houses of Badakhshan, for example in the Bartang valley and at Hichigh.

Local roofing terms

• chid (Pamiri): house
• chorkhona (Pamiri): "four houses", the stepped skylight
• akli kul and nafsi kul: names of the two main roof beams, meaning universal reason and universal soul

Sources and gaps

Information on roofing in the lowland west of the country, around Dushanbe and the Fergana valley, statistics on roof materials, modern materials and the roofing industry were not found in published sources.