Ashgabat: The Heart of Turkmenistan

 

Ashgabat is a city defined by one moment in time; in 1948, Ashgabat was decimated when a giant earthquake hit the city. It was rapidly rebuilt, conforming with usual Soviet-bloc apartments; this period also shaped the country’s future ruler Turkmenbashi.

 

Fast forward to 2021; Ashgabat now sits gleaming in its desert surroundings, many of its older apartments have either been demolished, or coated in a white facade of marble. Newer palaces, statues, stadiums, shopping malls and other wonderous buildings have been erected in white marble.

 

Ashgabat has many taglines: bizarre, surreal, deserted, opulent, and extreme. It may be all of these, but it is also the capital of Turkmenistan and home to a mixture of amazing people.

 

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Highlights

 

Arch of Neutrality

Like many other monuments, the Arch of Neutrality used to be located in the city centre. Although now relegated to a park on the city’s outskirts. This massive marble monument doesn’t make it any less impressive. A three-legged construction that looks a little like Marvin the Martian’s Spaceship, it is supposed to look like a Turkmen cooking pot stand. Accessible via a sloping elevator, one can marvel at the city from the top, and if that weren’t enough, atop this monument stands a 12-metre high bronze statue of President Niyazov.

 

Tolkuchka-Bazaar

For those who like local life, with a slight twist, this giant market is perfect. Located just outside the city, it’s a vast complex of food stalls, clothing, handicrafts, carpets, livestock and more. Tolkuchka-Bazaar is ideal for people-watching and purchasing a few odd souvenirs. For those that want to buy a famed Turkmen hat here is the best place.

 

Turkmen Carpet Museum

If you’re interested in the history of carpets, the Turkmen rug is the prize above all prizes, and this exciting museum is for you. Like all things in Ashgabat, it doesn’t fail to impress as the museum contains the world’s largest carpet at 301m2; so big that a museum extension was constructed to hold it.

Central Turkmenistan: Mountains & Deserts

 

Step outside of Turkmenistan’s flamboyant capital, Ashgabat, and the adventure doesn’t end. Central Tajikistan is home to the ancient, the quaint, the unusual and even the blasphemous! At its centre, this area of Turkmenistan harbours the Kopet Dag mountain range, bordering Iran, with terrain as diverse as tree-lined villages, mountains and green fields running into the deep desert.

 

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Highlights

 

Gateway to Hell at Darvaza

Halfway between Ashgabat and Konye-Urgench lies the famous ‘Gateway to Hell’, one of the reasons most tourists visit Turkmenistan. This giant blazing pit of fire lies in the middle of nowhere, although it is as spectacular as one can imagine. A visit here to see the crater at night is worth every bump in the roll mat, grain of sand in the breakfast and awkward moment in the bush toilet.

 

Old Nisa

Nestled against the Kopet Dag, Nisa is an ancient fortified town that allows us to glimpse Turkmenistan’s importance within Central Asia. Atop a green hill overlooking old Ashgabat, it’s a perfect visit on a spring or autumn day. Make sure to use the local site guide as his information is impressive and perfectly delivered to bring some semblance to this marvel.

 

Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque

Built in the village of Gypjak, this stunning mosque is located around seven kilometres from Ashgabat. As you may have already guessed, as with anything associated with Turkmenistan, it’s not just a mosque but a whole lot more! On the grounds of the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque is located a mausoleum within which lies Saparmurat Niyazov, the former president of Turkmenistan. The mosque is a magnificent building, worthy competition to any capital city mosque. However, the walls are inscribed with passages from the Koran, as they should be, and verses from the Ruhnama Niyazov’s book, making this mosque a controversial building indeed.

 

Kow Ata Underground Lake

Located on the road between Turkmenbashi and Ashgabat, the Kow Ata Underground Lake is exactly as its name suggests. You can take a plunge in the deep, dark, sulphurous waters at the lake, then head to daylight and enjoy a tasty chicken kebab!

East Turkmenistan: Endless Stunning Desert

 

For many visitors travelling through the vast desert of Turkmenistan, it is tough to see its historical importance; yet a journey to the east will still show you endless desert but you may also leave with an understanding of how vital these lands were in Turkmenistan’s early development and the rise of local culture.

 

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Highlights

 

Turkmenabat

The second-largest city in Turkmenistan, but one very few have heard of. This metropolis pales into insignificance compared to Ashgabat, but it’s an excellent place to visit if you’re searching for a local slice of life. Home to a massive market and museum, the city of Turkmenabat may not be worth detouring off the main tourist route, but it can make an exciting stop if you’re crossing into nearby Uzbekistan.

 

Merv

Just when you thought eastern Turkmenistan wasn’t that interesting, there’s Merv. Once known as ‘Queen of the World Ancient’, Merv was a city that could have given Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo a run for their money. Home to thousands in the 12th century, Merv was one of the world’s largest cities until the Mongols arrived! Merv’s remains were left in the desert and have now become one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world.

 

Mary

A visit to ancient Merv goes hand in hand with a stop at the city of Mary; the gateway to the ruins of Merv. Mary itself is a city built within an oasis; a thriving community surrounded by desert, it offers some great museums and an excellent Mosque. If you’re still in search of the bizarre, there is also the world’s largest yurt!

West Turkmenistan: The Glorious Caspian Sea

 

Home to more desert and mountains, the west gets a little more interesting as it also has Turkmenistan’s share of the fantastic Caspian sea. Along with the Caspian, there are a few more sites that would impress even the hardest of travellers and a few local towns and cities that provide a real look at Turkmen everyday life.

 

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Highlights

 

Yangykala Canyon

Everyone may have heard of the gas crater; however, more people should have heard of the Yangykala Canyon, a real gem of a find. The area was once at the bottom of a vast inland sea which has now formed what can only be described as a multi-coloured geological marvel. After millions of years of erosion and movement, the area is home to high cliffs, deep sandy valleys and desert scenes to dream of. If Darvaza is the Gateway to Hell, then Yangykala is the Stairway to Heaven!

 

Avaza

An uber-flamboyant seaside resort with attitude; Avaza is like Ashgabat meets Brighton (without the pier). Avaza sits on the banks of the mighty Caspian Sea with its back towards the port city of Turkmenbashi and its oil refineries. Your feelings for Avaza will genuinely depend on the time of year you visit. During the summer, the place will be packed with locals from across the country filling the fancy marbled hotels. Visiting at any other time, you’ll have the resort to yourself and feel like you’re the only person alive!

 

Balkanabat

Balkanabat may not be the highlight of your tour, but it can be a highlight on a journey. Balkanabat is not a massive city, nor one full of beauty, yet stop here for the night on your way to the west and you won’t be disappointed. Balkanabat is a real, local city with many of its buildings still soviet styled. Stop by the local market and you’ll draw stares, the same if you visit a restaurant in the park or anywhere else really. People are pleasant, and you may be asked to share in a drink and maybe also pose for a picture.

North Turkmenistan: An Oasis in the Desert

 

A drive north from Ashgabat and you may wonder where you’re being taken as you head seemingly deeper and deeper into the desert. Past villages, mines and the odd abandoned building, eventually arriving at the Khorezm Oasis, a wide fertile land area that sits astride Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This region has seen the rise and fall of empires while draining water from the Amu Dara river to survive.

 

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Highlights

 

Konye-Urgench

The modern town of Konye-Urgench is a laid back sleepy affair with that eternal feeling that it’s waiting for history to turn its card once again, just as it did in the 11th century. Konye-Urgench once lay at the centre of the Islamic world until it was besieged and sacked by the Mongols and the great nomadic army of Tamerlane. Much of this once great city may lay beneath the desert. However, some significant remains sit atop the desert sands, including the Gutlug Timur minaret, the tallest medieval structure in Central Asia.

 

Sarygamysh Lake

Sarygamysh Lake sits within the Sarygamysh depression at 40.5 metres below sea level, an exciting area. It is believed this is one of the lakes growing whilst the Aral Sea shrinks. The lake itself is worthy of a visit even if not to marvel at this glistening body of water deep within the desert. The lake sits with its northern shores in Uzbekistan. It is an excellent place for those interested in wildlife as Sarygamysh is home to swans, flamingos, pelicans, and an essential stop for many migratory species.