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Ashgabat (Turkmen: Aşgabat, Persian عشق آباد; Eshgh-abad, Russian Ашхабад; Ashgabat) is the capital of Turkmenistan. Ashgabat is located in the Karakum or Karakum Desert at the foot of the Kopet-Dag Mountains. On January 1, 2004, the city had 773,400 inhabitants. The main industry of the city is textiles.
Info
Ashgabat is a relatively young city: the first settlement appeared around 1818. The name is said to come from the Persian Ashk-abad which means something like 'the city of Arsaces'. Another explanation of the name is that it is a declension of the Persian Eshq (love) and abad (place). The city began to develop at the end of the 19th century, after being connected to the Trans-Caspian Railway in 1885. Between 1919 and 1927 the city was called Poltoratsk, after the revolutionary Pavel Poltoratski. In 1948 the city suffered extensive damage from a major earthquake.
The world's first Baha'i Temple was built in Ashgabat between 1902 and 1907. Under communism, the building was used as a library. It was badly damaged by the earthquake of 1948 and the remains were removed in 1963.
Arrive
By plane
The Saparmurat Turkmenbashy . International Airport (IATA: ASB, ICAO: UTAA) is the name of Ashgabat International Airport. It is named after the country's first president, Saparmyrat Niyazov. The airport was opened in 1994 and quickly grew into the main airport in the country.
By train
By car
By bus
By boat
Travel around
To look at
- The Flagpole of Ashgabat With a height of 133 meters it is the second highest flagpole in the world, after Kijŏng-dong (160 meters) and according to the Guinness Book of World Records the highest freestanding flagpole in the world.
- The 75 meter high neutrality arc was built in 1998 on the orders of then-Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov to emphasize the country's neutral politics. *See photo on the right.*
- The city is also full of (gilded) statues of the late president Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenbashy).
To do
To buy
Food
Going out
stay overnight
Contact
Safety
all around
