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Ashgabat: the city of the living. Countries of the world - turkmenistan - ashgabat Ashgabat origin of the name of the city

You certainly know what Ashgabat is, what it is and where it is located. Of course, everyone can say that Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan, which is located somewhere near Uzbekistan. You can also remember that Ashgabat is the capital of the famous Turkmen gas, which will soon be used by almost all of Europe. And then what? A person who does not live in Turkmenistan has never been there and has not even thought about visiting the country even as a tourist, he cannot say anything more about the city or the country at all. Therefore, right now and it is you who have the opportunity to learn about Ashgabat as much as necessary in order to become interested and perhaps even slightly fall in love with this unknown city, which for a long time remained closed to the rest of the world.

As already mentioned, and as everyone has long known, Ashgabat is the capital and at the same time the largest city of Turkmenistan. The city is also a major administrative, political, industrial, scientific and cultural center of the state. It is located in the south of the country in the foothills of the Kopetdag Range on the Turan lowland in close proximity to the Iranian border; lies on the same latitude as Athens, Seoul and San Francisco.

Oddly enough, despite all the importance that the city represents now, Ashgabat cannot boast of an ancient rich history. Sometimes you may even get the impression that the territory on which it was located in antiquity has absolutely nothing to do with the state of which it was a part. It cannot be compared with such ancient monuments of Turkmenistan as Merv, Kunya-Urgench or Nisa, which at one time were important centers of states created here by powerful dynasties of rulers. The shahs rebuilt these cities in the style that they themselves preferred and under whose guidance the eminent architects of the East gave birth to the great architectural monuments of the Middle Ages. The dynasties of Khorezmshahs, Timurids, Sassanids lived and died within their walls, perpetuating forever not only their name, but also the name of the city, as evidenced by the results of numerous archaeological studies.

But all these important, interesting events have nothing to do with the modern capital of Turkmenistan. This city is much easier.

History of Ashgabat
The history of its origin and development can be traced back to 1881. By the way, it is important to note that until 1881 the future center of the republic was a small Teke settlement, the territory of which was captured by the tsarist troops of the Russian Empire. In its place, a military fortification and the administrative center of the Transcaspian region was founded, which was controlled by the military administration. The name of the formed fortification was given "Ashabad", which, however, lasted until 1919. The development of the city, however, did not stop there, quite the contrary. And there were a number of reasons for this. At that time Askhabad was at the crossroads of trade caravan routes, which was really important; and since 1885, a railway ran through the territory of Askhabad. These factors, especially the emergence of railways, were the main reason for the growth of the city. Representatives of different social strata began to flock here, pursuing their own specific goal. Someone wanted to earn a piece of bread, someone wanted to settle down and stay because of misunderstanding and persecution in their homeland, others, more prosperous, sought to make even more fortune on the construction of a new city. And all their desires and intentions to get their benefit from the new habitat, no matter how noble or low, good or bad, all this served only to the benefit of the city. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers who arrived from different cities of Turkmenistan and neighboring countries, the city was built in an extremely short time. Ten years after the start of construction, Askhabad turned from an inconspicuous Turkmen settlement into a territory that fully deserves to be called a “city” with a population of almost 13,000 inhabitants. By 1901, the city had grown even more, and already 36.5 thousand lived in it. At the same time, the national composition was very diverse: Persians, Russians, Armenians, Tatars, in general, anyone except the Turkmens themselves. The indigenous population roamed outside the city.

In 1917, Soviet power was established in Ashgabat, as well as in the whole of Central Asia. But since at that time the situation in Russia and the republic conquered by the Soviets was turbulent, and the opponents of the new system were exiled to Ashgabat, in July 1918 an uprising was organized. As a result of a bloody struggle, the rebels managed to win in many regions of Turkmenistan. They even seized the People's Commissar of Labor Pavel Gerasimovich Poltoratsky, who was sentenced to death. However, not succumbing to the opposition and writing a very cheerful dying letter in which he addressed his like-minded people that he was not going to betray his political ideas, he died like a real hero of all the Reds. However, the victory of the counter-revolutionaries did not last long. Already on July 9, 1919, the Red Army defeated everyone and, as expected, recorded Poltoratsky, who died from the unclean hands of the rebels, as a hero and named the city in his honor.

And in 1925, Poltoratsk finally becomes the capital of Turkmenistan, or rather, the Turkmen SSR. But his brethren did not keep the memory of the great revolutionary for a long time, and in 1927 they decided to change the name of the city again, now to the Ashgabat known to us.

The first five-year plan after the war (1946-1950) provided for the construction of new enterprises, the reconstruction of existing ones, and the development of the textile, food, construction and metalworking industries. But this was not destined to happen.

On October 6, 1948, at 1:17 am local time, something happened that no one expected. A powerful earthquake of 8 points, accompanied by a formidable underground rumble, destroyed the city in an instant. Small one-story buildings with flat roofs turned into a dusty pile of stones that buried more than 100 thousand people under them. After this event, the rebirth of the city began. No one remained indifferent to the Ashgabat disaster, thousands of people from neighboring countries came here to help the city revive. And it happened. A new Ashgabat has risen from the ruins - practically the one we know now.

Name
Translated from Persian, "eshg" means "love", and "abad" means "inhabited". From 1881 to 1919, Ashgabat was called "Ashgabat", in 1919-1920 it was renamed Poltoratsk, in honor of the Soviet revolutionary figure P.G. Poltoratsky, and in 1927 the city began to be called Ashgabat, and since then its name has not changed. After the adoption of sovereignty, Ashgabat was translated into Russian as "Ashgabat", since this translation more than others corresponded to the original pronunciation of the city's name in its native Turkmen language. However, later, the Turkmens themselves, in official documents translated into Russian, determined the name "Ashgabat" for their capital.

Population
The population is 600.1 thousand people (according to 2006 data). The composition of the city according to the ethnic principle is very diverse. Despite the fact that the Turkmen make up almost 77%, more than 100 representatives of various nationalities also live in the city, including Russians, Uzbeks, Azerbaijanis, Turks, Armenians, Iranians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs, Tatars.

Economy of Ashgabat
The basis of the city's economy is mainly industry, financial structure and a wide trading network. There are more than 43 large industrial facilities, 128 medium-sized and more than 1,700 small ones in the capital and its suburban areas. In 2008, the Gross Domestic Product of Ashgabat amounted to about 9 billion US dollars.

Transport
Ashgabat has a developed public transport system, represented by trolleybuses and buses. In 2008, the construction of the ring road began to relieve the city from the influx of a huge number of vehicles and provide a new, more convenient route for transit traffic. In the same 2008, the intention to build a subway in Ashgabat was announced.

In the north of the city, there is the Saparmurat Turkmenbashi International Airport, which connects Ashgabat with major cities of the republic, CIS countries and Europe. On the territory of the former old airport there is a bus station, from where buses leave for other cities and regions of the country.

Turkmen Airlines is a Turkmen state-owned airline with 19 American Boeing aircraft and is the safest airline in Asia. Turkmen airlines send passengers from Ashgabat to 14 different cities of the world: Moscow, London, Frankfurt am Main, Birmingham, Bangkok, Delhi, Abu Dhabi, Amritsar, Beijing, Istanbul, Minsk, Almaty, Tashkent, St. Petersburg. It is also planned to create such routes as Ashgabat - Urumqi, Ashgabat - Antalya, Ashgabat - Paris.

The Turkmenbashi-Mary-Turkmenabat railway also passes through Ashgabat. In May 2009, the reconstruction of the railway station was completed.

Sights of Ashgabat
Architectural structures of the period of independence:
Palace of Turkmenbashi;
Ruhyet Palace;
Monument of Independence;
Arch of Neutrality;
Memorial ensembles "Earthquake";
National Museum;
International Airport Saparmurat Turkmenbashi;
as well as stadiums, mosques, fountains, parks, upscale hotels, offices and business centers.

Ashgabat is the place where the Presidential Palace, the Mejlis (parliament) of Turkmenistan, the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, the central government bodies of Turkmenistan, the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor General's Office, permanent central bodies of public organizations, as well as embassies of various states accredited in Turkmenistan, representative offices international and regional organizations.

Oriental bazaars:
Dzhygyllyk ("The Crush");
Gulistan (Russian Bazaar);
World Bazaar;
Jennet;
Tekinsky bazaar;
Lalezar;
Gundogar (Tashauz bazaar).

The main sights of Ashgabat:

Nisa
Nisa today is an ancient settlement located 18 km from modern Ashgabat, dating back to the 1st millennium BC. - I millennium AD The ancient settlement consists of spirit fortresses: Old and New Nisa. Old Nisa was once the royal residence in Parthia, and the New Nisa served as the capital of the Parthian Kingdom. During the existence of Parthia, Old Nisa was named after King Mithridates I, by whose order the city was actually built. At that time, Nisa was the capital of the empire, but later the capital was moved to Asia Minor. With the advent of the Sassanids, Nisa completely lost its former power, the city was plundered and forgotten. A new stage in the history of Nisa begins with its entry into the Arab Caliphate. The city rose again, but could not reach its former power. The beginning of the final decline dates back to the 16th century, in the 20s of the 19th century Nisa was already a ruin.

Nisa was the center of palace and temple buildings. Here were the graves of members of the Arsacids dynasty, who ruled during the heyday of the city, the royal treasury, wine storage, warehouses with supplies. In the 1946-1960s, systematic excavations of the area were carried out under the direction of M.E. Masson, during which the remains of fortress walls, temples, a palace hall with monumental clay sculpture, household and residential buildings and the royal treasury were discovered, where marble statues, horn-shaped ivory vessels (rhytons), jewelry, small plastic (terracotta and metal), weapons, utensils, documents written in Aramaic in Parthian, and much more. According to the decision of the government of Turkmenistan, the Nisa settlement was declared the State Archaeological Reserve. In 2007, the ruins of the Parthian fortress were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the most interesting historical monuments of the ancient states of the East.

Mosque of Turkmenbashi Rukhy
It is located in the native village of Saparmurat Niyazov Kipchak, 15 km from Ashgabat. This building of white marble cost the state budget of Turkmenistan 100 million US dollars. It is a great architectural structure of the era of Saparmurat Niyazov. The total area of the mosque is 18 thousand square meters, and its height is 55 meters. There are four 80-meter minarets near the mosque. The dimensions of the building allow seven thousand men and three thousand women to pray at the same time.
In 2006, Niyazov was buried in a sarcophagus placed at the center of a mausoleum built at the same time as the mosque. In addition to Niyazov, the remains of his mother, father and two brothers, who died during the earthquake in 1948, also rest in the mausoleum.

Turkmen Carpet Museum
It contains several hundred of the best examples of carpets, the oldest of which dates back to the 17th century. Here is the second largest handmade carpet in the world - "The Golden Age of the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi", whose area is almost 301 square meters. m, and weight - more than a ton.

"Where are the people?" - this is the question people most often ask when they see photos of the white marble capital of Turkmenistan. Indeed, there are no people in the new Ashgabat. There are huge new houses lined with marble, wide avenues, parks, gardens, fountains, but there are no people. Ashgabat is divided into two parts - the old and the new city. The city of the living and the city of the dead. Today I will tell you about the new Ashgabat.

I want to say right away that I do not criticize and do not ridicule, I do not admire and do not envy. I show you a completely different world, and draw your own conclusions in the comments.

New Ashgabat was founded by the great Turkmenbashi in the early 2000s. It was he who ordered the construction of all houses of white marble. “We build only with white marble,” said Saparmurat Niyazov. “Greedy people don’t understand this, they try to build from something else, they have to give orders.” In 2013, Ashgabat entered the Guinness Book of Records as the city with the largest number of buildings finished with white marble. At that time, the total area covered with marble in Ashgabat was 4.514 million square meters. meters.

The new president and father of the Turkmen people, Berdimuhamedov, continued the glorious traditions.

From official media:

White marble not only gives the buildings an elegant look, but also reflects the sun's rays, which reduces the heating of the walls in summer, and in cloudy weather in winter creates a more "sunny" mood.

The Turkmen authorities once stated that they were bringing marble for cladding directly from Italy. But opposition media say that this marble is not always of the appropriate quality, that dark spots and stains appear on it after a couple of years, and that marble tiles tend to fall off the facades of houses, frightening passers-by.

The city is actually being rebuilt anew, and there is an abundance of money. Not a single city in the post-Soviet space was poured with money like Ashgabat. The only problem with all this white marble splendor is that it is designed and built according to Soviet textbooks from the middle of the last century. If Stalin lived in our time, he would build Ashgabat... Wait... Turkmenbashi, Stalin...

All these wide avenues, gigantic squares, huge buildings - we have already seen all this in Moscow in the 1950s and in other cities. Small-scale development, huge distances that are difficult for a person to overcome. Architecture in the service of the regime must suppress the personality, show the insignificance of the person who has fallen into these scenery. The propaganda of ideology through art, appropriate 70 years ago, looks strange in the modern world.

01. I look out of the hotel window in the morning, but the street is empty! Nobody walks, nobody rushes to work. In general, there is no one.

02. Ashgabat is being built at some unthinkable pace. Giant parks and squares, houses at a great distance from each other. All this is empty. Who will go for a walk in this park?

03. There is not a single passer-by in the city center during the day...

04. In the evening there is not a single passer-by in the city center...

05. There is not a single passer-by in the city center at night...

06. During the day, parks and squares are deserted.

07. Parks and squares are deserted at night.

08. The central part is generally closed to people. This is a presidential palace with golden domes. You can not approach him, it is strictly forbidden to remove him.

Still, because this is what Berdimuhamedov promised:

Constructive decisions will be made here aimed at ensuring a peaceful, prosperous and happy life for the citizens of our country, an impetus will be given to large-scale achievements in order to successfully implement our main slogan “The State for Man”

09. Do you recognize the style? This is the rethought Turkmenbashi of the Stalinist Empire style.

10. The world went through a period of totalitarian aesthetics in the middle of the last century. We have already seen all this gigantomania, the transformation of an ordinary person into a part of the gray mass against the backdrop of luxurious palaces in China, in Hitler's Germany, in Stalin's Moscow. Now Turkmenistan has taken the baton. A city for parades, not for people.

11. City of the dead.

12. Even in the center of the city, near the monument to Ashgabat, there is no one. When I asked the locals where all the people were, they answered me that they were at work. But after work, no one appeared on the streets. I was told - at home already. But even on weekends, the squares and streets are empty.

13. The center can only be reached by car. Man must not cast his worthless shadow over the great palaces.

14. Square near the presidential palace. This is not a closed zone, it is something like our Red Square, but there are no people here. Nobody takes pictures, nobody sells souvenirs. Seeing me, the soldiers advised me with their hands to hide quickly. But why?

You can't walk here! - shouts a flushed cop in a green uniform
- Why not? Is this a restricted area?
- No, it's downtown!
- Can't you walk in the center?
- People don't usually walk!
- What are they doing? Why don't they go?
- People do business, but do not go!

15. The cop did not understand at all how someone decided to take a walk down the street.

16. Completely extinct city

17. Only lonely golden statues, rare janitors and cops with soldiers who make sure that no one appears on the street.

18. Theater...

19. Monument in the center

20. New streets

21. All the buildings in the city have the same signs. Usually they write simply "Shop" or "Cafe", or "Business Center". Individualism will not pass.

22. All signs are in four colors - red, green, yellow and blue. There are several fonts for the whole city. Everything is strict.

Everything is the same everywhere.

23. No shop windows, no deviation from strict rules. Mirrored windows, behind which there is nothing.

24. On one of the streets they were allowed to hang logos of famous brands. Apparently, to create the appearance of life in the city of the dead.

25. Underpass as a sign of a totalitarian regime.

26. Underpasses are empty.

27. Rare people cross empty streets on top.

28. The city is like a great decoration for a happy life. Nobody parks, nobody goes to the store.

29. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that all the signs of shops and cafes are also decorations. There is nothing. Lights are sometimes lit outside the windows, but this is just a decoration.

30. Sometimes you can find oases of life.

31. Shops between buildings. To make it clear what kind of store, it is decorated with neon pictograms. Here in the foreground is the furniture salon.

32. And this is a cafe. Most likely, there is no cafe there, but it does not matter.

33. This is supposedly a store.

34. Warm Turkmen evening... Residential area, but the streets are empty.

35. These houses are considered elite, they are built for officials and the nomenklatura. There are high ceilings, underground parking and central air conditioning.

36. People are drying carpets on the back facade.

37. The yard is deserted, a few parked cars and that's it.

38. There are no children on playgrounds.

39. Gardeners

40. New Ashgabat looks like this.

41. And so.

42. And so ... This is not a passerby, this is a cop patrolling the street.

43. And so.

44. Recreation area

45.

46. Park

47. A city that should look good on postcards, a city for parades and proof of the strength and prosperity of Turkmenistan. A city for anything, but not for people.

48. All buildings are highlighted. Electricity is free

49.

50. Library

51. Brochures

52. Pay attention to the lights. They are different on all streets, you can find out where you are by the lanterns. During the day it's empty.

53. The evening is also empty.

54. Three lanes in one direction, three in the other. This is the entrance to the hotel. A car passes here every 30 minutes.

55.

56. Ashgabat is building a monorail. The most useless and inefficient form of public transport.

57. Park

58. A very large park. Count the people in it.

59. There will be a forest.

60. The latest Ashgabat fashion - LED screens instead of signs.

61. Tomorrow I will tell you about the city of the living.

Turkmenistan is one of the most closed republics of the former USSR. Turkmens, unlike their Central Asian neighbors, do not go to work in Russia, and getting here is not easy. Still, the country is a visa country. A sticker in your passport costs a minimum of $35. In general, many have heard about Turkmen gas, but few have managed to see how the wealth gained from the sale of hydrocarbons is disposed of in the former Soviet republic. And there is something to see. On the border of the Karakum desert, a futuristic white marble city with an oriental flavor has grown, without exaggeration, which is often associated with an oasis.

In our time, Turkmenistan lives in the era of power and happiness. In any case, it was proclaimed by the President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The reign of the first president was called the Golden Age.

Ashgabat is a young city and without a historical center. In addition, in the middle of the last century, then the capital of the Soviet republic, almost all went underground as a result of a natural disaster. The city was rebuilt.

During the years of independence of Turkmenistan, no less grandiose construction was launched in Ashgabat. Unusual structures are everywhere. In the photo, the hotel "Yyldyz"

And this is our hotel "Ashgabat"

In front of the hotel is a gilded statue of the current president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The official name of the monument is “Arkadag binasy” (Arkadag Monument). Arkadag is translated from Turkmen as "patron", "support". The head of state is depicted in traditional Turkmen clothes on a prancing Akhal-Teke horse with his right hand raised high.

On a holiday (December 12, the Day of Neutrality was celebrated in Turkmenistan), there are practically no local residents on the streets, but there are many delegations from all over the world. Due to the arrival of politicians, the entire center was blocked

Palace of marriage or Happiness. The design is based on the eight-pointed star of Oguzhan (the progenitor of the Turkic tribes). The symbol is very popular in Ashgabat. Inside the globe of Turkmenistan

They are trying to turn the capital into a blooming garden, but, as we see, this is not easy - most often the seedlings do not take root

Amusement park. The Ferris wheel, they say, is the largest in the world - they even made it into the Guinness Book. But there are no people here.

For irrigation, a special irrigation system developed in Israel is used.

The lantern is decorated with Oguzhan stars

There is also an eight-pointed star on the Ferris wheel.

Sea buckthorn

Pushkin School. The only one in Turkmenistan where they teach according to the Russian program

Ashgabat (Ashgabat) - the capital of Turkmenistan
History of Ashgabat. Monuments and photos of Ashgabat. Weather in Ashgabat

Ashgabat (Ashgabat) is the capital of Turkmenistan. The city lies under the 38th parallel, at the latitude of Athens, Seoul and San Francisco; it is the largest city in Turkmenistan.

Population - 600.1 thousand people (2006). Ashgabat is an industrial city of the republic, providing more than 17% of its industrial output; a large cultural center, which houses the Republican Academy of Sciences, more than 30 research and more than 100 medical institutions, 4 higher educational institutions, including the Turkmen State University, 10 technical schools, more than 40 secondary schools, 4 theaters, the State Philharmonic. Ashgabat is the geographical center of Turkmenistan. It is located just a few dozen kilometers from the Iranian state border.

At the same time, the capital is approximately at equal distances from the westernmost city of the republic - Turkmenbashi, which is 550 km away, and from its easternmost city - Chardzhou, which is 587 km away, from the northernmost - Tashauz - 530 km and from the southernmost - Kushki - about 500 km.

The city was founded as a military fortification in January 1881, after the tsarist troops occupied the entire Akhal-Teke oasis, and in particular the village of Askhabad located in its east. This small Teke settlement, which gave the name to the future capital, until recently was located outside it, and only in the last fifteen years was it completely absorbed by the rapidly growing city. The entire true history of the Turkmen capital, the entire age-old period of its life were densely saturated with important events and significant changes. During this time, she changed her name four times and, in fact, was born twice. Two main reasons served to the fact that an ordinary fortress behind an earthen rampart, with a garrison stationed in adobe barracks, very quickly transformed into a lively city, into the residence of the highest authorities of the Transcaspian region, into its main administrative-political and trade-transit center. The first of these reasons is the position at the crossroads of trade routes long beaten by caravans: to the south - along the Kuchan road (now the Gaudan highway), through the Kopetdag gorges to the border with Persia - then an important trade partner of Russia in the East. To the north - through the Karakum to Khiva; to the east - through the Tejen and Murgab oases, through the crossings on the Amu Darya - to Bukhara. But the significance of this first reason increased a hundredfold after 1885, when the railroad approached Askhabad, which a year later reached Chardzhou, and another 10 years later to Kushka - the border with. Afghanistan. Not without reason, in the initial draft of the coat of arms of Askhabad, it was supposed to depict a camel caravan and a railway train on a shield under the royal crown as symbols of "a distinctive feature and the main character of the life of the city."

The second reason for the rapid rise of Askhabad is the abundance of good fresh water and building materials in the early stages - wood on the nearby mountains, pebbles and clay in the suburbs. As soon as rail traffic was established, a motley stream of people poured into Askhabad from various places in Russia, especially from the Caucasus: a poor craftsman and a small merchant came here in the hope of earning a solid income, for a daily piece of bread; the enterprising industrialist and resourceful merchant was in a hurry, counting on a fat profit in the new colony. The workers who had completed the construction of the railway, the soldiers who had served their term of service, and retired officers remained to live in the city; settled settlers from Persia, merchants, artisans, farmers. In the main city of the region, it was easy to find a suitable occupation; Baha'i Persians fled here, persecuted in their homeland by religious intolerance. When Askhabad was 10 years old, it already had about 13 thousand inhabitants. Over the next fifteen years, the population of the city more than tripled, and by 1911 it exceeded 45 thousand people.

At the same time, representatives of fifteen different nationalities inhabited Askhabad, among which the Turkmen accounted for only less than 1.5%: the tsarist government and Russian capitalism did nothing to introduce the indigenous inhabitants of the country to urban life. On the contrary, as true colonialists, government officials and big businessmen were interested in preserving the social and economic backwardness of the Turkmen people in order to exploit their strength and centuries-old skills in irrigated agriculture and pasture cattle breeding with the greatest benefit. At the same time, capitalist relations also penetrated into the agriculture of Turkmenistan: it lost its closed natural character, and its products went to semi-handicraft enterprises opened in many Askhabad - cotton ginning, oil-pressing, leather, soap-making, wine-making, flour-grinding. Before the First World War, there were 51 such industries in the city, which employed 210 workers, that is, an average of 4 people in each "factory" and in each "factory".

As the population grew, so did the city itself. It stretched most of all to the northwest parallel to the railway and Kopetdag, coming close to the low foothills - the Keshininbair ridge, or "hills", as the townspeople call it.

The shape of the city. Askhabad, born and built in a fabulously short time, in "one breath", unlike many other centers of Central Asia, such as Tashkent or Samarkand, never had an "old" and "new" city, "European" and "Asian » quarters. But still, in the first decade, three parts with fairly pronounced differences were formed in it. The city began from a high bulk hill crowned with an earthen rampart of the fortress. A vast esplanade was left unbuilt in front of the hill. Parades and parades, prayers and daily guards were held on it. Near this central square there were buildings of administrative and military institutions, residential houses of officers and officials. And when the railway ran past Askhabad, its station became the second core of the city's growth: a representative building of the Railway Administration was located near it, and residential quarters of railway employees and workers stretched. To the west of the fortress, from the military-bureaucratic aristocratic part, settled a whole settlement of Russian settlers who came here for the army. Their houses and shops laid the foundation for the third, trade and craft district of the city. Soon, Russian and Armenian, Khiva and Azerbaijani, Teke and Ukrainian workshops, shops, storehouses, hotels, caravanserais and bazaars settled here in a multitude and crowded. Already by the end of the 80s, these three parts of the city - the military-administrative, railway and trade and crafts, at first isolated, separated by uninhabited wastelands, merged into a single, continuous building of a crowded and lively, young and rapidly growing Askhabad.

At the same time, from the very beginning, its development was distinguished by an extremely clear and rational, "St. Petersburg" structure of the urban plan, which in its main scheme has survived to this day. The natural center of Askhabad was its historical core - a near-fortified part with a hill in the middle. From the central esplanade, which to this day has remained the main square of the city, the streets made their way, like rays, radially to the south, southwest and west. And in the northern wide strip they ran parallel to one another and the railway track. However, in all parts of the city - in old and new, in the center and on. the outskirts - the streets were laid mostly straight and intersected, as a rule, at right angles. And no matter how Askhabad grows in the future, this dual unity of the radial-circular and chess-rectangular layout has already been preserved in it. In the aristocratic center of the city, and also partly in its railway district, the buildings of public and private institutions, residential buildings and mansions of the military and bureaucratic nobility, wealthy factory owners and financiers were built mainly from baked bricks. Between the fortress and the railway station, the best garden of the Officers' Assembly in the city was laid out, and tight trellises of trees were planted on the streets, which now, with their power and height, testify to the seniority of such city highways. The rest of the city was entirely made up of houses of the usual type for Central Asia - made of mud brick with a flat earthen roof.

The houses were whitewashed every year, and under the bright sun Askhabad shone with a sharp white spot against the background of yellow-brown in summer and light green in spring nearby hills - bairs and the purple bulk of the mountain range in the distance. The most lively and colorful were the trade and handicraft quarters, located along the radial highway that goes to the Firyuzinskaya road, as well as on the passages adjacent to it. In the same part of the city there were also bazaars, which, according to the common Central Asian tradition, were important centers of city life. On them and around them from morning until sunset, a multilingual dialect did not stop. Horsemen scurried around here, donkeys pulled creaking carts with luggage, as if haughty camels passed under packs, as if reluctantly, and it happened that a varnished carriage turned here, in which an officer's or bureaucrat's wife, accompanied by servants, hurried to the "haberdashery trade". From numerous taverns, restaurants and dukhans came the clanking of dishes, the ineradicable smell of burnt mutton fat, fried onions and some herbs. At the always open doors of the cramped and semi-dark workshops, blacksmiths and gunsmiths worked in smoke and metal ringing. Before the eyes of customers and idle onlookers, skillful products of braiders and silversmiths were born; the sour smell of leather used to signal the production of shoemakers and saddlers; from the thinly rolled sheets of pita bread hung like linen on a rope, a bakery was noticeable from afar. Barbers worked right under the open sky: holding the soapy head of a squatting client between their knees, they decisively acted with a razor, simultaneously reporting the latest city news.

And right there, on the street, in the shade of dusty duvals, street scribes hunched over their boxes, which served both as desks and as storage for production tools - ink and paper. However, trading establishments, workshops, handicraft factories, warehouses, taverns and taverns were opened in other parts of the growing and under construction city. And the more, the more populated it became, the more acute the water problem became in it. Already there were not enough mountain rivers that watered him at first - Ashkhabadka, Keshinka, Karasu and several other, even smaller ones. In many yards, reservoirs were dug - hauzes and wells, but they were small, and besides, most of them were polluted with sewage. Due to the lack of moisture, greenery on the outskirts was available only in the yards, and the bare dusty streets looked like wastelands.

In 1907, the senator and chamberlain Count K. Palen audited "by the highest order" the Turkestan possessions, which had been annexed to the Russian Empire for about three decades. In his report on Askhabad, he noted: "...the main drawback is the lack of sufficient water ... The city does not have sewerage, water supply, satisfactory lighting, hygienically equipped bazaars and slaughterhouses." But there were no funds in the treasury for the urgently needed construction. In this regard, the official document relating to approximately the same time is very interesting: "Estimated expenses for the city of Askhabad for 1900." This estimate did not provide for any new construction, either small or large, and only 10% of the annual budget was allocated for the maintenance of the existing irrigation network, a little more was allocated to the entire medical, veterinary and sanitary part, but almost half - 46.7% - estimated costs were allocated for the maintenance of the city police. And it must be said that numerous "servants of the throne" - Askhabad policemen received the sovereign's salary not in vain: they diligently sought out and cruelly suppressed any free thought. But, nevertheless, already in the late XIX - early XX century. Askhabad, by that time the recognized center of the economic and spiritual life of the Transcaspian region, becomes one of its largest centers of the national movement.

This movement was facilitated by close ties with the Baku and Tiflis Social Democratic organizations. And also the fact that "in these places remote" were exiled from the central provinces politically "unreliable", among whom were the Bolsheviks. Individual issues of Lenin's Iskra also reached here. Forty years after the Great October Revolution, casting a retrospective look at the historical fate of their country, Ashgabat historians wrote: “... the Turkmen people, being part of the Russian Empire, found a true friend and teacher in the person of the most advanced and revolutionary Russian in the world working class... In 1903, the first social democratic circle began to operate in the city, and two years later a social democratic organization already existed, headed by the teacher of the local gymnasium L. L. Stabrovsky and the Baku Bolshevik printer worker A. Khachiev.

In 1905-1907. in Askhabad, an underground printing house was actively working, organized political demonstrations and armed clashes with the tsarist administration took place, in which railway workers and soldiers played the main role. And although the first Russian revolution was defeated both in the center and on the outskirts of the empire, including in Askhabad, it nevertheless gave the people experience and political hardening. Both were very useful a decade later, in the complex and difficult period of the first socialist revolution in the history of mankind. Soviet power in Askhabad was established in December 1917. But soon the black forces of counter-revolution rose up against the Bolshevik Soviets. In July 1918, the Mensheviks and Right Socialist-Revolutionaries, supported by nationalist bands, revolted in Askhabad. They broke into the council building. The Red Army soldiers guarding it, including the Turkmen detachment commanded by Ovezberdy Kuliev, were destroyed. In the bloody battles that broke out in the streets, many Bolsheviks and Soviet workers died at that time. The counter-revolution managed to win temporary victories in other regions of Turkmenistan as well. In Merv these days, the rebels captured the former railway worker, People's Commissar of Labor Pavel Gerasimovich Poltoratsky. In prison, before his execution, he wrote a letter - an extraordinary document, amazing even today, after many years: “I have been sentenced by the military headquarters to be shot. In a few hours I will be gone... Comrade workers! Dying at the hands of the white gang, I believe that new comrades will come to replace me, stronger, stronger in spirit, who will begin and will carry on the begun work of struggle for the complete emancipation of the working people from the yoke of capital. And the final lines of this amazing letter are imbued with such proud self-control, such natural courage, which only a person of exceptionally high spirit is capable of, boundless devotion to his idea: “Well, comrades, it seems that everything that needs to be said has been said to you. I hope for you. I am calm and forever leaving you, but not myself, but they take me away.

P. Poltoratsky sentenced to death. July 21, 1918, at 12 o'clock at night. A day later, the counter-revolutionaries committed another atrocity, shooting nine Askhabad commissars and commanders of the Red Army. In early August, British interventionists entered the territory of Turkmenistan in collusion with the counter-revolutionary leadership. With their armed assistance, the White Guard "Trans-Caspian government" managed to hold out for about 12 months, but on July 9, 1919, as a result of the heroic actions of the Red Army, supported by workers and peasants, Askhabad again became Soviet and was named Poltoratsky in memory of the remarkable revolutionary. A new stage in the history of the city began. In February 1925, the first congress of Soviets of the Turkmen SSR proclaimed Poltoratsk the capital of the newly formed republic. And in April 1927, the next, second Republican Congress of Soviets, which approved the first constitution of Soviet Turkmenistan, returned its historical and national name - Ashgabat - to its capital.

The second letter in it was changed to bring the sound of the word closer to the Turkmen pronunciation. At an increasingly rapid pace, with an ever wider scope, Ashgabat confidently mastered the diverse functions of the capital, becoming a major administrative, cultural and economic center of the country. Literally one after another, new technically equipped enterprises are being put into operation in different parts of the city, processing agricultural and construction raw materials, as well as metalworking, new institutions and organizations are being created that develop the national in form and socialist in content culture of the Turkmen people. According to the 1939 census, more than 126 thousand people lived in the city, among which the Turkmens already made up 12%. Over the years that have passed since the 1926 census, their stratum has increased 5 times, and this growth continued with increasing intensity, reflecting important social and cultural changes in the republic.

At the end of the Great Patriotic War, 65 large and 200 small industrial enterprises, 3 institutes, the Turkmen branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 3 theaters and a film studio, a museum of fine arts, a philharmonic society, creative unions uniting writers, artists, architects and composers of Turkmenistan worked in Ashgabat. The city grew, stretching mainly to the west and east. He stepped over the railroad to the north and raised a new industrial area in the southeast. And yet, the growth of Ashgabat in the pre-war and early post-war years did not always and in everything keep pace with the rapid rise in industry, science and art. Ashgabat at that time resembled the heart of a teenager, which, it happens, suddenly lags behind in development from the whole organism. In the city, it was already urgently required to more rationally locate industrial enterprises scattered around it, it was already necessary to improve the improvement of residential areas, consisting of 90% of one-story mud-brick houses, and, finally, it was necessary to improve the architectural design of the city.

Little corresponding to his capital rank. But such a reconstruction was impossible without the demolition of many existing buildings, and at that time, when the war had just ended, it was; seemed to be unable to do so. And the city improved, without changing the layout, within its old structure, "on the go" making, as far as possible, various improvements in housing and communal construction, as well as in landscaping and water supply, which were of paramount importance in the natural conditions of Ashgabat. The first post-war plan (1946-1950) provided for both the expansion of old enterprises and the construction of new ones, reinforcing Ashgabat's specialization in the textile, food, construction and metalworking industries. He planned considerable work on the improvement of the city and the further improvement of its water supply. And this plan was already being implemented when, on the night of October 6, 1948, a terrible earthquake, which had not yet been recorded by any seismic station in the Soviet Union, practically destroyed the city, swept it off the face of the earth. At 01:17 local time, a sudden 9-point shock, accompanied by a strong underground rumble, instantly extinguished the lights of the sleeping city and turned it into a dusty heap of ruins. Having escaped from the wreckage, the wounded Moscow flight mechanic and radio operator Yuri Drozdov got to the IL-12 passenger plane and sent a message about a terrible disaster from the on-board radio. And immediately the whole country responded. First aid came from other cities of Turkmenistan and neighboring republics - Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, as well as from Armenia and Georgia. Plane after plane, and when traffic was restored on the destroyed railway, train after train took out the wounded and children who had lost their parents from Ashgabat, and delivered doctors, medicines, food to the crash site ... And from the very first days, the labor epic of restoration began but on the merits of rebuilding Ashgabat. It was all born from the ruins on the sites cleared of them - even partially surviving houses were demolished, requiring major repairs. Asphalt, tree plantations, city communications, as a rule, have been preserved everywhere, so it was decided to build Ashgabat according to its old planning scheme, especially since, as we know, it had many advantages.

At the same time, a new city was to rise from the ruins - the capital of modern Turkmenistan, corresponding to its high achievements in all areas of cultural and economic life. Therefore, corrections were made to the old planning structure, in many respects fundamentally changing the appearance of the city. As a result, today's Ashgabat was born, in which the streets are straighter, wider than they were before, the squares are decorated in uniform ensembles and everywhere dozens of hectares are set aside for new boulevards, squares, gardens, parks, flower beds. Now all industrial enterprises are assembled in groups, "production nests", in places most convenient for specialization and cooperation, for the delivery of raw materials and the export of products. In the central parts of the city, republican and local institutions, a university and an academic complex, republican theaters are located in ensembles, and further to the west and southwest - hospital and university campuses. The largest part of the urban area is occupied, of course, by residential areas. They are collected, as required by the modern planning principle, in microdistricts, of which there are already about 15 in the capital.

In the area to which it approaches with its western end, there are spinning and weaving, silk-winding, furniture factories, and an engineering plant. The plant produces dough-mixing machines known throughout the country, and the first machines we have already mentioned for collecting mirabilite at Kara-Bogaz-Gol were built on it. Such machines began to be produced by the Ashneftemash plant. Ashneftemash also produces three-bladed impellers with a seven-meter span. Rotated by powerful electric motors, they are able to drive over a million cubic meters of air per hour. They operate in the cooling block system of most of the country's refineries and chemical plants, petrochemical plants and thermal power plants in Bulgaria and Afghanistan, India, and the United Arab Republic. Recently, a completely new workshop of pumps for lifting water from wells was put into operation at the plant; such pumps in Turkmenistan are, so to speak, essential items. The plant is also starting to produce new equipment that mechanizes operations related to the transportation of oil. One and a half kilometers north of Ashneftemash, on the banks of the Karakum Canal, a new resort suburb of Ashgabat has developed. In May 1962, a pioneer trench of the third stage brought the first, still small stream of Amu Darya water, and now there are well-maintained beaches with umbrellas and sunbeds, water stations with boats and boats, and in Ashgabat there is a brisk fishing accessories store. On the banks of a large reservoir, in the north-east of the capital, a resort town will grow with boarding houses, rest houses, camps, which will be among the residents of Ashgabat and its industrial satellite Bezmein. Here, in the east, but already south of the railway, that is, within the old city limits, there is a glass factory famous for its versatile and perfect mechanization of all labor processes.

It produces mainly excellent window glass. Ashgabat has always been famous for its carpets. The famous Ashgabat carpet factory, the flagship of Turkmen carpet weaving, is known all over the world. Carpets are the pride and glory of Turkmenistan, it is not for nothing that the gel - a stylized flower, a characteristic element of the carpet ornament, entered the state emblem of the republic. The whole world admired and admires Turkmen carpets. They exhibited in more than 50 countries in Europe and Asia, America and Australia and received gold medals and diplomas of the first degree in Paris, Brussels, Leipzig. The Turkmen State Museum of Fine Arts is known for its exhibits. In it, among various works of art of different times and different peoples, a collection of Turkmen carpets of particular value is kept. There is another important Ashgabat attraction of the city - the Turkmen State Academic Order of the Red Banner of Labor Drama Theater. He successfully staged national dramas such as Keimir-Kyor, Makhtumkuli, Allan's Family, Fate, The Eighth Treasure, plays of Russian and foreign classics - The Inspector General, Othello, as well as works Turkmen, Russian and other authors devoted to the present. This theater is also widely visited by spectators who do not speak Turkmen, as with the help of special radio equipment they can listen to the simultaneous translation of the actors' speech into Russian. Turkmen State University named after - the center of science of the republic.

Twin cities of Ashgabat:

Albuquerque, USA
Athens, Greece
Ankara, Türkiye

And its largest city. According to statistics, almost 20% of the population of the entire country lives here. Ashgabat is considered a multinational city. More than 80% of the population are Turkmens, almost 9% are Russians, about 2% are Armenians. Also here you can meet Azerbaijanis, Uzbeks, Turks, Kazakhs, Ukrainians, Tatars. The official language is Turkmen. At the same time, Ashgabat is considered the leader among other cities of Turkmenistan in terms of the number of residents who are fluent in foreign languages.

Most of the locals profess Islam (almost 85%), the rest of the population belongs to adherents of other religions, such as Buddhism and Christianity.

The name Ashgabat is translated from Persian as "City of Love". From the moment the settlement was founded (1881) until 1919, it was called Askhabad, after which it was renamed Poltoratsk, in honor of the famous revolutionary figure Poltoratsky. But the new name of the city did not stick. After only eight years, the authorities again gave it the old name, however, already in the original Turkmen transcription - Ashgabat (Ashgabat).

The city is located in the southern part of Turkmenistan in the foothills of the Kopetdag, in close proximity to the Iranian border. This area is characterized by unstable geological conditions. In the autumn of 1946, a powerful earthquake occurred here, which destroyed almost the entire city. More than 100,000 people died as a result of this terrible tragedy. From that moment began the second birth of the city.

Today Ashgabat is an important political and cultural center of Turkmenistan. Metalworking, mechanical engineering, textile, glass, and food industries are well developed here. In the capital of the state there are eight universities, the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, four theaters, numerous museums, including the famous Carpet Museum, which houses the longest carpet in the world.

Ashgabat is great for families with children. Here everyone will find an exciting activity for themselves. Beautiful city parks and squares with modern attractions will appeal not only to kids, but also to their parents.

Region	Turkmenistan
Population	947,221 people (as of 2010)


Population density	2015 person/km 2

Timezone
Postal code	744000 — 744040
International dialing code

Climate and weather

The weather conditions of Ashgabat are determined by the subtropical inland climate. Winter in the capital of Turkmenistan is quite mild, although relatively cold for these latitudes. But in summer it is extremely hot and dry weather. By the way, Ashgabat is one of the ten hottest cities in the world. In summer, the air often warms up +45°C, and the amount of precipitation, if any, tends to zero. As a rule, rainfall is typical for late spring and early autumn. The average annual rainfall is about 200 millimeters. Winter in Ashgabat is short. During this period, the average daily air temperature does not exceed +5 °C. Sometimes, with the invasion of arctic air, the thermometer drops to the mark -10°C. Permanent snow cover is rare here.

Spring and autumn are considered the best times to visit the magnificent capital of Turkmenistan, when the air warms up to the optimum temperatures for the human body, and the minimum amount of precipitation does not interfere with rest and sightseeing.

Nature

The nature of Ashgabat strikes the imagination with its diversity. Numerous neat streets are lined with stunningly beautiful squares and parks. They are not only pleasing to the eye, but also protect local residents and guests of the capital from the summer heat. The vegetation of urban parks is incredibly diverse. Here you can find both deciduous trees familiar to us, as well as exotic almond and pistachio groves.

The natural landscapes around the city especially attract the attention of tourists coming to Ashgabat. Low mountains, the tops of which are covered with a thin layer of snow, dunes overgrown with saxaul and kandym - all this emphasizes the special flavor of the capital of Turkmenistan.

Not far from Ashgabat, in a picturesque rocky gorge, an amazing underground lake is hidden. Its thermal waters have a temperature of around +37 °C all year round. This unusual reservoir attracts a large number of travelers, in particular, adherents of eco-tourism.

Attractions

Ashgabat is rich in attractions. The capital of Turkmenistan is often visited by Muslim pilgrims; the main temples of Islam are located here: Turkmenbashi Rukhy Mosque and Ertugrul Gazi Mosque. Their beautiful architecture and rich interior decoration attract numerous tourists from all over the world.

Of great interest to foreigners is the TV and radio broadcasting center, which is located on the top of the Kopetdag mountain. The height of the television tower reaches 211 meters. The center is recognized as the tallest building in the capital of Turkmenistan. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the top of the TV tower is decorated with a huge octagonal star " Oguz Khan”, which was recognized as the largest image of a star and included in the Guinness Book of Records. From the observation deck of the center you can enjoy a truly beautiful view of modern Ashgabat, as well as the picturesque expanses of the Kopetdag.

The most visited attractions in the city are Monument of Independence of Turkmenistan, monument to the memory of the victims of the Ashgabat earthquake And main flag of Turkmenistan, which is considered the fourth tallest flagpole in the world. Unusual set up in Independence Park monument to the sacred Ruhnama is a giant building in the form of a book by Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov.

No tour of modern Ashgabat is complete without a visit to the stunning fountain complex " Oguz Khan and sons". This architectural and sculptural composition depicts the famous founder of the Turkic tribes Oguz-Khan and his sons. Here, on an area of more than 15 hectares, there are 27 synchronized and programmable fountains. This complex is also included in the Guinness Book of Records.

The main attraction of Ashgabat is the largest closed Ferris wheel in the world, installed in the entertainment center "Alem".

The Ashgabat Zoo is perfect for a family holiday. On the territory of about 40 hectares there is a huge number of unique animals representing the fauna of both Turkmenistan and the whole of Central Asia.

We also recommend visiting the beautiful park complex "Inspiration Alley", which is located between the two central streets of Ashgabat. Here you can take a walk under the shade of majestic trees planted along an artificial reservoir.

Ashgabat has many museums and theaters. The famous Carpet Museum brought world fame to the capital of Turkmenistan — here you can see a unique collection of different versions of this product. In addition, the largest carpet in the world is located in the Ashgabat museum. Its length exceeds 400 meters, and the area is 301 square meters.

Not far from Ashgabat is the ancient city of the Parthian state - Nissa. Its ancient ruins attract numerous lovers of archeology and history.

Nutrition

You can try excellent dishes of the national Turkmen cuisine in numerous local restaurants and cafes. All of them offer their visitors not only traditional national treats, but also masterpieces of world cuisine.

The main dish in the menu of any restaurant in Ashgabat is meat, usually Turkmens cook pork and lamb. Some restaurants are happy to offer rather unusual meat dishes from camel meat and mountain goat meat. Especially popular among foreign tourists is the Gara Chorba dish, a soup prepared using canned fried meat. In addition, not a single feast in Turkmen families is complete without the famous Turkmen dried meat “Kakmach”.

Pilaf is considered the most favorite and popular dish in any home and restaurant in Ashgabat. The main difference from its counterparts in other countries is the addition of pheasant or other game meat to the recipe. Usually this legendary dish is served with plum and pomegranate sauce.

Fish dishes are also very popular among foreigners in Ashgabat restaurants, stellate sturgeon and sturgeon are especially revered. Fish in Ashgabat is cooked on a spit and in a cauldron. Usually fish dishes in the capital of Turkmenistan are served with pomegranate juice, sesame and raisins. Not all tourists decide to try such an unusual combination of products.

In every restaurant you can order a unique Turkmen drink "Ayran". It is also worth trying amazing tea made according to a local recipe, with camel milk or with dried fruits and nuts (this method of brewing tea is common throughout Central Asia).

In addition to restaurants of national cuisine in Ashgabat, you can visit establishments offering to try the famous culinary treats of neighboring countries. Thus, the Lebanese restaurant Dip Club is considered the most visited, where the famous shawarma is the most popular dish. Turkish cafe "Erzurum" prepares amazing dishes "Pida" and "Minara". Food prices in the capital of Turkmenistan pleasantly surprise with their low values. You can dine in a middle-class restaurant here for only $ 7-10 (for 1 person).

Accommodation

There are a large number of hotels of different categories in Ashgabat: from simple cheap hotels corresponding to two stars to prestigious representatives of world brands. The most popular hotel in the capital of Turkmenistan is the "President". This hotel is designed to receive high-ranking guests. In terms of technical equipment, quality of service and comfort of the rooms, the hotel meets all world requirements. There are a large number of spacious rooms that are equipped with everything you need for a pleasant stay, including air conditioning, satellite TV, international telephone, minibar, safe and many other amenities. In addition, excellent restaurants, gyms, fitness clubs, a swimming pool, a sauna, a tennis court and many other entertainment facilities are provided to the guests of the President. The cost of living in such a hotel is about $ 100-150 per night.

In Ashgabat, you can find hotels where accommodation will cost you a little cheaper - about $ 40-70. But the quality of services in such establishments is much inferior to eminent hotels.

Entertainment and recreation

Beautiful Ashgabat offers its guests an exciting entertainment program. Many foreign tourists, who are used to spending almost all their free time exploring ancient sights, will be somewhat disappointed in the capital of Turkmenistan. The fact is that there are no ancient monuments of history and architecture. But in its vicinity you can see the ruins of ancient cities, in particular the ancient settlement of Nisa, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today, on the territory of this city, only the remains of two fortresses - New and Old Nisa, as well as palace halls, royal treasuries of the Arsakid dynasty, have been preserved. Near Ashgabat is the native village of Turkmenbashi. This place is considered sacred by the locals. There is a huge white marble mosque, inside of which the “father of all Turkmens” is located in a sarcophagus.

An obligatory item on tours of magnificent Ashgabat is a visit to the amazing Carpet Museum. Here you can get acquainted with the history of carpet weaving, methods and traditions of carpets. In addition, it is in the Turkmen Museum that truly legendary specimens of carpets are collected - the oldest carpet product (XVII century) and the largest carpet (about 301 m 2 in area).

Fans of entertainment venues should definitely visit the stunning entertainment complex "Alem". World-wide fame for this center was brought by the largest closed ferris wheel. In addition to the wheel, there is a huge number of other attractions, slot machines, restaurants and cafes.

When traveling around Ashgabat with children, you should definitely look into the new Ashgabat Zoo. Here you can get acquainted with the amazing flora and fauna of Central Asia. The vast territory (almost 40 hectares) is inhabited by unique species of reptiles, animals and birds, which are found not only in Turkmenistan, but also in other countries around the world.

Purchases

The capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, is famous for its magnificent bazaar, which bears the amazing name "Tolkuchka", which speaks for itself. Here you can buy everything your heart desires: from the skin of a ram, a skullcap and ending with an incredibly beautiful carpet. At the Crush, life begins to boil on the eve of the weekend. It is best to come there early in the morning, when there are not so many people yet and you can safely wander between the rows, choose your favorite product.

Ashgabat also has a Russian bazaar "Gulistan". Of course, today only the name remains of it. For a long time, Russian sellers have not been found in this market. Here you can buy food, clothes and all sorts of souvenirs. In addition, you can buy small gifts reminiscent of the trip to Ashgabat and sunny Turkmenistan for your family and friends in any souvenir shop in the city center. Luckily, there are a lot of them here. Also, similar stalls are located in every major hotel.

Souvenirs in the form of a horse - a symbol of the state, skullcaps, national clothes and, of course, carpets are recognized as the most purchased goods in Ashgabat. By the way, it is better to buy these products only in state-owned stores. Since here the mandatory tax is already included in the price of the goods, and also for each carpet there is a ready-made expert opinion on the historical significance of the product. In addition, such establishments will certainly issue the buyer with an appropriate certificate confirming the fact of purchase, which is required by the customs authorities when traveling abroad.

Transport

The public transport system is well developed in the capital of Turkmenistan, here it is represented by buses, trolleybuses and taxis. Today, on the roads of Ashgabat, you can find modern Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz buses, as well as Soviet rarities without the comfort familiar to foreigners. The fare is approximately $0.1 one way. A trolleybus ride costs the same. For the fastest and most comfortable movement around the city, you can use the services of private taxi drivers. At the same time, the cost of the trip will be somewhat higher - depending on the distance of the trip, the taxi driver may ask you from $ 1 to $ 3.

Ashgabat is a major railway junction. An important branch passes through the capital: Turkmenbashi (Krasnovodsk) - Mary - Turkmenabad. For movement around the country, the local population mainly uses the railway communication, which connects Ashgabat with other major cities.

Not far from here is a large airport named after Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, which has international status. It connects Ashgabat with other cities of the republic and countries of Europe, CIS and Asia. By the way, flights around the country are quite inexpensive - only $ 7-10. It is also worth noting that the national air carrier "Turkmenistan Airlines" is considered the most reliable airline in all of Central Asia.

Connection

In Ashgabat, telecommunications and communication facilities, unlike the rest of Turkmenistan, have been widely developed. On some streets (mainly central) there are special machines from which you can make a call around the country. For an international call, it is better to contact the post office or post office. One minute of communication with other countries costs about $1. Most large hotels and inns also offer their visitors to use the telephones installed in the rooms, which carry out international communication. True, here the call will cost much more - about $ 2-2.5 per minute of conversation.

Cellular communication has become more widespread in Ashgabat. There are two mobile operators in the city: "TM CELL" and "MTS-Turkmenistan", which cover all its districts and the airport. By the way, the companies support roaming of the world's leading mobile operators.

Internet connection in Ashgabat has recently been widely developed. In the city center, you can have a great time in cozy Internet cafes, the cost of services in which is a maximum of $ 2 for one hour of using the Web. Wi-Fi is available in local hotels.

Safety

Ashgabat enjoys a reputation as a relatively safe city. Law enforcement authorities note here the lowest crime rate among the capitals of the countries of Central Asia. However, you should not lose vigilance, you need to carefully monitor your belongings, especially in crowded places. Large sums of money and valuables are best left in the safes of hotels and inns.

Visiting Ashgabat requires tourists to comply with certain security measures regarding their health. So, in order to exclude the possibility of infection with typhus, hepatitis and dysentery, it is desirable to carry out preventive vaccinations.

As for tap water, in Ashgabat it undergoes mandatory purification steps, including chlorination, but this does not make it completely safe. The Ministry of Health strongly recommends that visiting guests of the capital of Turkmenistan pre-boil water and only then use it for brushing their teeth or drinking.

Vegetables and fruits bought at local Asian bazaars must be thoroughly washed, and meat and fish must be cooked.

Business climate

Ashgabat is the main economic center of the country. Many industrial enterprises have been created here. The main direction of the economy of the city, and of the whole country as a whole, is oil refining. Many investors prefer this sector of the city's economy.

It is worth noting that the authorities have recently adopted a number of laws regulating the operation of joint ventures. The main innovation was the abolition of a number of taxes. In addition, foreign investors who invest their money in Ashgabat enterprises receive some benefits for starting their own business.

Recently, there has been an increase in the interest of foreign tourists in the historical and cultural sights of Ashgabat. Travel companies register a constant increase in the flow of travelers to the capital of Turkmenistan. Some businessmen invest their capital in the development of the tourism sector of Ashgabat's economy. It is noticed that the payback period in this business is noticeably shorter than in any other industry.

Real estate

Ashgabat's real estate market today is one of the most promising in the whole of Central Asia. Stable growth in prices for residential premises attract numerous buyers from all over the world. It should be noted that in Turkmenistan there are no restrictions on the sale of real estate to foreign citizens. It is this feature of the Ashgabat housing market that makes it the most popular among large cities not only in Turkmenistan, but also in other countries of Central Asia.

Buying a small apartment of no more than 100 square meters will cost the buyer about $30,000. Those wishing to purchase not just an apartment in the center of Ashgabat, but a beautiful country house along with valuable land should prepare at least $50,000. The final cost of such transactions depends on the location of the cottage, as well as the size of the land.

Most buyers of real estate in Ashgabat decide to purchase apartments and houses with their subsequent rental or organization of small hotels in them. Interestingly, the average rental prices in Ashgabat are quite high. To rent a one-room apartment in the capital for one month, you will need about $400-500.

The city of Ashgabat will attract your attention from the very first minute of your stay in it. In order for the trip to the unforgettable beauties of the capital of Turkmenistan to be remembered as an amazing and safe adventure, you must adhere to the following rules:

Having decided to come to amazing Ashgabat, it is worth remembering that staying in Asian cities requires travelers to respect the locals and the laws. Remember that visiting some attractions is possible only with the presence of a representative of the travel company.
The hot climate of Ashgabat requires visitors to constantly use sunscreen cosmetics, hats, as well as high-quality repellents. For the safety of your health, it is necessary to take care of preventive vaccinations against diphtheria, typhoid, hepatitis and malaria in advance.
When visiting public places, remember that in Ashgabat, as in all of Turkmenistan, there is a ban on smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages in establishments with a large crowd of people.
When buying expensive antiques, carpets, jewelry, jewelry as souvenirs, ask the seller for a special certificate that will confirm the purchase of your goods. This will help to avoid problems with the customs authorities when leaving Turkmenistan. Remember that it is strictly forbidden to export old carpets over 50 years old, archaeological exhibits, as well as black caviar and fish from the country.