Ashkabad
capital city of Turkmenistan
Ashgabat, formerly Ashkhabad, capital and largest city of Turkmenistan, in the southwestern part of the country.
government buildings
Photos of Turkmenbashi monuments in Ashgabat
Ashgabat is situated in an oasis near the Garagum Desert and the border with Iran. The city is known for its hand woven carpets; other manufactures include pumps, engines, glass, and textiles. Ashgabat is the site of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences, a university, and a museum of fine arts. The city developed around a Russian fortress built in 1881 at the junction of caravan routes; major growth began when it became a station on the Trans-Caspian Railroad in 1885.
statue of Lenin survived the earthquake
In 1948 the city was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake. The city served as the capital of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic from 1924 until 1991, when Turkmenistan became an independent republic. Population (1993 estimate) 517,200.
Mosque
(newly constructed in Turkish style and financed by Turkey)
courtyard
interior
(it is said that some people are reluctant to attend
since several people died during its construction)
in the park next to Pushkin monument
Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeyevich (1799-1837), Russian poet and author, who founded the literature of his language with epic and lyric poems, plays, novels, and short stories.
