Global Travel Information "Designed by Travellers ... for Travellers"

Ashgabat

General Information about Ashgabat

Ashgabat is the capital and largest city of the Asian country Turkmenistan. Ashgabat is located in the central south of the nation, near the border of Turkmenistan and Iran, between the Kara Kum Desert and the Kopet Dag Mountains. The name Ashgabat loosely translates from Persian as 'the city of love'. Ashgabat was established in 1818 as a small village and has since grown to become a large city with a population of over 695,300 people.

There are many famous buildings in Ashgabat which are popular attractions for tourists. Such buildings include the Turkmen Fine Arts Museum, Turkmen History Museum, Azadi Mosque, Khezrety Omar Mosque, the Iranian Mosque, the Arch of Neutrality, Turkmenbasy Palace and Rukhiyet Palace.

The Arch of Neutrality, completed in 1998, is the largest structure in the city of Ashgabat. This monument was constructed by President Saparmurat Niyazov to commemorate the neutrality of Turkmenistan. The Neutrality Arch is a tripod design inspired by a traditional Turkmen rivet and features a glass elevator, ornate inscriptions and a gold plated statue of President Niyazov which is situated atop the monument and rotates 360 degrees so as to always face the sun.

The Turkmenbasy Palace in the centre of Ashgabat has been one of the most important buildings in the city for many years as it served as the Presidential Palace and the presidential headquarters. Former President Saparmurat Niyazov resided in the Turkmenbasy Palace during his reign between 1985 and 2006.

BACK TO TOP