Ashgabat

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Redirect Template:For Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Ashgabat (Turkmen: Aşgabat)Template:EfnTemplate:Efn is the capital and largest city of Turkmenistan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km (30 mi) away from the Iran-Turkmenistan border. The city has a population of 1,030,063 (2022 census).

File:Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Astronaut Imagery.JPG

Satellite view of Ashgabat

The city was founded in 1881 on the basis of an Ahal Teke tribal village, and made the capital of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924 when it was known as Poltoratsk.Template:Efn Much of the city was destroyed by the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, but has since been extensively rebuilt under the rule of Saparmurat Niyazov's "White City" urban renewal project,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> resulting in monumental projects sheathed in costly white marble.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Soviet-era Karakum Canal runs through the city, carrying waters from the Amu Darya from east to west.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Today, as the capital of an independent Turkmenistan, Ashgabat retains a multiethnic population, with ethnic Turkmen as the majority. In 2021, it celebrated 140 years of its written history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Etymology

Ashgabat is called Aşgabat in Turkmen, (Template:Langx) in Russian from 1925 to 1991, and Template:Lang (Template:Italics correction) in Persian. Before 1991, the name was usually spelled Ashkhabad in English, a transliteration of the Russian form. It has also been variously spelled Ashkhabat and Ashgabad. From 1919 until 1927, the city was renamed Poltoratsk after a local revolutionary, Pavel Poltoratskiy.<ref name=Ashkhabad>Template:Cite book</ref>

Although the name literally means "city of love" or "city of devotion" in modern Persian, the name might be modified through folk etymology. Turkmen historian Ovez Gundogdiyev believes that the name goes back to the Parthian era, 3rd century BC, deriving from the name of the founder of the Parthian Empire, Arsaces I of Parthia, in Persian Ashk-Abad (the city of Ashk/Arsaces).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Ashgabat is in near proximity, approximately 50 km (30 mi), to the Iranian border.<ref name=nasa>Template:Cite web</ref> It occupies a highly seismically active oasis plain bounded on the south by the foothills of the Kopet Dag mountains (Template:Langx) and on the north by the Karakum Desert. It is surrounded by, but not part of, Ahal Province (Template:Langx). The highest point in the city is the Template:Convert high sandhill upon which the Yyldyz Hotel was built, but most of the city lies between Template:Convert of elevation. The Karakum Canal runs through the city.<ref name=goranmak>Template:Cite map</ref><ref name=genshtab>Template:Cite map</ref><ref name=encyclopedia />

Like the rest of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat's soil is primarily sediment that accumulated on the bottom of the Paratethys Ocean. The Kopet Dag mountains emerged toward the end of the Cretaceous Period.<ref name=turkmenistan2>Template:Cite book</ref>

Urban layout

1881 to 1929

Prior to 1881 any buildings other than yurts were made solely from adobe and were limited to one story in height due to the seismic risk.<ref name=ria /> As of 1900 only one building in the city was two stories tall, the municipal museum.<ref name=muradov3>Template:Cite news</ref> City planning began following the Russian conquest, with "very simple planning schemes". The basic layout of downtown streets "has been preserved to this day and defined the unique character of the city structure combining linear and radial types of layout of blocks". The Russian writer Vasily Yan, who lived in Askhabad from 1901 to 1904, described the city as "a little tidy town consisting of numerous clay houses, surrounded by fruit gardens with straight streets, planted with slim cottonwood, chestnut, and white acacia planned by the hand of military engineers".<ref name=guide /> Another description noted,

The fortress was the center of the bureaucratic part of the city. Here stood especially sturdy thick-walled houses, with strong window grates and corner buttresses. Earthquakes were less frightening in such houses, and behind the thick walls even in the hottest months some measure of indoor coolness was retained. Each house had a garden around it, on maintenance of which residents spared neither expenditures nor water...Nearer the rail station lived the railroad workers and craftsmen. Here the houses were shorter and more densely spaced, gardens smaller, and dust on the streets greater...

Gradually a third center of Ashkhabad started to emerge, of the merchants. Roughly equidistant from the rail station and the fortress was laid out a sad marketplace, becoming not only a center of stores and stalls, but a center of gravity for merchants' residence.<ref name=turkmenistan />

1930 to 1948

In 1930, asphalt was used for the first time to pave Ashgabat's streets.<ref name=muradov4>Template:Cite news</ref> The water supply was increased by piping water from springs in neighboring Gämi and Bagyr.<ref name=muradov4 />

The first master plan for Ashgabat, developed between 1935 and 1937 at the Moscow Institute of Geodesy, Aerial Imagery, and Cartography, envisioned expansion to the west, including irrigation and greening of the Bikrova canyon (today Bekrewe).<ref name=encyclopedia>Template:Cite book</ref> The city architect's office was created in 1936 but was unable to implement the new master plan "as it implied significant demolition of the existing buildings".<ref name=quake>Template:Cite web</ref> A description of Ashgabat published in 1948 just before the earthquake noted, "In Ashgabat there are nearly no tall buildings, thus every two-story building is visible from above...", i.e., from the foothills. The tallest structures were the clock tower of the textile mill, the "round smokestack of the glass factory", two "exceptionally thin minarets" of the "former mosque", and "two splendid towers over the long building of the main city hotel".<ref name=turkmenistan />

Impact of the 1948 earthquake

File:Soviet Union stamp 1950 № 1493.jpg

Textile factory in Ashgabat depicted on a 1950 stamp

During the 1948 earthquake, since the bulk of Ashgabat at that time was built of either adobe or fired brick, all but a very few buildings collapsed or were damaged beyond repair (the reinforced concrete grain elevator, Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, and Kärz Bank were among the structures that survived).<ref name=vosp>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=karyyev>Template:Cite web</ref> According to Turkmenistan's official news agency,

Nearly all one-story residential buildings in the city made of mud brick were destroyed, 95 percent of all one-story buildings made of fired brick, and the remaining structures were damaged beyond repair. The number of inhabitable buildings was in single digits, and at that, only after capital renovation.<ref name=quake />

A new general plan was hastily developed by July 1949. The city was divided into four zones: central, northern, eastern, and southwestern. Reconstruction of the city began in that year.<ref name=encyclopedia /><ref name=quake /> Thus from the early 1950s through 1991 Ashgabat's skyline was dominated by the Brutalist Style favored by post-Stalin Soviet architects.<ref name=masterplan>Template:Cite web</ref> The city's central avenue, Magtymguly (former Kuropatkin, Freedom, and Stalin Avenue), featured "monotonous and primarily two-story construction of administrative and residential buildings". This reconstruction "preserved the existing network of city streets as it was economically unjustified to redesign them".<ref name=quake /> The city was described as "...a Communist-era backwater, rebuilt into a typically drab provincial Soviet city..."<ref name=mt>Template:Cite web</ref> The plan was updated in 1959.<ref name=bse>Template:Cite encyclopedia (online edition)</ref>

Among the buildings erected in the 1950s and 1960s were the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Turkmenistan Communist Party, the Council of Ministers Building, the Mollanepes Academic Drama Theater, the former Ashkhabad Hotel (now renamed Paytagt), the Academy of Sciences complex, and the downtown library building. On then-Karl Marx Square stood a monument to the Soviet "fighters for victory of Soviet power in Turkmenistan".<ref name=encyclopedia />

The 1960s master plan

The Turkmen State Project Institute undertook a feasibility study in the mid-1960s to forecast Ashgabat's development to the year 2000, and on that basis to develop a new master plan. Up until then the city had largely expanded to the east, but now the plan called for development to the south and west. This plan was used for about 20 years, and led to construction of the city's first four-story apartment buildings in the Howdan (Template:Langx) microdistricts, formerly the site of the Ashgabat-South aerodrome, as well as annexation of three collective farms in the near suburbs and their conversion into residential neighborhoods, one of which, Leningrad kolkhoz, to this day is referred to informally by its former name.<ref name=quake /><ref name=osmwiki>Template:Cite web</ref> The plan was reworked in 1974, and this resulted in relocation of several industrial plants away from the city center, and thus creation of the industrial zones to the northwest, south, southeast, and northeast.<ref name=encyclopedia />

Between 1961 and 1987 the city architect was Abdulla Ahmedov, who introduced Soviet modernism to Ashgabat.<ref name=muradov5>Template:Cite news</ref> Ahmedov's greatest architectural accomplishment during this period is considered the Ashgabat Hotel (today renamed Paytagt Hotel), built between 1964 and 1970, "a harmonious synthesis of architecture and monumental art".<ref name=muradov5 />

Growth

In 1948 Ashgabat was described before the earthquake as lying "on a sloping plain of the Kopet-Dag foothills, stretching seven kilometers from west to east and five kilometers from the railroad right-of-way to the south, in the direction of the mountains".<ref name=turkmenistan>Template:Cite book</ref> Through the mid-1970s, Ashgabat was a compact city, as shown by the 1974 Soviet military's General Staff map J-40-081.<ref name=j40081>Template:Cite map</ref> The village of Köşi, collective farm "Leningrad", airport, and suburbs to the north were outside the city limits.

Beginning in the 1970s, Ashgabat's boundaries shifted outward, with the aforementioned municipalities annexed, the aerodrome at Howdan redeveloped, and creation of the Parahat (Template:Langx) neighborhoods to the south and industrial parks to the east. In 2013, Ashgabat annexed a portion of the then-Ruhabat district of Ahal Province as well as the city of Abadan (previously named Büzmeýin, and renamed that as a neighborhood) plus all land and villages in between. The southern boundary of Ashgabat was extended southward to the foothills of the Kopet Dag mountains. Overall, Ashgabat's land area rose by 37,654 hectares. The following municipalities were abolished due to their incorporation into the city of Ashgabat: city of Abadan, towns of Jülge and Ruhabat, villages of Gökje, Gypjak, Birleşik, Magaryf, Herrikgala, Ýalkym, Gurtly, Hellewler, Ylmy-Tejribe bazasy, Ýasmansalyk, Köne Gurtly, Gulantäzekli, Serdar ýoly, Gaňtar, Gyzyljagala, Inerçýage, Tarhan, Topurly, and Ussagulla.<ref name=abadan2013>Template:Cite map</ref><ref name=annex2013a>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=annex2013b>Template:Cite web</ref> A further expansion occurred January 5, 2018, when additional land to the north was annexed, incorporating the Gurtly Reservoir and two greenfield residential construction projects, known today as Täze Zaman. This statute also established the current four boroughs of Ashgabat.<ref name=annex2015>Template:Cite map</ref><ref name=mejlis1>Template:Cite web</ref>

Climate

Template:Climate chartThe Kopet Dag mountain range is about Template:Convert to the south, and Ashgabat's northern boundary touches the Kara-Kum desert. Because of this Ashgabat has a cold desert climate (Köppen climate classification: BWk, bordering on BWh) with mediterranean influences. It features very hot, dry summers and cool, short, somewhat moist, winters. The average high temperature in July is Template:Convert. Nighttimes in the summer are warm, with an average minimum temperature in July of Template:Convert. The average January high temperature is Template:Convert, and the average low temperature is Template:Convert. The highest temperature ever recorded in Ashgabat is Template:Convert, recorded in June 2015.<ref name="Pogoda" /> A low temperature of Template:Convert was recorded in January 1969.<ref name="Pogoda" /> Snow is infrequent in the area. Annual precipitation is only Template:Convert; March and April are the wettest months, and June to September are the driest months. In May 2022, Template:Convert, 1,352% of the monthly normal, was reported.<ref>Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, June 1, 2022, page 22</ref>

History

Ashgabat grew on the ruins of the Silk Road city of Konjikala, first mentioned as a wine-producing village in the 1st-2nd century BC and leveled by an earthquake in the 1st century BC. Konjikala was rebuilt because of its advantageous location on the Silk Road and it flourished until its destruction by Mongols in the 13th century. After that it survived as a small village until Russians took over in the 19th century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The near suburb of Köşi, until 2013 a separate village but in that year annexed by Ashgabat, may have been site of a Parthian fortress constructed to protect the capital city, Nisa, based on discoveries of pottery and other artifacts in the 1970s and as recently as 2020. Other artifacts indicating settlement during the Parthian period were reportedly discovered during laying of telephone cables on the site of the Gülistan (Russian) Bazaar in downtown Ashgabat.<ref name=parthia>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to Muradov, the first mention of the settlement in modern times is found in Khiva chronicles of 1811.<ref name=muradov1>Template:Cite news</ref>

British Lieutenant Colonel H.C. Stuart reported in 1881 that the Ahal branch of the Teke tribe of the Turkmen ethnic group arrived in the area around 1830 and established several semi-nomadic villages (auls) between what are now the city of Gyzylarbat and village of Gäwers, inclusive. One of these villages was named Askhabad.<ref name=stuart>Template:Cite book, Chapter 11, Stuart, Lt. Col. H.C., The Country of the Tekke Turkomans, and the Tejend and Murghab Rivers, lecture delivered in 1881.</ref> The first Russian reference to Ashgabat dates to 1850, in a document kept in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs archives listing 43 Ahal fortresses, "Ishkhabad" among them.<ref name=guide>Template:Cite book</ref> It was described as a "typical Turkmen aul".<ref name=turkmenistan />

It was formally part of Persia but de facto autonomous under Turkoman tribal control until Russian forces defeated the Teke army at the Battle of Geok Tepe in January 1881. Persia ceded Askhabad to the Russian Empire in September 1881 under the terms of the Akhal Treaty.

Russian Empire

The city was officially founded January 18, 1881, as a fortified garrison and was named after the Turkmen village on that site.<ref name=turkmenistan /><ref name="Pospelov">Pospelov, pp. 29–30</ref><ref name=encyclopedia /><ref name=muradov2>Template:Cite news</ref> Russian military engineers platted the garrison settlement "on the western edge of the aul (village) of Askhabad on the Gaudan (Howdan) road leading to Persia. The fortress stood on a hill 12 meters high, on which was constructed a citadel-redoubt, and below [it], the residential area, surrounded by walls and a moat."<ref name=encyclopedia /> Sixty-seven Turkmen families were compensated for the land confiscated from them for this construction.<ref name=muradov2 />

Russia developed the area due to its proximity to the border of British-influenced Persia. In 1882 a wagon road was built through the mountains to Quchan, Iran, which led to increased trade as well as settlement of Persian and Armenian merchants in Askhabad.<ref name=muradov2 /> The Trans-Caspian railway reached Askhabad in 1885. The population grew from 2,500 in 1881 to 10,000 in 1886 and 19,428 (of whom one third were Persian) by 1897.<ref name=muradov2 /><ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite EB1911</ref> The Transcaspian Public Library was established in 1885, boys and girls high schools were founded in 1886, and the Kuropatkin School of Horticulture and Viticulture appeared in 1890. The first telephone station was installed in 1900.<ref name=muradov2 />

The city was regarded as a pleasant municipality with European-style buildings, shops, and hotels. Several streets were named after Russian military figures, reflecting its status as a garrison town, including the main square, named in honor of General Mikhail Skobelev, commander of Russian forces during the 1880–1881 Trans-Caspian military campaign. These included as well the western boundary avenue, named in honor of General Nikolai Grodekov, and the city's central avenue, renamed in the 1890s to honor General and Trans-Caspian Governor-General Aleksey Kuropatkin, both of whom had served in the Trans-Caspian campaign under Skobolev's command.<ref name=map2>Template:Cite map</ref>

In 1908, the first Bahá'í House of Worship was built in Askhabad. It was badly damaged in the 1948 earthquake and finally demolished in 1963.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=country>Template:Cite book</ref> The community of the Bahá'í Faith in Turkmenistan was largely based in Askhabad.

By 1915 Askhabad featured branches of the Russian State Bank, Persian Accounting Loan Bank, Russian-Asian Bank, Société Générale, and Askhabat Mutual Credit Union.<ref name=guide />

Soviet period

Soviet rule was established in Ashgabat in December 1917. However, in July 1918, a coalition of Mensheviks, Social Revolutionaries, and Tsarist former officers of the Imperial Russian Army revolted against the Bolshevik rule emanating from Tashkent and established the Ashkhabad Executive Committee. After receiving some support (but even more promises) from General Malleson, the British withdrew in April 1919 and the Tashkent Soviet resumed control of the city.

In 1919, the city was renamed Poltoratsk (Template:Langx), after Pavel Poltoratskiy, the Chairman of the Soviet of National Economy of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.<ref name="Pospelov" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When the Turkmen SSR was established in 1924, Poltoratsk became its capital. The original name but in the form of "Ashkhabad" rather than "Askhabad" was restored in 1927.<ref name="Pospelov" /> In keeping with standard Soviet practice, Imperial Russian street names were changed to honor prominent Communists, Russians, or socialist ideals. For example, Skobolev Square became Karl Marx Square, Grodekov Street became Ostrovskiy Street, and Kuropatkin Avenue became Freedom Avenue (and from 1953 to 1961, following Joseph Stalin's death, Stalin Avenue).<ref name=osm /><ref name=gaz /> In 1927 a statue of Vladimir Lenin designed by A.A. Karelin and Ye.R. Tripolskaya was erected.<ref name=encyclopedia />

During World War II Ashgabat became a refuge for both institutions, including Moscow State University and the Kiev film studio, and individuals. Roughly 8,000 refugees were quartered in private homes during the war.<ref name=muradov4 /> Among the outsiders who escaped to Ashgabat during the war were Andrei Sakharov and author Yury Olesha. In 1944 Ukrainian motion picture director Mark Donskoy filmed Rainbow (Template:Langx, Template:Langx) in Ashgabat, which was nominated for an Academy Award as best foreign film.<ref name=muradov4 />

From this period onward, the city experienced rapid growth and industrialisation, although severely disrupted by a major earthquake on October 6, 1948. An estimated 7.3 on the Surface magnitude scale, the earthquake killed 110–176,000<ref name="NGDC">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (two-thirds of the population of the city), although the official number announced by Soviet news was only 40,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The earthquake was recorded as one of the deadliest natural disasters in Soviet history.

Independence

File:Apartment blocks Ashgabat.jpg

Apartment blocks

In July 2003, street names in Ashgabat were replaced by serial numbers except for nine major highways, some named after Saparmurat Niyazov, his father, and his mother. The Presidential Palace Square was designated 2000 to symbolize the beginning of the 21st century. The rest of the streets were assigned larger or smaller four-digit numerical names. Following Niyazov's death in 2006, Soviet-era street names were restored, though in the years since, many of them have been replaced with names honoring Turkmen scholars, poets, military heroes, and figures from art and culture, as well as celebrating the nation's independence. For example, Karl Marx Square became Garaşsyzlyk (Independence) Square, Ostrovskiy Street became Abba Annaýew (in honor of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's great-uncle), and Freedom Avenue became Magtymguly.<ref name=osm>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref name=gaz>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=sofitel>Template:Cite map</ref><ref name=numbers>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2013, the city was included in the Guinness Book of Records as possessing the world's highest concentration of white marble buildings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:10 Ýyl Abadanchylyk Avenue2.jpg

Southern part of Ashgabat

Ashgabat's "11th Line" project was dedicated on June 29, 2012, including 17 high-rise apartment buildings along 10 ýyl Abadançylyk şaýoly, two secondary schools, two kindergartens, a fire station, and a health clinic.<ref name=line11>Template:Cite news</ref> The "12th Line" project was completed October 1, 2014, consisting of a straightening and widening of Atamyrat Nyýazow şaýoly plus construction of 13 high-rise apartment buildings, two secondary schools, two kindergartens, a new headquarters building for the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Telekeçi shopping center, and the Development Bank. On that same date, the new Cabinet of Ministers building was also opened.<ref name=Line12>Template:Cite news</ref>

In preparation for the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the city spent $5 billion on residential construction. December 4, 2014, the president issued a decree calling for construction of 60 9-story apartment buildings in the Parahat-7 microdistrict, a greenfield project in the southeast quadrant of the city.<ref name=parahat7>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 10, 2015, the "13th Line" was dedicated, a complete reconstruction of buildings along Oguzhan köçesi west of Garaşsyzlyk şaýoly.<ref name="line13">Template:Cite web</ref> Projects included demolition and redevelopment of the Leningrad kolkhoz neighborhood as the "14th Line", and the Gazha and Vosmushka neighborhoods as the "15th Line".<ref name=osm /><ref name=hrw3>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=sng1>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=stroy>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=line14>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Ashgabat Olympic Complex.jpg

Olympic Facilities for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games

Subsequent to conclusion of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the "16th Line" project, a redevelopment of the Köşi neighborhood and extension of Magtymguly Avenue to the west, was begun in 2018.<ref name="sixteen1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="sixteen2">Template:Cite web</ref> The "16th Line" was dedicated on November 10, 2020; it includes 16 high-rise apartment buildings, the Gül zemin shopping center, and a monument to the Alabay sheepdog.<ref name="sixteen3">Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the Gurtly and Choganly housing complexes, both greenfield projects, were constructed.<ref name="parahat">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="khod">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="gurtly">Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2021 the government announced plans for the "17th Line", consisting of a resort complex encircling Golden Lake (Template:Langx), the former Gurtly Reservoir, to include 268 vacation cottages plus buildings for public services and amenities.<ref name=Line17>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 23 August 2022 the government announced plans to demolish one- and two-story houses in several microdistricts of central Ashgabat and to replace them with modern apartment buildings. A map of the areas intended for urban renewal was broadcast on national television that day, but no indication of a timeline was given.<ref name=demolish>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref>

The largest current residential project is construction of "Ashgabat-City" (Template:Langx) north of the Choganly residential neighborhood, which is planned to include over 200 buildings on 744 hectares, and for the first time in the city's history to feature some buildings as tall as 35 stories.<ref name=siti>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=siti2>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=ashgabatcity>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=acity2>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=tdh>Template:Cite news</ref> These will include 180 12- to 35-story residential buildings containing 17,836 apartments intended to house over 107,000 occupants.<ref name=abatcity1>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=abatcity2>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=urdupoint>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ashgabat milestones:<ref>Independent Neutral Turkmenistan: 10 Glorious Years of the Epoch of Turkmenbashi the Great, Ashgabat, 2001, pp. 39–40 Template:In lang</ref>

• 1882–1918 – administrative center of Russia's Transcaspian Region
• 1918–1925 – administrative center of the Turkmen Oblast in the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
• since February 1925 – capital of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
• since October 1991 – capital of independent Turkmenistan

Districts

Boroughs

File:2018 01 06 ashgabat etrapy separation 24784.jpg

The four boroughs of the city

As of January 5, 2018, Ashgabat includes four boroughs (uly etraplar), each with a presidentially appointed mayor (Template:Langx):<ref name=HM /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cci.gov.tm">Template:Cite web</ref>

1. Bagtyýarlyk etraby (formerly President Niyazov, Lenin District, expanded to include former Ruhabat District plus new territory)
2. Berkararlyk etraby (formerly Azatlyk, Sovetskiy District)
3. Büzmeýin etraby (formerly Abadan District, expanded to include former Arçabil and Çandybil Districts)
4. Köpetdag etraby (formerly Proletarskiy District)

This is a reduction from the previous number of boroughs. Arçabil and Çandybil boroughs were merged on February 4, 2015, and the new etrap, named Arçabil, was in turn renamed Büzmeýin in January 2018. At that time the Abadan borough of Ashgabat, created in 2013 by annexing the town of Abadan and surrounding villages to Abadan's south, was abolished and its territory was merged into the newly renamed Büzmeýin borough. The former Ruhabat borough was abolished at the same time and its territory absorbed by Bagtyýarlyk borough.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 15 June 2020, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced intention to create a fifth borough of Ashgabat, to be called Altyn etraby, centered on the new resort zone created on the shores of the former Gurtly Water Reservoir, recently renamed "Golden Lake" (Altyn köl).<ref name=newborough>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Update inline

Microdistricts

Ashgabat's boroughs are subdivided into microdistricts (Template:Langx, Template:Langx). These are administrative units that possess no independent governance structures. They are used for management of utilities and publicly owned housing. Ashgabat includes the following microdistricts:

• 1 through 11 Etrapça
• 30 Etrapça
• Howdan A
• Howdan B
• Howdan W
• Parahat 1 through 8<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=sofitel2>Template:Cite map</ref><ref name=touristmap>Template:Cite map</ref>

Demographics

In 1871, a Russian visitor named Strebnitskiy counted over four thousand "nomad tents" (yurts), implying a population of 16 to 20 thousand Ahal Teke Turkmen, many of whom were killed or dispersed in the 1881 Battle of Geok Tepe. The population was 2,500 in 1881, virtually all Russian.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> By 1886, Askhabad's population was about 10,000, mainly ethnic Russians.<ref name=encyclopedia /><ref name=guide /> Construction of the Trans-Caspian Railway stimulated an influx of migrants seeking employment, particularly from the Caucasus, Volga Valley, and Iran, and Askhabad's subsequent population growth was as follows:

• 1897: 19,426
• 1908: 39,867
• 1911: 45,384

Ethnic Russians dominated the population after 1881, with about 20 percent admixture of Caucasus-origin migrants (mainly Armenian).<ref name=encyclopedia /><ref name=turkmenistan /> One source indicates that pre-revolutionary Askhabad had no Turkmen residents at all, and that they lived in nearby auls.<ref name=turkmenistan /> This began to change in the 1920s, following imposition of Soviet power, which brought with it forced collectivization. In 1926 Ashkhabad's population of 51,593 included 52.4% Russians, 13.53% Armenian, 4.3% Persians, and 29.8% "other". By 1939, Ashkhabad counted 126,500 residents, including 11.7% Armenian. The 1959 census recorded a population of 169,900, which grew to 338,000 by 1983, including 105 nationalities, of which ethnic Armenians constituted 40 percent.<ref name=encyclopedia />

According to estimates of the 2012 Turkmen census, the Turkmens form 78.5% of the city's population. Russians form 10% of the population, followed by Turks (1.1%), Uzbeks (1.1%), and Azeris (1%).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2022 census

Ethnicity
	2022 census<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Population	%
Turkmens	925,656	89.86
Russians	68,188	6.62
Azerbaijanis	10,376	1.0
Armenians	9,761	0.95
Uzbeks	5,179	0.5
Tatars	2,585	0.25
Kurds	2,159	0.21
Ukrainians	1,460	0.14
Kazakhs	703	0.07
Persians	584	0.06
Lezgins	510	0.05
Koreans	164	0.02
Balochi	184	0.02
Afghans	101	0.01
Karakalpaks	31	0.0
Other groups	2,422	0.24
Total	1,030,063	100%

Architecture

File:Yyldyz Hotel.jpg

Yyldyz Hotel in Ashgabat

File:Ashgabat IMG 5819 (26111153395).jpg

Ashgabat Oguzkhan Fountain

Post-1991

Following independence in 1991, President Saparmurat Niyazov began hiring foreign architectural and construction firms, most prominently Bouygues of France and the Turkish firms Polimeks and Gap Inşaat, the latter a subsidiary of Çalık Holding. These firms blended Persian-style domes, which Niyazov favored, with Greco-Roman architectural elements such as pillars.<ref name=buig>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=buig2>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=pricey>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=polimeks1>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=gap>Template:Cite web</ref>

Following Niyazov's death, domes began to go out of fashion for buildings other than mosques, and public buildings began to take on more modernist characteristics, often with a motif reflecting the structure's intended occupant. For example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building is topped by a globe of the Earth, inside which is a conference center; the Development Bank building is topped by a giant coin; the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry building is shaped like a stylized caduceus, the dental hospital is shaped like a molar and the international terminal of Ashgabat International Airport is shaped like a falcon.<ref name=falcon>Template:Cite web</ref> The dominant characteristic of new construction since 1991 has been nearly universal facing with white marble.<ref name=lb>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=ria>Template:Cite web</ref> Another recurring motif is the eight-pointed star of Oguz Han, the largest of which is on the television tower and has entered the Guinness Book of World Records.<ref name=star>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=star2>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=varlamov>Template:Cite web</ref> The official Turkmen government guide book to Ashgabat refers to the star of Oguz Khan as "...the basic dominant of the whole architectural-art decor..."<ref name=guide />

After independence, the city architect's office ordered construction of many high-rise (generally 12-story) residential buildings. Modern construction techniques allow high-rise development with good seismic safety. Primarily consisting of residential towers, the first floor is typically used as retail space and for building maintenance.<ref name=ria/>

Monuments and statues

Ashgabat features many sculptures honoring Turkmen, Turkic, and other Islamic poets and heroes. Four statues, of Lenin, Alexander Pushkin, Taras Shevchenko, and Magtymguly, date to the Soviet period, as do a statue and a bust of Turkmen composer Nury Halmammedov. Since then, however, much new sculpture has appeared. In Ylham (Inspiration) Park are found numerous busts and statues. Additional statues can be seen in the VDNH Park. A monumental statue of the current president was dedicated in May 2015 near Ashgabat Stadium. One also finds statues of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Alp Arslan. In addition to the statue of former President Niyazov atop the Neutrality Monument, a gilded statue of him stands before the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and a gilded seated statue of him graces the entry to the Turkmen Agricultural University.

Since independence in 1991, several monuments to features of Turkmenistan's governance have been erected: to neutrality, to the constitution, to the renaissance of Turkmenistan, to independence, as well as a special monument to former President Saparmurat Niyazov's magnum opus, Ruhnama.

The memorial complex in Bekrewe includes a statue of a bull with the Earth balanced on its horns, symbolizing the 1948 earthquake, and a statue of two traditionally dressed Turkmen warriors guarding a widow grieving the death of her husband in World War II. The exterior wall of the museum features bas reliefs depicting events in Turkmenistan's history.

In advance of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in September 2017, roughly one billion dollars was spent on widening and upgrading Ashgabat's major thoroughfares.<ref name=osm /> Several traffic circles were created, in which were placed mainly abstract monuments. As of 2020 the most recent addition to these are the Bicycle Monument (Template:Langx), which President Berdimuhamedov dedicated on June 3, 2020, and the Turkmen Alabay monument, dedicated on November 10, 2020.<ref name=bike>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=alabay>Template:Cite news</ref>

In May 2024, a monument dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Pyragy was unveiled in Ashgabat, near Walk of Health at the foot of the Kopetdag mountain range.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 60-meter sculpture of the poet stands on a 20-meter pedestal, to which a majestic staircase with massive granite bowls leads.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2024, a statue of Kazakh poet Abai Qunanbaiuly was unveiled in Lachyn Park in Ashgabat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Controversies

Much of the urban renewal since 1991 has involved demolition of traditional single-family residential housing, commonly with allegedly forced eviction of residents, and often without compensation to the homeowners. In particular, private homes rebuilt in neighborhoods flattened by the 1948 earthquake, many of which were never formally registered with the government, were subject to confiscation and demolition without compensation, as were former dacha communities like Ruhabat, Berzengi, and Choganly, which in nearly all cases lacked formal ownership documents.<ref name=hrw>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=amnesty>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=hrw2>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=eur>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=statehum1>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=statehum2>Template:Cite web</ref>

First Baha'i Temple in the world

File:Ashkabad Temple Bahai.jpg

First Bahá'í House of Worship 1908

When Ashgabat was under Russian rule, the number of Bahá'ís in the city rose to over 1,000, and a Bahá'í community was established, with its own schools, medical facilities and cemetery. The community elected one of the first Bahá'í local administrative institutions. In 1908 the Bahá'í community completed the construction of the first Bahá'í House of Worship, sometimes referred to by its Arabic name of mašriqu-l-'aḏkār (Template:Langx),<ref name="Smith">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions.<ref name="iranica" /> The building was designed under the guidance of `Abdu'l-Bahá by Ustad' Ali-Akbar Banna Yazdi who also wrote a history of the Baha'is in Ashgabat.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="us_ashkabad">Template:Cite web</ref>

The House of Worship itself was surrounded by gardens, with four buildings at the four corners of the gardens: a school, a hostel where travelling Bahá'ís were entertained, a small hospital, and a building for groundskeepers.<ref name="us_ashkabad" />

Under the Soviet policy towards religion, the Bahá'ís, strictly adhering to their principle of obedience to legal government, abandoned these properties in 1928.<ref name="obey">Template:Cite book</ref> For the decade from 1938 to 1948, when it was seriously damaged by the earthquake, it was an art gallery. It was demolished in 1963.<ref name="iranica">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Other notable structures

The Arch of Neutrality was dismantled and re-erected in its original form in the south of the capital.

Turkmenistan Tower, the television and radio broadcasting tower, at a height of 211 meters is the tallest structure in the country. It was dedicated on October 17, 2011.<ref name=ria />

The administrative center of Ashgabat as the national capital is on the Archabil highway, where several ministries and agencies, as well as educational, research, and cultural centers, are found.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The former Novofiryuzenskoye shosse (New Firyuza Highway) was rebuilt by Gap Inşaat in 2004.Template:Citation needed

Economy

The principal industries are cotton textiles and metal working. It is a major stop on the Trans-Caspian railway. A large percentage of the employment in Ashgabat is provided by the state institutions; such as the ministries, undersecretariats, and other administrative bodies of the Turkmenistan government. There are also many foreign citizens working as diplomats or clerks in the embassies of their respective countries. Ashgabat lends its name to the Ashgabat agreement, signed by India, Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, for creating an international transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2019 and 2020, Ashgabat was the most expensive city in the world for foreign expatriates in ECA International's Cost of Living Survey.<ref name="USN-cost">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=bbc2021>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was also listed as the second most expensive city in the world overall by the 2020 Mercer Cost of Living Survey.<ref name="Forbes-cost">Template:Cite news</ref> Its high cost of living for foreigners has been attributed to severe inflation and rising import costs.<ref name="USN-cost"/><ref name="Forbes-cost"/><ref name=hanke>Template:Cite web</ref>

Industry

Between 1881 and 1921, little industry existed in Ashgabat. Muradov relates that in 1915 the city featured "68 enterprises, mainly semi-handicrafts, with a total of 200-300 workers".<ref name=muradov3 /> Another source relates that as of 1911 roughly half the workforce of somewhat more than 400 "workers" was employed at the railroad depot, engaged in locomotive and railcar maintenance and repair, with the rest occupied in cotton ginning, cottonseed oil extraction, flour milling, and leather-, brick-, glass-, and iron production.<ref name=encyclopedia /> By 1915 the city boasted as well three printing houses, an electrical power station, three cotton gins, a creamery, a tannery, and 35 brickyards.<ref name=guide />

In 1921 Soviet authorities built a new glass plant plus a wine and spirits factory. In the years following several more factories were added, including the "Red Metalworker" iron-working plant (1925), the silk spinning plant (1928), a cotton spinning plant and textile plant (1929), candy factory (1930), garment factory (1933), shoe factory (1934), and a meat cannery (1938).<ref name=encyclopedia /> As of 1948, Ashgabat boasted "about twenty large factory-plant enterprises, which produce fabrics, glass, footwear, garments, meat products, dredges, agricultural implement parts and much else".<ref name=turkmenistan /><ref name=geotext>Template:Cite book</ref>

Annexation of the former city of Buzmeyin (Template:Langx), which from 2002 to 2018 was known as Abadan,<ref name="cci.gov.tm"/> brought into Ashgabat's city limits its major industrial suburb. Today's Buzmeyin neighborhood features the Buzmeyin State Electrical Power Plant, and factories for production of reinforced concrete, cement, asbestos roofing, pipes, and concrete blocks, as well as a carpet-weaving factory and soft-drink bottling plant.<ref name=encyclopedia />

Today more than 43 large and 128 medium-sized industrial enterprises along with over 1,700 small industrial facilities are located in Ashgabat and its suburbs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The most important are Ashneftemash, Turkmenkabel, and Turkmenbashy Textile Complex.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Electrical power generation

The Abadan State Power Plant (now Büzmeýin State Power Plant), commissioned in 1957, was the first large power plant in Turkmenistan. Two gas turbine plants with a capacity of 123 MW each currently generate electricity in this plant.<ref name=minenergo>Template:Cite web</ref> The Ashgabat State Power Plant, located in the southern part of city, began operating in 2006. It is equipped with gas turbine generators with a total capacity of 254.2 megawatts.<ref name=minenergo />

Ashgabat also draws power from the Ahal State Power Plant, located outside the city in Ahal Province. It began operating in 2010 with two gas turbines producing 254.2 MW. Three small gas turbines were added in 2013 and two more gas turbines in 2014, bringing capacity to 648.1 MW.<ref name=minenergo />

Shopping

Altyn Asyr Bazaar in Choganly, also known as "Tolkuchka", features manufactured items including traditional fabrics and hand-woven carpets, as well as livestock and used automobiles.

Modern shopping areas are found mostly in central streets,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> including the modern Berkarar Mall, Arkaç Mall,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ashgabat Shopping and Entertainment Center,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gül Zemin<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Paýtagt, as well as the 15 Years of Independence Shopping Centre (Template:Langx), colloquially known as the "Wholesale Market" (Template:Langx).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=optovyy>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=optovyy2>Template:Cite web</ref>

Local residents tend to shop at traditional bazaars: Gülistan (Russian) Bazaar, Teke Bazaar, Daşoguz Bazaar, Paytagt (Mir) Bazaar, and Jennet Bazaar. The Turkish-owned Yimpaş department store closed as of December 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Transportation

File:Ashgabat Airport (35816758890).jpg

The falcon shape of the international terminal of Ashgabat International Airport

File:Ashgabat Airport (36075375061).jpg

Inside the international terminal of Ashgabat International Airport

The city is served by the Ashgabat International Airport, expansion of which cost $2.3 billion and which has a design capacity of 14,000,000 passengers per year.<ref name=reuters>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=poli>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Turkmenistan Airlines is headquartered at the airport.<ref>"Directory: World Airlines." Flight International. March 30–5 April 2004. [1].</ref> Ashgabat offers air service to and from all the major cities of the Turkmenistan. Since March 2020, in order to prevent the import and spread of coronavirus infection, all planes arriving in Turkmenistan from abroad are redirected to the Turkmenabat International Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 18 October 2006, the Ashgabat Cable Car opened, connecting the city with the foothills of the Kopetdag.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ashgabat Monorail commenced service in 2016, becoming the first monorail in the Central Asia region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=mono2>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=mono3>Template:Cite web</ref> It is a loop 5.2 kilometers long and circulates exclusively on the territory of the Olympic Village (Template:Langx).<ref name=mono2 /><ref name=mono3 />

In January 2018, it was reported that black cars had been impounded for weeks in Ashgabat, a result of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's conviction that black cars bring bad luck.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Ukrainian construction firm Interbudmontazh has proposed construction of a subway (metropolitan) line, to connect the Ashgabat-Siti residential area in the northern suburbs to downtown Ashgabat.<ref name=metro>Template:Cite news</ref>

Autobahn

File:Streets of Ashgabat (2) (31110029667).jpg

Streets of Ashgabat

Ashgabat is linked<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to Tejen,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mary, Türkmenabat<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and neighbouring countries<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> by the country's 600 km autobahn network.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>В Туркменистане приступили к заключительному третьему этапу строительства высокоскоростной автомобильной дороги Ашхабад-Туркменабат</ref>

Railway

File:Turkmen Diesel locomotive2.jpg

Turkmenistan Railways Diesel locomotive CKD9A in Ashgabat

Template:Main Ashgabat has a single central railway station. In May 2009 the restoration of the Ashgabat railway station was completed. The railway station is made in Soviet-style architecture with its long point on the building roof.

The Trans-Caspian Railway (Türkmenbaşy–Balkanabat–Bereket–Ashgabat–Mary–Türkmenabat) runs through Ashgabat from east to west. Since 2006 there is also a train line from Ashgabat to the north, the Trans-Karakum Railway.<ref name=rail>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of July 2021, the following railway routes are scheduled from and to Ashgabat:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Ashgabat-Balkanabat
• Ashgabat-Türkmenbaşy
• Ashgabat-Dashoguz
• Ashgabat-Sarahs
• Ashgabat-Serhetabat
• Ashgabat-Amyderýa

City buses and trolleybus

File:Ashgabat bus stop IMG 5627 (26085205046).jpg

Bus stop with air conditioning in Ashgabat

File:10-Ýyl Abadanchylyk Avenue.jpg

10-Ýyl Abadanchylyk Avenue

Public transport in the city consists mainly of buses. More than 100 bus<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> lines cover a total range of more than Template:Convert with 700 buses running on urban routes. The city primarily uses Iran Khodro 0457 (Mercedes-Benz) and Hyundai New Super Aero City<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> buses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bus timetables and detailed schematic map of the route are at every stop. Distances between stops are about 300–500 meters.

Travel in the Ashgabat city public transport for the majority of the country's population incurs a fee. Money is thrown into a box next to the driver. Large bills are given to the driver, he gives change. The fare for travel in city public transport is 50 Turkmen tenge (since 2017).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Route taxi (marshrutka) is 1 manat.

Information about bus routes and stops in Ashgabat is available in the mobile application Duralga.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

From November 1, 2017, the electronic system of payment for public transport came into full force in Ashgabat. Payment can be made using an electronic transport card. There are three types of electronic cards: school, for pensioners and general. When entering through the front door of the bus, the passenger must present the electronic card to the validator. The term of use of the transport electronic card is 4 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The new International Passenger Bus Terminal of Ashgabat was inaugurated on September 5, 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It offers intercity service to Bäherden, Türkmenbaşy, Dashoguz, Turkmenabat, Archman, Konye-Urgench, and Mollagara, as well as points in between.<ref name=busmenzil>Template:Cite web</ref> The main intracity bus terminals serving Ashgabat are near the Teke Bazaar and at the domestic airport terminal. Intercity lines are operated by Hyundai Universe Luxury, Iran Khodro SC 0457, Sahab Renault and Yutong ZK6129H.

Also, suburban communication has been established with Ýaşlyk, Geok Tepe, Gorjaw, Yzgant, Babarap, Bugdaýly, Annau, Gämi, Owadandepe, Watan, Khurmant, Onaldy, Gami Dacha, Kasamly Julge, Gäwers, Yashyldepe, Akdashayak, Niyazow, Suitchilik, Parahat. PAZ 32054 buses and Volkswagen minibuses operate on suburban routes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some intercity buses also stop at various other points in Ashgabat, including the airport and railway station.

From 19 October 1964 to 31 December 2011 the city also had the Ashgabat trolleybus system. At the beginning of the twentieth century a narrow-gauge steam railway connected the city with the suburb of Firyuza. As of 2011, there were 7 routes in the city. As of 2011, the Ashgabat trolleybus fleet had 47 trolleybuses (Škoda 14TrM) on its balance sheet. In 2000, the last obsolete trolleybuses of the JuMZ-T2 model were written off.

Taxi

In Ashgabat and Turkmenistan, taxicabs are mostly white or yellow coloured . Taxis have a small green illuminated cylinder-like "TAXI" sign on the roof of the car.<ref>В приложении «Onlaýn taksi» теперь можно узнать цену проезда перед заказом | SalamNews</ref>

Typically the taxicabs are Toyota Corolla, JAC J7<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Hyundai Elantra along with other, mainly Asian, brands. Taxicabs are either sedans, station wagons, or MPVs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most taxicabs are automatic transmission, and some have navigation systems on board.

In Ashgabat taxis are available at any time of the day or night. Passengers may also hire taxicabs via mobile apps.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other hailing methods, such as telephone based calls or raising one's hand on the street, are also common as well.

Telecommunication

As of 2021, Ashgabat has two mobile phone service providers:

• Altyn Asyr is a Turkmen national state company for the provision of communication services, established in 2004. In 2010, the company launched a 3G network of UMTS standard, covering all districts of Ashgabat and the Ashgabat International Airport . On September 18, 2013, the 4G network was put into operation using LTE technology.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Ashgabat City Telephone Network provides CDMA communication services (over 55 thousand subscribers). The network was created and put into operation by the company for the first time in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In addition to the mobile network providers, Turkmentelecom provides internet services.

Turkmenpochta is the official national postal operator of Turkmenistan. Based in Ashgabat, it currently operates through 38 postal offices in city.<ref>Bölümler</ref>

Media

Notable newspapers published in Ashgabat include the daily newspapers Türkmenistan and Neytralny Turkmenistan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Fernsehturm Türkmenistan teleradio merkezi.jpg

Turkmenistan Tower

TV

The main offices of 7 television channels are located in Ashgabat: Altyn Asyr, Yashlyk, Miras, Turkmenistan Sport, Turkmen Owazy, Ashgabat and Turkmenistan TV.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ashgabat TV is main city channel. The channel tells about the events of social, cultural, economic life, the activities of scientific and educational institutions of the Ashgabat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Almost 136<ref name="turkmenportal.com">Template:Cite web</ref> international TV channels are available in the IPTV playlist for subscribers of the Ashgabat City Telephone Network.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most of them are thematic channels: news, sports, scientific and educational, TV channels for children, channels of various genres of cinema, music.<ref name="turkmenportal.com"/>

Residents of Ashgabat also watch television via satellite dishes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Radio

As of 2008, Ashgabat has 4 FM stations: Owaz, Char Tarapdan, Miras and Watan. These stations can additionally be streamed through Turkmentelecom's website.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Human resources

Science and education

File:Southern part of Ashgabat.jpg

Turkmen State Institute of Culture campus

File:Turkmen State Medical University.jpg

Turkmen State Medical University

Ashgabat is the most important educational center of Turkmenistan with several institutions of higher education. Magtymguly Turkmen State University was founded in 1950. The main university building is located on Beýik Saparmyrat Türkmenbaşy şaýoly. Turkmen State Medical University is situated in Ashgabat as well. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Health and Pharmaceutical Industry of Turkmenistan. Other prominent institutions are the Turkmen State Institute of Economics and Management, a main business school founded in 1980, as well as the Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction, Turkmen Agricultural University, and The National Institute of Sports and Tourism of Turkmenistan. In 2016, the English- and Japanese-medium Oguz Khan University of Engineering Technologies was opened with support of the Japanese government. The International University of Humanities and Development is another English-medium institution of higher education. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' training ground is the Institute of International Relations.<ref name=by>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=catalog>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ashgabat is home to five military academies: the Military Institute, the Naval Institute, the Border Guards Institute, the Institute of National Security, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs Institute. In 2020 the Military Institute began accepting applications from women.<ref name=catalog /><ref name=milinst>Template:Cite web</ref>

Four international secondary schools operate in Ashgabat. The Russian Embassy sponsors the Russian-medium A.S. Pushkin Russo-Turkmen School, the French construction company Bouygues sponsors a French school for children of its Francophone employees, the Turkish Embassy sponsors the Turkish-medium Turgut Ozal Turkmen-Turkish School, and the American Embassy sponsors the English-medium Ashgabat International School.<ref name=pushkin>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=fra>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=turk>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=ais>Template:Cite web</ref>

Prior to establishment of Soviet authority in Turkmenistan, Ashgabat had only 11 schools and no scientific or research centers.<ref name=encyclopedia /> By 1948 Ashgabat had three institutions of higher education, 20 technical schools, 60 libraries, "and approximately the same number of kindergartens".<ref name=turkmenistan />

The Turkmen Academy of Sciences was founded June 29, 1951, and includes the unique Desert Institute among its 26 scientific research institutes, as well as the State Seismological Service, 17-degree-granting schools, two medical research centers, a library, and two print shops. The Academy of Sciences is the only institution in Turkmenistan accredited to award postgraduate degrees. In 2019, President Berdimuhamedov decreed that state funding of the Academy of Sciences would end within three years.<ref name=encyclopedia /><ref name=akadnauk>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=wapo>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=decree>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=acadsci>Template:Cite web</ref> Prior to founding of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences, local scientific-research institutes, all located in a single two-story building, were subordinate to the USSR Academy of Sciences.<ref name=turkmenistan />

Health

Ashgabat is a center for healthcare and medical training of Turkmenistan. Large-scale reconstruction work on buildings and modernization of the material and technical base of existing healthcare institutions is constantly ongoing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Directorate of International Medical Centers<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in Ashgabat includes International Center Ene mähri<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (maternity hospital), International Center of Endocrinology and Surgery,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> International Center of Head and Neck Diseases,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> International Center of Eye Diseases,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ashgabat Dental Center,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> International Center of Cardiology,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> International Center of Internal Medicine,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> International Center of Neurology,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> International Diagnostic Center,<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref> International Education and Science Center,<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> International Diagnostic Center,<ref name="auto1"/> International Education and Science Center,<ref name="auto"/> International Center of Traumatology<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and International Burn Center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The main medical centers are located along Professor Hans Meissner Avenue in the south of Ashgabat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, they were opened International Health and Rehabilitation Center, and the International Scientific and Clinical Center of Physiology.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>[2]</ref>

Medical and preventive institutions in Ashgabat include: Scientific-Clinical Center of Oncology,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Scientific-clinical center for Maternal and Child health,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Treatment and Consultative centre named after S.А.Niyazov,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hospital with Scientific Clinical Centre of Cardiology,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Emergency First Aid Center,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Central Bureau of Pathologic Anatomy,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Central Bureau of Forensic Medicine,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Central Medical-Recovery Hospital, Medical Diagnostic Center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Directorate of Infectious Disease Centers is located in the Choganly residential complex in the north of Ashgabat, which includes Central Dermatovenerological Hospital,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Treatment and prevention Center for infectious diseases,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Blood Center, National AIDS Prevention Center, Center for Treatment and Prevention of Tuberculosis and Centralized Laboratory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The central office of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service is located in Ashgabat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Center for Public Health and Nutrition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Center for the Prevention of Particularly Dangerous Infections<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> operate in Ashgabat.

As of 2018, there are 16 outpatient clinic's operating in the Ashgabat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Medical education

The following higher and secondary medical educational institutions operate in Ashgabat: Turkmen State Medical University named after Myrat Garryev, Indira Gandhi Secondary Medical School of Ashgabat. The following were established at the Turkmen State Medical University: in 2011 – the Scientific and Clinical Center for Eye Diseases, in 2013 – the Educational and Industrial Center for Dentistry, and in 2015 – the Educational and Scientific Center for the Protection of Maternal and Child Health.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Medical industry

The city pays great attention to the development of the pharmaceutical industry. The following medical industry and pharmaceutical supply institutions operate in Ashgabat: Turkmendermansenagat Association, Main Pharmacy Association, Center for Drug Registration and State Quality Control, Institute of Medicinal Plants, Saglyk Pharmaceutical Enterprise, Türkmen Ajanta Pharma Limited Joint Venture, Tenekär Pharmaceutical Enterprise, Berzengi Mineral Healing Water Enterprise, Disinfectant Solutions Production Enterprise.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sanatoriums

The Berzeňňi Sanatorium is located at the foothills of the Kopetdag mountains, 7.5 kilometers south of center of Ashgabat. Operating since 1967, a new building was inaugurated in 2012. The sanatorium features a unique mineral water source from a 1,600-meter-deep well. This water has a distinct hydrochemical composition, including magnesium sulfate, potassium, and low mineralization, and has various therapeutic properties. It is used to treat conditions such as digestive system diseases, hypertension, cardiovascular issues, and joint diseases. The sanatorium operates year-round, offering both outpatient and spa treatments.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Culture

Ashgabat is the cultural heart of Turkmenistan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ashgabat enjoys numerous theatres, museums, galleries, concert halls, cinemas and foreign cultural institutions.

Museums and galleries

File:Ashgabat flagpole.jpg

The State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan in front of Ashgabat Flagpole

On March 17, 1899, the official opening of the Trans-Caspian Regional Museum took place in Ashgabat. On November 12, 1998, the opening of the National Museum of Turkmenistan took place.<ref>Türkmenistanyň Döwlet medeniýet merkeziniň Döwlet muzeýi</ref> Its primary goal is to chronicle Turkmenistan's history in various forms from the earliest periods using historical and archaeological collections. Since 2013, the museum began to be called The State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan. The total area of the museum is 165,323.21 m². On the ground floor of the main building there is a department of Turkmenistan Independence, a department of Turkmen carpet and temporary exhibitions, on the second floor there is a department of Ancient History, Margush, Parthia and two halls of the history of the Middle Ages. The Museum of the President of Turkmenistan of the State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan was commissioned in June 2009. The main objective of this museum is a thorough study of information about the domestic and foreign policies of Turkmenistan. The Museum of Ethnography and Local History of the State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan opened in May 2009. The exhibition on the first floor of the museum is dedicated to the nature of Turkmenistan. On the second floor there is an exhibition concerning the ethnography of Turkmenistan. The exhibition of the Museum of Nature consists of 11 sections.<ref>ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ МУЗЕЙ ТУРКМЕНИСТАНА</ref>

Museums include the Turkmen Fine Arts Museum and Turkmen Carpet Museum, noted for their impressive collection of woven carpets as well as a Turkmen history museum and the Ashgabat National Museum of History, which displays artifacts dating back to the Parthian and Persian civilizations.

The Watan Mukaddesligi Museum is located in the southwest of Ashgabat, within the Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex. Opened in 2014, the museum focuses on preserving and showcasing the historical and cultural heritage of Turkmenistan. It features four thematic halls dedicated to events such as the Battle of Geoktepe, World War II, the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, and the modern development of Ashgabat. The museum houses over 1,000 exhibits.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since 2024, a private art gallery ART-bazar has been operating in Ashgabat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> ART-bazar is a creative space in Ashgabat showcasing works by artisans from various regions of Turkmenistan. It features a range of traditional crafts, including ceramics, paintings, felt tapestries, leather items, and handmade paper, offering visitors an introduction to the country's artistic and cultural heritage.

Performing arts

File:Turkmen-Circus-Interior.JPG

Turkmen State Circus

Ashgabat's major theaters are:

• Alp Arslan National Drama Theatre
• Magtymguly National Musical and Drama Theatre
• Main Drama Theatre named by Saparmurat Turkmenbashi
• Mollanepes Students Theatre
• Mukams Palace
• Pushkin State Russian Drama Theatre
• Theatre "Art Ist"
• Turkmen State Puppet Theatere
• Turkmen State Circus

Each of several former municipalities annexed by Ashgabat also features local a "house of culture" Template:Langx.

Cinemas

Ashgabat has six cinemas. In 2011, Aşgabat Cinema, the first 3D cinema in Turkmenistan, opened in Ashgabat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Watan and Turkmenistan theaters were reconstructed.<ref>Kinoteatrlar</ref> Additional cinemas are located in the Berkarar Mall,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Gül Zemin Mall and Arkach Mall.

Libraries

The State Library of Turkmenistan was founded in 1892 and has undergone several name changes since then. In 1976, a new building was constructed for the library, and in 1992, it was granted national status. Since 2007, it has been part of the State Culture Center of Turkmenistan. The library houses over 6 million items and actively develops electronic resources.<ref>Türkmenistanyň Döwlet medeniýet merkeziniň Döwlet kitaphanasy </ref><ref>[3]</ref>

The State Children's Library of Turkmenistan named after Bazar Amanov was established in 1935. It serves as the national repository of children's literature and a methodological center for children's and school libraries. The library includes specialized sections for book storage, cataloging, and services for different age groups, from preschool children to high school students, as well as an arts department. Since 2016, the library has been operating an integrated electronic library system.<ref>Türkmenistanyň B.Amanow adyndaky Döwlet çagalar kitaphanasy</ref> The library's collection consists of over 250,000 items.<ref>Biz barada</ref>

Main sights

File:Ahal Velayat Hippodrome - Flickr - Kerri-Jo (89).jpg

Horse racing at the International Equestrian Sports Complex

Ashgabat was home to the Arch of Neutrality, a 75 m (250 ft) tall tripod crowned by a golden statue of late president Saparmurat Niyazov (also known as Turkmenbashy, or head Turkmen). The 15 m (50 ft) high statue, which rotated in order to always face the sun during daylight hours, was removed on August 26, 2010, after Niyazov's successor, current President Berdimuhamedov, made clear earlier in the year that the statue was to be taken out of Ashgabat's Independence Square.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2011 a Monument to the Constitution was built, its total height of 185 m (607 ft) makes it the second tallest structure in Turkmenistan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Alem Cultural and Entertainment Center was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's tallest Ferris wheel in an enclosed space.<ref name="guinness">Template:Cite web</ref> The Ashgabat Flagpole is the fifth tallest free–standing flagpole in the world, standing at Template:Convert tall. The Ashgabat Fountain has the world's greatest number of fountain pools in a public place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ashgabat also features Turkmenistan Tower which is the tallest tower in Turkmenistan, the decorative octagonal Star of Oguzkhan is recognized as the world's largest architectural image of the star and entered in the Guinness World Records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Palaces

• Oguzhan Presidential Palace, the official presidential headquarters.
• Ruhyýet Palace, a place for official state events, forums, meetings, inaugurations.
• Wedding Palace, a civil registry building.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Parks and squares

Ashgabat has many parks and open spaces, mainly established in the early years of the Independence and well maintained and expanded thereafter. The most important of these parks are: the Botanical Garden, Güneş, Turkmen-Turkish friendship, Independence. The oldest city park, Ashgabat, was founded in 1887 and is colloquially known as First Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the center of Ashgabat is the Inspiration Alley, an art-park complex which is a favorite place for many locals. The amusement park World of Turkmenbashi Tales is a local equivalent to Disneyland. Squares: 10 Years of Turkmenistan Independence, Magtymguly, Eternal Flame, Zelili, Chyrchyk, Garashsyzlyk, March 8, Gerogly, Dolphin, 15 years of Independence, Ruhyýet, 10 ýyl Abadançylyk, Ylham and Tashkent.

The Ashgabat Botanical Garden was founded on 1 October 1929, and is the oldest botanical garden in Central Asia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It covers a territory of approximately 18 hectares, and contains a live exhibition of more than 500 different species of plants coming from various parts of the world.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex

File:Eternal glory monument.jpg

Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex

Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex was opened in 2014 in remembrance of those killed in the Battle of Geok Tepe in 1881, during World War II, and to commemorate of the victims of the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake. It is located in the southwestern part of the city on Bekreve street.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Magtymguly Pyragy Cultural and Park Complex

In 2024, monuments dedicated to 24 foreign writers and poets were erected in the Magtymguly Pyragy Cultural and Park Complex in Ashgabat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These statues honor renowned figures such as Sayat-Nova, Yanka Kupala, Du Fu, Honoré de Balzac, Shota Rustaveli, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sándor Petőfi, Rabindranath Tagore, Hafez Shirazi, Dante Alighieri, Yasunari Kawabata, Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly, Chingiz Aitmatov, Raja Ali Haji, Adam Mickiewicz, Mihai Eminescu, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Juan Jiménez, Template:Ill, Yunus Emre, Hryhorii Skovoroda, William Shakespeare, Langston Hughes and Alisher Navoi. Each sculpture captures the essence and unique spirit of the artist's work.

Mosques

File:Inside the Azadi Mosque (5731113260).jpg

Interior of Artogrul Gazy Mosque

Major mosques in Ashgabat include:

• Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque
• Ärtogrul Gazy Mosque, a gift from Turkey, was inaugurated in 1998 and resembles the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
• Hezreti Osman Mosque in the 8th microdistrict
• Hezreti Omar Mosque in the Parahat 7 microdistrict<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Azadi Mosque on Zarpçi street
• Martyrs (Template:Langx) Mosque on Görogly street
• Shia Mosque near the Iranian Embassy

There are also several mosques in former towns and villages annexed by Ashgabat and thus now neighborhoods within the city limits.

Churches

Ashgabat has five operating Christian churches. Four are Russian Orthodox churches:<ref name=roc>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Saint Alexander Nevsky Church, founded in 1882 as parish church of the Russian military garrison, consecrated in 1900, located in the 30th Microdistrict (Template:Langx)
• Temple of Saint Nicholas the Miracle-Worker, located inside the Khitrovka Cemetery (Template:Langx)
• Temple of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, located near the Ruhnama School (Template:Langx)
• Temple of the Holy Equals to Apostles Cyril and Methodius, located in Büzmeýin (Template:Langx)

The Roman Catholic Chapel of the Transfiguration operates on the grounds of the Apostolic nunciature.

Other Christian denominations exist but as of 2019 only two were registered with the government and thus able to operate legally. The U.S. Department of State reported that Turkmen authorities "scrutinize or obstruct religious groups attempting to purchase or lease buildings or land for religious purposes".<ref name=religfreedom>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sports

File:Ashgabat South.jpg

Ashgabat Olympic Complex

File:Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Olympic Stadium.jpg

Olympic Stadium in Ashgabat

The main sporting venues in Ashgabat are the Olympic Stadium, Ashgabat Stadium, the National Olympic ice rink, Sports complex for winter sports and the Ashgabat Watersports Complex.

Ashgabat was chosen as the host city of the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Between 2010 and 2017 an Olympic Village was built by the Turkish firm Polimeks south of the city center, at a cost of $5 billion.<ref name=polimeks>Polimeks website, Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=hronika>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2017 a Jack Nicklaus Designs Signature 18-hole golf course opened in Ashgabat. It features 82 sand traps and covers 70 hectares.<ref name=golf1>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=golf2>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=golf3>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=golf4>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=golf5>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=golf6>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=golf7>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ashgabat was the host of the 2018 IWF World Weightlifting Championships and 2023 World Kurash Championships.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The city's professional football clubs Altyn Asyr FK, FC Aşgabat and FK Köpetdag Aşgabat play in the Ýokary Liga, the top league of Turkmenistan.

Ashgabat is home to several professional ice hockey teams. Galkan, Merdana, Nesil, Shir, Oguzkhan, Watanchy play in the Turkmenistan Hockey Championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ashgabat annually hosts the President of the Turkmeinistan Cup ice hockey tournament.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are three ice arenas in Ashgabat: Winter Sports Complex Ashgabat (10,300 seats capacity), Ashgabat Ice Palace (1000 seats)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Galkan Ice Palace (630 seats).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Inha Babakova, 1999 World High Jump champion, was born in Ashgabat. Born in Ashgabat weightlifter Polina Guryeva captured Turkmenistan's first Olympic medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, taking silver in the women's 59 kg.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

International relations

Diplomatic missions

The city hosts 32 foreign embassies<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and serves as the headquarters for the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Twin towns – sister cities

Template:See also Ashgabat is twinned with:<ref name=twins>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col

• Template:Flagicon Aktau, Kazakhstan
• Template:Flagicon Albuquerque, United States (1990)
• Template:Flagicon Ankara, Turkey (1994)
• Template:Flagicon Astana, Kazakhstan (2017)
• Template:Flagicon Athens, Greece
• Template:Flagicon Bamako, Mali (1974)
• Template:Flagicon Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (2018)
• Template:Flagicon Dushanbe, Tajikistan (2017)
• Template:Flagicon Kyiv, Ukraine (2001)
• Template:Flagicon Lanzhou, China (1992)
• Template:Flagicon Tashkent, Uzbekistan (2017)

Partner cities

Ashgabat cooperates with:<ref name=twins/>

• Template:Flagicon Moscow, Russia (1996) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="web.archive.org">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Flagicon Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia (1997) <ref name="web.archive.org"/>
• Template:Flagicon Yerevan, Armenia (2014)
• Template:Flagicon Tokyo, Japan (2014)

See also

• Ashgabat Trauma Center
• Boroughs and landmarks of Ashgabat
  • Bagtyýarlyk District
  • Berkararlyk District
  • Bitarap Turkmenistan Avenue
  • Büzmeýin (Abadan)
  • Büzmeýin District
  • Galkynysh Square, Ashgabat
  • Gypjak
  • Independence Square, Ashgabat
  • Kopetdag District
  • Magtymguly Avenue
  • Saparmurat Turkmenbashy Avenue
• List of cities in Turkmenistan
• OpenStreetMap wiki article on geography of Ashgabat
• Russian Turkestan

References

Sources

• Е. М. Поспелов (Ye. M. Pospelov). "Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь." (City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary.) Москва, "Русские словари", 1993.

External links

• Template:Official website