Overview :
Turkmenistan Photos
 Geografically
this is the most western of all the stans, but culturally it sure isn't.
The turkmen never formed a real nation and only settled in recent history
in cities - if they did at all. Most of the cities in Turkmenistan were
founded by non Turkmen, but by the Russians, Iranians and even Alexander
the Great.
If you are not an oil man, maybe the most important reason to visit
Turkmenistan would be not the sights, but the people and their age old
nomad tradition of hospitatility. They can be hard to reach with stranger
at first, but when they open up, anything goes.
Ashgabat the capital city is probably your point of arrival. It is filled
with monuments in the honour of the president Turkmenbasi. Mary has the
ruins of the old Persian town of Merv and is worth a visit as well.
Ashgabat is a modern city in the middle of Kara-Kum desert. It was
founded by the Russians to house the Russian garrison and the
headquarters for the Transcaspian Railroad. The city still shows its
military and bureaucratic origins—it’s orderly clean and uninteresting. |
Most of the monuments and sights are very recent and have one purpose to
hail the president Turkmenbasi. The oil-boom has made Turkmenistan oil
rich, and has given the government the possibility to spend money on
fountains and big posh hotels and palaces.
Start your visit in the central area where there is an old fortress.
Skobelev Square is also worth a look. Head out to see the surreal
Islamic-style Lenin Monument, do a carpet factory (there are nine in
town) skip the Turkmenistan History Museum and the Exhibition of Economic
Achievements. As carpets are the pride of the nation don’t miss the new
Turkmen Carpet Museum that has on display the largest carpet in the
world—a 2 000-sq-ft/190-sq-m Tekke Bukhara.
(by
www.world66.com)
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Photo Gallery : Turkmenistan
Artwork,
photos, concept, content and layout are (c) 2005 