Turkmenistan
Asia · Ashgabat · TM
Turkmenistan is the desert nation of Central Asia, the vast, gas-rich country of the Karakum that lies between the Caspian Sea and the mountain borders of the region, ruled with the formidable stability that has made it one of the most closed countries on earth. It is a land of the enormous contradictions, where the spotless marble capital of the Ashgabat rises from the sands of the desert, where the ancient Silk Road cities of the Merv and the Konye hold the ruins of the great empires of the past, and where the eternal fires of the Darvaza gas crater blaze in the empty wilderness. The horse of the Akhal-Teke, the Turkoman carpets of the weavers and the overwhelming official pomp of the president's city define the character of this mysterious and fascinating young nation. Extreme, strange and deeply historical, Turkmenistan is the great enigma of the Central Asian world.
Overview
Turkmenistan is a country in Asia. Its capital is Ashgabat and the international dialling code is +993. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include Turkmen. Local currency is the Turkmenistan Manat (TMT). We also list 1 city in Turkmenistan: Ashgabat.
The White City of the Capital and the Marble of the Nation
The capital of the Ashgabat, the vast, gleaming city of the edge of the desert that the 1948 earthquake reduced to rubble and that the modern state has rebuilt in the polished white marble of its most extreme building spree, is one of the most surreal capitals of the planet. The record-breaking monuments of the city, the enormous arches, the golden statues, the needle of the neutrality and the fountains that line the empty boulevards, form an extraordinary urban spectacle that dazzles with its gleaming facades. The museums of the capital, the famous carpet museum with its colossal woven floor of the record, the botanical gardens of the region and the strictly shepherded markets and mosques of the city give the visitor the strange, orderly, shimmering experience of the white capital of the desert nation.
The Ruins of the Ancient Cities and the Deserts of the East
The deserts and the ruins of the interior of the country, the vast expanses of the Karakum and the legendary cities of the Silk Road that those sands have preserved, hold the deep archaeological heart of the nation. The ruins of the ancient cities of the region, from the immense site of the Merv, the world heritage of the lost metropolis of the great empires of the medieval era, to the towns of the Konye with their crumbling mosques and the fortress walls of the ancient trade routes of the desert, carry the extraordinary history of the Turkmen lands. The mausoleums and the minarets of the desert, the caravanserais and the wells of the ancient crossings, together with the immense, silent, golden emptiness of the surrounding sands, give the traveller of the east one of the great journeys of the historical world of Central Asia.
The Crater of the Darvaza and the Fires of the Deep
The gas crater of the Darvaza, the extraordinary burning pit of the Karakum desert in the north of the country that the engineers of the Soviet era ignited half a century ago to bleed off the gas of the field, burns to this day with the eternal flames that give it its famous name of the door to the hell. The crater, some seventy metres across, pours the enormous tongues of the fire and the orange glow into the desert night, and the camps of the desert edge of the site, reached by the long crossing of the sand, give the visitor one of the most photographed and surreal spectacles of the entire natural world. The vast dark of the surrounding dunes, the stars of the deep desert and the roar and the heat of the pit complete the drama of the eternal fires of Turkmenistan.
The Carpets of the Nation and the Horses of the Golden Lineage
The two great living treasures of the nation, the handmade carpets of the Turkoman weavers and the celebrated horses of the Akhal-Teke breed, embody the cultural pride of the Turkmen people to a degree found almost nowhere else on earth. The carpets of the country, the deep red woven masterpieces of the tribal patterns that the looms of the women of the region produce, fill the museums, the bazaars and the state collections of the nation, and the carpet festival of the capital celebrates the national symbol of the woven heritage. The horses of the Akhal-Teke, the golden, elegant racers of the desert whose lineage runs back through the millennia, are the other revered companions of the Turkmen world, and the stables, the parades and the racetracks of the country display the extraordinary beauty of the horses of gold.
The Coast of the Caspian and the Towns of the West
The western provinces of the country, the desert and the coast of the great inland sea of the Caspian that forms the celebrated border of the nation, hold the historic and the maritime face of Turkmenistan. The port city of the Turkmenbashi, the gateway of the coast that the modern state has rebuilt with the shimmering white facades of the capital, anchors the shipping and the oil trade of the west, while the nearby caves of the Kov Ata with their warm underground lake and the resorts of the coast give the escape of the region. The old fortresses and the caravanserais of the western routes, the fishing villages of the coast and the enormous, empty beaches of the Caspian shore, together with the black mountains of the desert of the west, complete the picture of the little-known maritime edge of the great desert nation.
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- Capital
- Ashgabat
- Currency
- Turkmenistan Manat (TMT)
- Languages
- Turkmen
- Calling code
- +993
- Internet TLD
- tm
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Turkmenistan.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Turkmenistan?
Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan, and the country sits in Asia.
What currency is used in Turkmenistan?
You pay with Turkmenistan Manat (TMT) in Turkmenistan. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Turkmenistan?
The languages we list for Turkmenistan are Turkmen. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Turkmenistan?
The dialling code for Turkmenistan is +993 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Turkmenistan do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Turkmenistan: Ashgabat (capital).