TURKMENISTAN Turkmenistan’S Dualpersonaisomnipresent

Home , Balkan Region, Bereket, Boldumsaz, Darvaza gas crater, Kerki, Magdanly

TURKMENISTAN Turkmenistan’s dualpersonaisomnipresent. The lavishpalacesinthecapital,goldstatues Turkmenistan Turkmenistan 398 from youngboysto dresses decorated andankle-length withTurkmen headscarves in colourful motifs. Everyone whose hospitalityisthestuffoflegend.Proudtheirheritage,womenare out seendecked only acoupleofgenerationsremoved fromanomadiclifestyle, theyare awelcomingpeople quirks ofcoloured canyons,dinosaurfootprintsandburninggascraters. andtheoccasional will alsoappreciate (BlackSand)desert thehauntingbeautyofKarakum are stillthere, slowlydisintegratingandtime. undertheweightoftribalwarfare Nature-lovers of slow-moving caravansploddingalongtheancientSilkRoad. Remnantsoftheirurbantissue yet overcome byspirituality. pilgrimage sites andancientruins. This isalandthatatonetimegrippedbyauthorityand and marblemonumentsare ascaptivatingthedeepmysticismandlegendthathangsover ride anAkhal-Teke wilderness. horseorsimplydisappearforafew daysintothedesert inconvenience, Turkmenistan offers numerousoff-beatexperiences;youcanovernight inayurt, your independentspirit,itisfornowtheonlywaytofullyexperience country.Despite this for change,thesituationremains thesameinthispost-Niyazov era. Whilethismaydampen independent travel. Anyonewithatouristvisaisrequired tohire aguideanddespite hopes claspandaslightbow. with atwo-hand © LonelyPlanetPublications The fullTurkmen experienceisultimately aboutminglingwiththeTurkmen themselves, inspire andKonye-Urgench visions (alsoknownasMisrian) Dekhistan Merv, Ancient citieslike Xenophobia runsdeepintheupperechelonsofTurkmen thatconstricts authority,afact

FAST FACTS

Population How are you? Hello. Phrases inTurkmen 24,500M Money Languages Turkmenbashi, gasreserves, horses,carpets Famous For Country Code Capital Area 488,100sqkm (salam aleykum manat (M); black market US$1= manat(M);blackmarket Ashgabat (A Turkmen, Russian,Uzbek approximately five million Goldenstatuesof (siz nahili?)

% aksakals 993 ş Peace bewithyou./ gabat) ) ; Thanks. (literally ‘white beards’,revered elders) willgreet youwarmly (sagh bol);

ITINERARIES HIGHLIGHTS lonelyplanet.com

mshah empire. ment totheformergloriesof theKhorez- testa- mausoleums andpalacesthatstand toric Konye-Urgench. then wrapthingsupwithavisit to his- Bazaar. Cross theKarakum and Desert of andwanderTolkuchka Turkmenistan up theMonumenttoIndependence Ashgabat inaday,makingsure toride days Three Gonur,isnearby. the NearEast, The largest archaeological excavation in ancient foundationsandpottery shards. the extensive ruinsof littered Merv, with Merv exploration. Ford film,andisgreat forcampingand that wouldn’tlookoutof placeinaJohn Canyon Yangykala chaotic Tolkuchka Bazaar. It’salsohometothewonderfully himself. portraitsandmonumentsofgold statues, city,ladenwith zov’s self-congratulatory Ashgabat Desert Karakum Konye-Urgench men villages andbizarre gascraters. lunar landscapesdotted withhardyTurk- of andincrediblepanse shiftingsands mentioned sights, head west to Dekhistan, headwesttoDekhistan, mentioned sights, Two weeks days Seven the unforgettable Darvaza GasCrater.the unforgettable Darvaza to Konye-Urgench, campingenroute at here, return toAshgabat andtravel north ancient sites of andGonur. Merv From Ashgabat before headingeasttovisitthe

MUCH? HOW

Litre ofpetrolUS$0.02(budgetUS$1.50 Litre ofbottledwater US$0.25 GooddinnerinAshgabat US$5 TraditionalhatUS$8 Phone calltotheUSorUK(three- 100kmbusrideUS$0.40 Snickers bar US$0.40 per litre tocover roadtax) minute minimum)US$4 ( p426 willfindjoyat ) Historybuffs ( p405 ) FormerPresident Niya- Spendatleastthree daysaround Arriving on a transit visa, see see Arrivingonatransitvisa, Along with theabove- TURKMENISTAN ••Highlights ( p432 ) Ancient minarets, ( p417 ) Aformidableex- ( p420 ) Apainted desert to have arrived in inmodernTurkmenistan ern Turkmen appeared, but theyare believed south failedtorecover. like thecitiesto SamarkandandBukhara, razed andtheirpopulationsslaughtered. Un- andKonye-Urgench,including Merv were Asia.to laywaste toCentral Entire city-states, (theregionCaspia eastof Sea) the Caspian down fromthesteppes Trans- andthrough to expandintoAfghanistan. fromwhich post,asabase Silk Roadstaging appropriated Alexander’soldcityanda Merv, Ashgabat. Turks Inthe11thcenturySeljuq nearpresent-day atNissa, upacapital set Rome’s mainrivalsforpowerintheWest, a cityhere onhiswaytoIndia. around Merv. AlexandertheGreat established but paved thewayforagreat civilization theabandonment ofcaused settlements, these Riverscapital. thatshifted over thecenturies villages andanextensive several compassed has identifiedasophisticated culture thaten- whereOasis, archaeologist ViktorSarianidi Age sites have located intheMargiana been More Bronze Dag inthe6thmillenniumBC. appearedagricultural settlements inKopet butthefirst Mountains signsofBig Balkan Stone Age sites have identifiedinthe been From ConquerorstoCommunists HISTORY freezes. almostnever Turkmenistan are very southern coldinthenorth,although andearlyNovember.and September Winters best timestovisitare AprilandJune, between when thetemperature canpush 50°C.The themselves inAshgabat inJulyandAugust, unfortunate ordeeply find only theinsane warm.Thatsaid, it’s notalwaysuncomfortably Asia, climate meansthat itsdrydesert although isthehottestTurkmenistan countryinCentral CLIMATE &WHENTOGO

chance toovernight inayurt. scope outsomeremote villages forthe bashi. WhileintheKarakum Desert, the Yangykala andTurkmen- Canyon It’s notknownprecisely when thefirst mod- andhikinginNokhur.Nature Reserve Geok-Dere, cave explorationinKugitang activities, such ashorseback ridingin slower paceandtake thetimeforsome weeks Three Two centurieslater Jenghiz stormed Khan Around thetimeof Christ,theParthians, Explore theabove ata sights

399 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN Turkmenistan’s dualpersonaisomnipresent. The lavishpalacesinthecapital,goldstatues Turkmenistan Turkmenistan 398 from youngboysto dresses decorated andankle-length withTurkmen headscarves in colourful motifs. Everyone whose hospitalityisthestuffoflegend.Proudtheirheritage,womenare out seendecked only acoupleofgenerationsremoved fromanomadiclifestyle, theyare awelcomingpeople quirks ofcoloured canyons,dinosaurfootprintsandburninggascraters. andtheoccasional will alsoappreciate (BlackSand)desert thehauntingbeautyofKarakum are stillthere, slowlydisintegratingandtime. undertheweightoftribalwarfare Nature-lovers of slow-moving caravansploddingalongtheancientSilkRoad. Remnantsoftheirurbantissue yet overcome byspirituality. pilgrimage sites andancientruins. This isalandthatatonetimegrippedbyauthorityand and marblemonumentsare ascaptivatingthedeepmysticismandlegendthathangsover ride anAkhal-Teke wilderness. horseorsimplydisappearforafew daysintothedesert inconvenience, Turkmenistan offers numerousoff-beatexperiences;youcanovernight inayurt, your independentspirit,itisfornowtheonlywaytofullyexperience country.Despite this for change,thesituationremains thesameinthispost-Niyazov era. Whilethismaydampen independent travel. Anyonewithatouristvisaisrequired tohire aguideanddespite hopes claspandaslightbow. with atwo-hand © LonelyPlanetPublications The fullTurkmen experienceisultimately aboutminglingwiththeTurkmen themselves, inspire andKonye-Urgench visions (alsoknownasMisrian) Dekhistan Merv, Ancient citieslike Xenophobia runsdeepintheupperechelonsofTurkmen thatconstricts authority,afact

FAST FACTS

% aksakals 993 ş Peace bewithyou./ gabat) ) ; Thanks. (literally ‘white beards’,revered elders) willgreet youwarmly (sagh bol);

ITINERARIES HIGHLIGHTS lonelyplanet.com

toric Konye-Urgench. then wrapthingsupwithavisit to his- Bazaar. Cross theKarakum and Desert of andwanderTolkuchka Turkmenistan up theMonumenttoIndependence Ashgabat inaday,makingsure toride days Three Gonur,isnearby. the NearEast, The largest archaeological excavation in ancient foundationsandpottery shards. the extensive ruinsof littered Merv, with Merv exploration. Ford film,andisgreat forcampingand that wouldn’tlookoutof placeinaJohn Canyon Yangykala chaotic Tolkuchka Bazaar. It’salsohometothewonderfully himself. portraitsandmonumentsofgold statues, city,ladenwith zov’s self-congratulatory Ashgabat men villages andbizarre gascraters. lunar landscapesdotted withhardyTurk- of andincrediblepanse shiftingsands Desert Karakum mshah empire. ment totheformergloriesof theKhorez- testa- mausoleums andpalacesthatstand Konye-Urgench mentioned sights, head west to Dekhistan, headwesttoDekhistan, mentioned sights, Two weeks GasCrater.the unforgettable Darvaza to Konye-Urgench, campingenroute at here, return toAshgabat andtravel north ancient sites of andGonur. Merv From Ashgabat before headingeasttovisitthe days Seven

MUCH? HOW

399 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN 400 0 200 km TURKMENISTAN 0 120 miles Zhanaozhen TURKMENISTAN

K A Z A K H S T A N K A Z A K H S T A N

Konye- Nukus Urgench Sarykamish Devkisken Khojeli TASHKENT Lake Boldumsaz A380 Dashogus Bentendag U Z B E K I S T A N Urgench Khiva Karabogas Izmukshir Karabogas Shasenem Basin Lebap Gazachak Amu- A379 Kaplankyr Reserve Dargan-Ata Darya Chagyl Karakum Lake Amu-Darya A380 Reserve Yangykala Canyon (in construction) (Oxus M37 Navoi Gozli Ata Turkmenbashi River) To Baku Bukhara Samarkand ὄὄὈ Darvaza Gas Crater Ὀ T A J I K I S T A N Awaza Balkan (1880m) Karakul A380 Jebel Balkanabat Farab DUSHANBE Hazar K a r a k u m D e s e r t M37 Bereket Jerbent Turkmenabat Qarshi A388 Gumdag Serdar Parau Bibi M39 C A S P I A N Bachardok Garabekewul Hasardag Repetek Airybaba Reserve M41 S E A Bugdayly Bakharden Desert (3137m) ὈὈMagtymguly Nokhur Geok- ὈReserve ὈὈGaurdak Gonur Depe M37 Kugitang Sherabad Dekhistan Atamurat ASHGABAT Nature Madau Kw Ata Karakum Underground Lake Gypjak Merv Canal Reserve Gasan-Kuli Babadaihan Charshanga Reserve Geok-Dere Nissa Mary Termiz Gaudan Tejen Etrek K Bairam Ali Esenguly O Tejen P E Gudurolom Mur T Eloten D M37

Gonbad A gab G Dushakh e-Kavus River

Ὀ River ὈὈ Saraghs lonelyplanet.com Sarakhs A388 Ekedeshik Cave Complex Mashhad Badkhyz Neishapur Nature TEHRAN Reserve Tagtabazar A F G H A N I S T A N I R A N Serkhetabat

ὈTorghundi To Herat the region existed astheTurkmen communists tookAshgabat in1919.Forawhile in1881. Geok-Depe of thousands themat nomads bymassacring Russian Empire, which finallyquelledthewild Thisinvitedand Bukhara. thewrathof the troops, andsoldthemintoslavery inKhiva Turkmen captured of thousands thetsar’s theregion‘civilise’ intheearly19thcentury, Asia’sdetermined Central history. dynasticshiftsthatsototally to theconstant andthereforein, statehood existed inparallel nomads theyhadnoconceptof, orinterest and Anatolia(inpresent-day Turkey). Being ing theKarakum andinPersia, desert Syria found alternative pastures fring- intheoases they the foothillsof Mountains, theAltay nomadic horse-breeding tribes,possiblyfrom the 11thcentury.Acollectionof displaced the wake Turkssometimein of theSeljuk lonelyplanet.com until 1936. More thanamillion Turkmen fled continued andaguerrillawar ragedsistance farming, Turkmenre-tribes andcollectivise Inflamed bySoviet the attempts tosettle The TurkmenSSR Soviet SocialistRepublic(SSR) in1924. cialist Republic,before becomingtheTurkmen ince) of theTurkestan Autonomous Soviet So- Terrorising theRussians,whohadcometo After the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, the revolution in 1917,the After theBolshevik TEN CRAZY THINGSYOUDIDN’TKNOWABOUTTURKMENISTAN

The largest banknote inTurkmenistan lessthanUS$0.50. isworth theirgasstoveskeep burning24hoursaday. In Turkmenistan naturalgasisfree butmatchesaren’t, withtheresult thatmanyTurkmen Petrol inTurkmenistan costsUS$0.02perlitre atthepumps. The archaeological site ofAnauhassometheworld’searliestevidencegraincultivation. footprints acrosstheeastofcountry. Turkmenosaurus isthenamesuggested byscientistsforthedinosaurthatlefthundreds of in1948. byanearthquake and twobrotherswere killed Central Asia’s largest mosqueisbuiltonthesite where formerPresident Niyazov’s mother 10th anniversary ofIndependence. The Turkmen Carpet Museumhousestheworld’s largest hand-woven carpet,woven forthe four-digit numbercode. In 2003thegovernment confusedeverybody inAshgabat byreplacing allstreet nameswitha The Turkmen languagehasitsownunique,copyrighted alphabetcalled‘Elipbi’. irrigation canal,at1370km. atacostofuptoUS$8billion.TurkmenistanDesert isalready hometotheworld’slongest Turkmenistan planstobuildCentral Asia’s inthemiddleof theKarakum lake largest artificial TURKMENISTAN ••History oblast (prov- Turkmenistan forthesake ofTurkmenistan appearances renamed theCPTDemocratic Party of Determined to holdontopower,Niyazov Independence & TheGoldenAge on27October1991. ence forTurkmenistan Niyazovevent, wasforcedtodeclare independ- unprepared totally Union. Although forthe retained of poweruntilthecollapse theSoviet Communist Party of (CPT) and Turkmenistan Niyazov of Secretary waselected the General strophic (see p77 ). have cata- been fortheAralSea consequences the Cotton productionquadrupled,though River) tocreate afertile bandacrossthesouth. the republic, theAmu-Darya(Oxus bleeding The 1100km-longgullyrunsthelengthof massive irrigationditch –theKarakum Canal. the authoritiesbeganworkin1950sona supply thevastquantitiesof water required andto hardly conducive tobumperharvests, aridclimatecotton fields.Turkmenistan’s was them farmingtechnology andblueprintsfor only five remained by1941. standing in1911, Of the441mosquesinTurkmenistan a Moscow-directed campaign againstreligion. nomadic ways.TheTurkmenalsofell foulof ratherthangive uptheirand Afghanistan into theKarakum orintonorthernIran desert In 1985therelatively unknownSaparmurat Waves of with Russianimmigrantsbrought

Bradley Mayhew

401 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN 400 0 200 km TURKMENISTAN 0 120 miles Zhanaozhen TURKMENISTAN

K A Z A K H S T A N K A Z A K H S T A N

Gonbad A gab G Dushakh e-Kavus River

Ὀ River ὈὈ Saraghs lonelyplanet.com Sarakhs A388 Ekedeshik Cave Complex Mashhad Badkhyz Neishapur Nature TEHRAN Reserve Tagtabazar A F G H A N I S T A N I R A N Serkhetabat

Bradley Mayhew

401 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN Reporters WithoutBorders torankTurk- jailed after sheassisted aFrench filmmaker was founddeadinprison2006.She was Muradova Europe)Ogulsapar (Radio-Free repression after reporter wasonlyhighlighted index (onespotaheadof NorthKorea). The tolastinitspress second freedommenistan Age’ (AltynAsyr). of Niyazov’s much touted ‘TurkmenGolden water andelectricity.Thefree ridewaspart enormous government subsidiesforgas, wassomewhatplacatedPublic dissent by Niyazov’s ostentatious public-worksprojects. of theprofits, endedupfunding however, economy withenormousprivate wealth.Most Niyazov aKuwait-style reserves, promised Turkmenba Watan, his image. HisNazi-inspired slogan‘Halk, of andplasteredstatues himself buildingswith of theTurkmen’.Thepresident erected gold Turkmenbashi, which translates as‘leader callhim withanorderthateveryone starting ties. Hiscultof personality begantoflourish, before oxymoronically banningallotherpar- 402 was ubiquitous. Tapping vastoilandgas Turkmenistan’s Orwellian controlof themediacaused and hundreds ofthousands ofordinary Turkmen arrived topaytheirlastrespects. Despite this,whenhediedinDecember 2006,delegates from 40countriesattended hisfuneral thousands ofTurkmen were sent intointernal jailed,tortured, exile orforcedoutofthecountry. officials,usuallyonthebasisof corruption.Underhisrule, ministerssacked andotherhigh-ranking US$3 billioninslushfundsatthetime ofhisdeath. hehasamassedforhimself;theNGOGlobalWitnessclaimsNiyazov hadaroundto thefortune holidays passingoutUS$100billstochildren whosangtohim.This wassmallchangecompared men historyandculture. Endearinghimselftothepublic,hewasfrequently televised onnational golden statuesandlavishpalaces. revealed, however, anothersidetoNiyazov –onethatloved nothingmore thanmassflattery, for thepositionashewasseenadeferent andobedientfunctionary. Gorbachov toheadtheCommunistPartylater selected ofTurkmenistan byMikhail –fingered real Ashgabat powercamewhenhewasappointed CityCommittee. headoftheparty’s Hewas just outsidetheTurkmen capital.Joining theCommunistParty in1962,Niyazov’s firsttaste of Technical Institute, returning toAshgabat toworkasanengineer attheBezmeinPowerPlant cult –especiallyhismotherGurbansoltanEje,after whomherenamed themonthofApril. ofthepersonality thatwipedoutAshgabat. parts Bothhisparentsearthquake formedimportant inthe1948 duringWWII,and hismotherandbrotherswere inaction killed father waskilled Born in1940Gypjak,avillagenearAshgabat, Niyazov knewtragedyfromayoungage–his Former President Saparmurat Niyazov maybedead,buthispersonalitycultisalive andwell. TURKMENBASHI –LEADER OFTHETURKMEN UKEITN • urn vns TURKMENISTAN ••Current Events Other publicitystunts includedaweeklytelevised cabinetmeetinginwhichNiyazovOther regularly Niyazov paddedhislegacybypenningpoetrybooksandthe The seamlesstransfer topresident ofanindependentTurkmenistan after theUSSR’scollapse The youngpresident grew upinanorphanageandwenttostudyatStPetersburg’s prestigious ş i’ (‘People, Nation,Me’) ambassador anddissident leaderwastried, ambassador ken criticBoris Shikhmuradov. Theone-time litical opposition,includingNiyazov’s outspo- bloodletting ofan immense theremaining po- ation attempt failedbutprovided groundsfor opened fire onhismotorcade. Theassassin morning of 25November 2002whengunmen onthepresident’sAn attack life occurred on the CURRENT EVENTS EU hadlittleeffect. cal prisoners. Thethreat of bythe sanctions blackened bythejailingof of thousands politi- parison toNiyazov’s record, human-rights ited toaprivileged few. Thispaledincom- anduniversityclosed were acceptances lim- for education.LibrariesoutsideAshgabat Niyazovcapital, slashed pensionsandfunds heir, thedeathleftapowervacuumthatfor massive Having heartattack. groomedno away on21December2006,theresult of a dent Niyazov proved whenhepassed mortal heardfromsince.jailed andhasnotbeen (Turkmenistan: WelcometoNiyazovland) onthepresidentto produceadocumentary Having drainedtheeconomyonhismarble Despite avoiding bullet,Presi- anassassin’s Ruhnama, hisversion ofTurk- lonelyplanet.com . tion whenvisitingahome;younger member can expectanembarrassingamount of atten- ment of guests, stilldominate home life. You lifestyle. Nomadicrules,includingthetreat- yet dignifiedmannerthatreflects theirrural in practice,andcarrythemselves inasimple Turkmen remain nomadicatheart,ifnotstill PEOPLE cycle of repression. tobreakthan carrot-danglingwillbeused the cratic reforms, it’sunlikely thatanything more EU continuetopress fordemo- Turkmenistan pected tofollowsuit,sowhiletheUSAand isex- from theWest.Berdymukhamedov allowed ittosafely fend harsh off criticism to keep outradicalIslaminavolatileregion zov’s declarationof neutralityandhis ability would behonoured bythenewregime. Niya- thatitslucrativepromises energy contracts changed; goodnewsforRussia, which secured channels.rigorous visa thesame the countrycontinuetogothrough alien terminology. Travellers wishingtovisit is stillstrictlycontrolledanddemocracy remains themedia asever, security astight initiatives cutbyNiyazov. state However, somefireeducation sectors,lighting under with positive reforms inthehealthand bear anuncannyresemblance. beknown,thetwomendo ship maynever dent’s illegitimate son.Whiletheirrelation- the exiledopposition,heisformerpresi- health minister andaccordingtoreports from Turkmenistan’s dymukhamedov hadbeen (having won90%of thepopularvote). Ber- into powerafter electionsinFebruary 2007 Niyazov’s innercircle. He wasrubberstamped the reins of powerandwonbackingfrom ter grabbed Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov power occurred whenDeputyPrimeMinis- Instead, asurprisinglysmoothtransfer of reform andthereturn of exileddissidents. brief momentopenedthedoorfordemocratic lonelyplanet.com headed to placeslike Parau Bibi( p419 ). caravans of and youmay see women onbuses, portunity totake abreak fromtheirhome life, pilgrimages these asanop- in particularuse are for pilgrimage thusused time. Women Asiaform of Central animism.Holidaybreaks arethat allyourneeds catered to. of beassigned thefamily mayeven toensure Turkmen are guided spirituallybyaunique foreignTurkmenistan’s policyisalsoun- beganhispresidency Berdymukhamedov TURKMENISTAN ••People outside Turkmenistan’s townsareoutside Turkmenistan’s gener- clothing. tional silverwork todecorate women’s used oftenMuseums have finedisplaysof tradi- that have perfected been over thecenturies. embroidery and jewellery are other crafts themisinthebazaar.best placetosee Silk, justabout everywhere, thebe seen although Turkmen carpets are worldfamousandcan ARTS somewhat. inthe1990shaseased seen sure, thestate-sponsored although repression theiractivitiesundergovernmentcurtail pres- havemainly Christiansects, forcedto been only freely religions. practised Otherfaiths, but IslamandOrthodox Christianityare the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, for apilgrimage toMecca. Turkmenistan’s Airlinesplane)areTurkmenistan hand-picked year 188people(thenumberthatcanfitona for children. tokens such ascribmodels,indicating adesire pilgrimsarrive siteswise, bearing atthese tures such assnakes andrams’horns.Like- which are often decorated withanimistfea- of thisisclearatmosquesandmausoleums, over centuriesof timewithIslam.Evidence traditional animistbeliefshave blended been Turkmen are deeply religious people;their RELIGION 6% of thepopulation. population, withothergroupsaccountingfor Turkmen ethnicgroupsmake up85%of the they make uparound4%of thepopulation. to workwithoutspeakingTurkmen.Today dependence, asitbecomesincreasingly hard Russians have leftinhuge numbers sincein- Konye-Urgench, DashogusandTurkmenabat. of thepopulation,live inthebordercitiesof July 2006.Uzbeks, whomake upabout 5% government putthatfigure atfive million in theUNandUS the officialcount,although matically –over sixmillionatpresent by population of isrisingdra- Turkmenistan thegovernment’sIf youbelieve figures, the Population ity indecisionmaking. wieldsthemostauthor- however, household, the breadwinners. Theoldestwomaninthe ally homemakers andmothers, andthemen Despite Sovietisation, womenwholive Sunni Islamisthestate religion andeach

403 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN Reporters WithoutBorders torankTurk- jailed after sheassisted aFrench filmmaker was founddeadinprison2006.She was Muradova Europe)Ogulsapar (Radio-Free repression after reporter wasonlyhighlighted index (onespotaheadof NorthKorea). The tolastinitspress second freedommenistan Age’ (AltynAsyr). of Niyazov’s much touted ‘TurkmenGolden water andelectricity.Thefree ridewaspart enormous government subsidiesforgas, wassomewhatplacatedPublic dissent by Niyazov’s ostentatious public-worksprojects. of theprofits, endedupfunding however, economy withenormousprivate wealth.Most Niyazov aKuwait-style reserves, promised Turkmenba Watan, his image. HisNazi-inspired slogan‘Halk, of andplasteredstatues himself buildingswith of theTurkmen’.Thepresident erected gold Turkmenbashi, which translates as‘leader callhim withanorderthateveryone starting ties. Hiscultof personality begantoflourish, before oxymoronically banningallotherpar- 402 was ubiquitous. Orwellian controlof themediacaused Tapping vastoilandgas Turkmenistan’s and hundreds ofthousands ofordinary Turkmen arrived topaytheirlastrespects. Despite this,whenhediedinDecember 2006,delegates from 40countriesattended hisfuneral thousands ofTurkmen were sent intointernal jailed,tortured, exile orforcedoutofthecountry. officials,usuallyonthebasisof corruption.Underhisrule, ministerssacked andotherhigh-ranking US$3 billioninslushfundsatthetime ofhisdeath. hehasamassedforhimself;theNGOGlobalWitnessclaimsNiyazov hadaroundto thefortune holidays passingoutUS$100billstochildren whosangtohim.This wassmallchangecompared men historyandculture. Endearinghimselftothepublic,hewasfrequently televised onnational golden statuesandlavishpalaces. revealed, however, anothersidetoNiyazov –onethatloved nothingmore thanmassflattery, for thepositionashewasseenadeferent andobedientfunctionary. Gorbachov toheadtheCommunistPartylater selected ofTurkmenistan byMikhail –fingered real Ashgabat powercamewhenhewasappointed CityCommittee. headoftheparty’s Hewas just outsidetheTurkmen capital.Joining theCommunistParty in1962,Niyazov’s firsttaste of Technical Institute, returning toAshgabat toworkasanengineer attheBezmeinPowerPlant cult –especiallyhismotherGurbansoltanEje,after whomherenamed themonthofApril. ofthepersonality thatwipedoutAshgabat. parts Bothhisparentsearthquake formedimportant inthe1948 duringWWII,and hismotherandbrotherswere inaction killed father waskilled Born in1940Gypjak,avillagenearAshgabat, Niyazov knewtragedyfromayoungage–his Former President Saparmurat Niyazov maybedead,buthispersonalitycultisalive andwell. TURKMENBASHI –LEADER OFTHETURKMEN UKEITN • urn vns TURKMENISTAN ••Current Events Other publicitystunts includedaweeklytelevised cabinetmeetinginwhichNiyazovOther regularly Niyazov paddedhislegacybypenningpoetrybooksandthe The seamlesstransfer topresident ofanindependentTurkmenistan after theUSSR’scollapse The youngpresident grew upinanorphanageandwenttostudyatStPetersburg’s prestigious ş i’ (‘People, Nation,Me’) heir, thedeathleftapowervacuumthatfor massive Having heartattack. groomedno away on21December2006,theresult of a dent Niyazov proved whenhepassed mortal heardfromsince.jailed andhasnotbeen anddissident leaderwastried, ambassador ken criticBoris Shikhmuradov. Theone-time litical opposition,includingNiyazov’s outspo- bloodletting ofan immense theremaining po- ation attempt failedbutprovided groundsfor opened fire onhismotorcade. Theassassin morning of 25November 2002whengunmen onthepresident’sAn attack life occurred on the CURRENT EVENTS EU hadlittleeffect. cal prisoners. Thethreat of bythe sanctions blackened bythejailingof of thousands politi- parison toNiyazov’s record, human-rights ited toaprivileged few. Thispaledincom- anduniversityclosed were acceptances lim- for education.LibrariesoutsideAshgabat Niyazovcapital, slashed pensionsandfunds (Turkmenistan: WelcometoNiyazovland) onthepresidentto produceadocumentary Despite avoiding bullet,Presi- anassassin’s Having drainedtheeconomyonhismarble Ruhnama, hisversion ofTurk- lonelyplanet.com . tion whenvisitingahome;younger member can expectanembarrassingamount of atten- ment of guests, stilldominate home life. You lifestyle. Nomadicrules,includingthetreat- yet dignifiedmannerthatreflects theirrural in practice,andcarrythemselves inasimple Turkmen remain nomadicatheart,ifnotstill PEOPLE cycle of repression. tobreakthan carrot-danglingwillbeused the cratic reforms, it’sunlikely thatanything more EU continuetopress fordemo- Turkmenistan pected tofollowsuit,sowhiletheUSAand isex- from theWest.Berdymukhamedov allowed ittosafely fend harsh off criticism to keep outradicalIslaminavolatileregion zov’s declarationof neutralityandhis ability would behonoured bythenewregime. Niya- thatitslucrativepromises energy contracts changed; goodnewsforRussia, which secured channels.rigorous visa thesame the countrycontinuetogothrough alien terminology. Travellers wishingtovisit is stillstrictlycontrolledanddemocracy remains themedia asever, security astight initiatives cutbyNiyazov. state However, somefireeducation sectors,lighting under with positive reforms inthehealthand bear anuncannyresemblance. beknown,thetwomendo ship maynever dent’s illegitimate son.Whiletheirrelation- the exiledopposition,heisformerpresi- health minister andaccordingtoreports from Turkmenistan’s dymukhamedov hadbeen (having won90%of thepopularvote). Ber- into powerafter electionsinFebruary 2007 Niyazov’s innercircle. He wasrubberstamped the reins of powerandwonbackingfrom ter grabbed Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov power occurred whenDeputyPrimeMinis- Instead, asurprisinglysmoothtransfer of reform andthereturn of exileddissidents. brief momentopenedthedoorfordemocratic lonelyplanet.com headed to placeslike Parau Bibi( p419 ). caravans of and youmay see women onbuses, portunity totake abreak fromtheirhome life, pilgrimages these asanop- in particularuse are for pilgrimage thusused time. Women Asiaform of Central animism.Holidaybreaks arethat allyourneeds catered to. of beassigned thefamily mayeven toensure Turkmen are guided spirituallybyaunique foreignTurkmenistan’s policyisalsoun- beganhispresidency Berdymukhamedov TURKMENISTAN ••People outside Turkmenistan’s townsareoutside Turkmenistan’s gener- clothing. tional silverwork todecorate women’s used oftenMuseums have finedisplaysof tradi- that have perfected been over thecenturies. embroidery and jewellery are other crafts themisinthebazaar.best placetosee Silk, justabout everywhere, thebe seen although Turkmen carpets are worldfamousandcan ARTS somewhat. inthe1990shaseased seen sure, thestate-sponsored although repression theiractivitiesundergovernmentcurtail pres- havemainly Christiansects, forcedto been only freely religions. practised Otherfaiths, but IslamandOrthodox Christianityare the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, for apilgrimage toMecca. Turkmenistan’s Airlinesplane)areTurkmenistan hand-picked year 188people(thenumberthatcanfitona for children. tokens such ascribmodels,indicating adesire pilgrimsarrive siteswise, bearing atthese tures such assnakes andrams’horns.Like- which are often decorated withanimistfea- of thisisclearatmosquesandmausoleums, over centuriesof timewithIslam.Evidence traditional animistbeliefshave blended been Turkmen are deeply religious people;their RELIGION 6% of thepopulation. population, withothergroupsaccountingfor Turkmen ethnicgroupsmake up85%of the they make uparound4%of thepopulation. to workwithoutspeakingTurkmen.Today dependence, asitbecomesincreasingly hard Russians have leftinhuge numbers sincein- Konye-Urgench, DashogusandTurkmenabat. of thepopulation,live inthebordercitiesof July 2006.Uzbeks, whomake upabout 5% government putthatfigure atfive million in theUNandUS the officialcount,although matically –over sixmillionatpresent by population of isrisingdra- Turkmenistan thegovernment’sIf youbelieve figures, the Population ity indecisionmaking. wieldsthemostauthor- however, household, the breadwinners. Theoldestwomaninthe ally homemakers andmothers, andthemen Despite Sovietisation, womenwholive Sunni Islamisthestate religion andeach

403 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN Shukur Bakhshi, singingcompetitions, canbe Shukur Bakhshi, accompanied bya deals withfolklore, battlesandlove, andis most impressive traditionalsinging, acts, concertsanddramaperformances.The albeit withTurkmen-onlysonganddance ally nonexistent. Theatres doremain active, and ballet.Filmmakingislikewise virtu- upon byNiyazov, resulting inabanonopera 404 diplomat), Kropfmanages tosneak awayfrom the diplomatic community (hiswife isaUS gabat. Despite livingwithintheconfines of American whospent twoyears livinginAsh- by John WKropf,isatravel memoir byan Most Isolated Country JourneysAround theUnknown Sands: World’s BOOKS Niyazov. (1733–83) and,of course,formerPresident read thewritingsof Magtymguly poet Feraghy Centre. Instead, Turkmenare encouraged to he didwinanawardfromthePENAmerican While injailthebookswere burnedalthough copiesofsmuggle hisbookintothecountry. his late 70s,wasarrested forattempting to differentstan fromthe derer, publication of hisbook best literary hopeuntilhewasjailedfollowing Esenov wasTurkmenistan’s destroyed. Rahim porary Turkmenliterature allbut hasbeen heard atfestivals. Between theSoviets andNiyazov,Between contem- formsof Western artwereCertain frowned space and will orbit Earth for the next 150years!Copiesof forthenext space andwillorbitEarth a placeinheaven. is someincentive toread thebook–accordingtoNiyazov, reading it100timesguarantees you reviews) There atwww.rukhnama.com. canbefoundonamazon.com,oryouread portions pitals. A shops. The bookisalsofoundin revisionist andtends tofavourmythologyover historicalfact. Turkmenistan’s neutralityandtheexclusionofforeign influences. is Muchofthehistorysection Turkmen valuesandadviceonhoweachTurkmen shouldupholdthem.There are discussionson version ofTurkmen history,culture the andspirituality.At itsheart, Soul), whichwasfirstpublishedin2001.This incredibly bizarre pieceofwritingsetsoutNiyazov’s Part ofNiyazov’s cult-building missionwasthepromotionofhisbook BOOK OFTHESOUL make it clear that the actual driving part isirrelevant inthetest). drivingpart itclearthattheactual VolumeIIwaspublishedin2004. make needed topasseverything drivingskills fromcollegeentranceexamstodrivingtests (Turkmen UKEITN • ok TURKMENISTAN ••Books Nyzv ae made Niyazov Travellers willseethe which portraysahistoryof Turkmeni- Ruhnama dutar Ruhnama University isexpected toopen in2010.The bookhaseven beenblasted into (DustySpark,2006), Ruhnama (two stringed guitar). The CrownedWan- Ruhnama compulsoryreading forallTurkmen. Knowledgeofthe . Esenov, in Ruhnama ondisplayinallpublicbuildingsandtheshelves ofbook- bakhshi, reading rooms,located inshoppingmallsandhos- a scholarly accountof theSoviet creation of menistan the groundforordinaryTurkmen. togivethe capital usaperspective of life on monitor lizard. the greyimportantly are inreal really life exciting tosee –most Many of theKarakum’s nastiest inhabitants villagesing scenicallybetween andtowns. (Arabian camels)are everywhere, wander- the ancestorof today’s purebred. Dromedaries beautiful goldencreature tobe thatisbelieved interesting speciesistheAkhal-Teke a horse, The mostfamousof many Turkmenistan’s Wildlife bleakly beautifulplacesinthecountry. massifmakeBig Balkan thisoneof themore oured canyonsandtheenormousbulkof the is particularlyunusual–vastmudflats,col- The territory littoraltothe Caspian pian Sea. upinalinetowardstheCas- Dag range rises whiletothesouthKopet Nature Reserve, ofcanyons andlush mountains theKugitang 90% of thecountry’sarea. Totheeastare the place where theKarakum takes up desert and more variedthanyou’dexpectfroma isdramatic The landscapeinTurkmenistan ENVIRONMENT Turkmen language andtriballaw. The bookalsoprovides anunderstanding of Soviet nationbuildingof the1920sand1930s. withwell-researchedTurkmenistan, on details Tribal Nation:Tribal TheMaking of Soviet Turk- (2006),byAdrienneLynnEdgar,is Ruhnama Ruhnama (complete withglowing varan, Ruhnama isabouttraditional or lonelyplanet.com zemzen ( Book ofthe Ruhnama , alarge is Similar to Asian countries, other Central FOOD &DRINK (October toMay).low-season aretion andthese usuallyonlyavailable inthe take uptothree toprocesstheapplica- weeks Nature areand these available fromthe model. Apermitisrequired tovisit areserve aside forscientificresearch, aspertheSoviet –theyhave designed forpublicuse set been are nature eight Turkmenistan’s not reserves Nature Reserves a thinlayerof smog. semipermanent by thegovernment. The result inAshgabat is allareelectricity orwater because subsidised wheremenistan, no-onebothers tosave gas, consciousnessinTurk- little environmental Therebecome rarer isvery Sea. intheCaspian another concern,ascaviar-bearing sturgeon on thehealthof is localpeople. Overfishing of itstoll with thesalination thelandtaking problemsinnorthernTurkmenistan, mental hasledtodesperate environ- disappearance isinUzbekistanSea andKazakhstan, its WhiletheAral water boundfortheAralSea. irrigation of its southernbeltusingsource haspaid aheavyTurkmenistan priceforthe Environmental Issues afterwards unlessyoukillitfirst. a snake haslooked atyou,you’lldieshortly caution. Turkmenfolklore hasitthatonce sotreadcan allbefoundinthedesert, with April toMay. Cobras, vipers andscorpions isfrom them.Snakeunlikely season tosee youaredigenous although toTurkmenistan, and thevery squirrel. commondesert cates coloniesof sandflies. snakes (such ascobras), eatsmiceanderadi- orscaresthe giantlizardasitdevours away ful bite, Turkmenhave traditionallywelcomed lonelyplanet.com which islarger and roundinshape. variation onthemeatpastry called samsa of tree. asaxaul Otherfavoured snacks include ered atitsbestwhencooked over the branches its distinctive aroma,whileshashlyk isconsid- oil,which providesproduced withcottonseed dishesacrossTurkmenistan. staple (rice, meatandcarrots)shashlyk are the Despite itslarge sizeandparticularlypain- Tarantulas andblackwidowsare bothin- You are foxes, desert alsolikely tosee owls

(samosa, meat-filled pastries)anda (samosa, ( % 39 6002;2035köçesi102,Ashgabat) ASHGABAT Ministry of Ministry . Itcan Plov fitchi, plov is

didn’t suffer disasters.didn’t suffer was theera of when socialistcountries Stalin, theofficial figurealthough was14,000;this people died(two-thirds of thepopulation), ured nineontheRichter 110,000 scale. Over minute, byanearthquake levelled thatmeas- October 1948,thecityvanish at1amon6 railway.However, Trans-Caspian perous, largely Russian frontiertownonthe late 19thcentury,Ashgabat becameapros- wrecking ballinthe nameof progress. boom, withwholeneighbourhoods facingthe thecitycontinuesto oilandgassales, stan’s almost entirely thereceipts off of Turkmeni- city forthenewlyindependentrepublic. Built in Arabic) hasreinvented asashowcase itself land, Ashgabat (‘thecityof love’ orAshkabad ofdomes andvastexpanses manicured park- With itslavish marblepalaces,gleaminggold % ASHGABAT andZip. beers are Berk brands of themostcommon both,although drinks. There are decentTurkmen several of theRussians–are bothpopularalcoholic andvodka–alegacy good quality,whilebeer Mineral water issoldeverywhere andisof chal are simplylefttodisintegrate. It’s badlucktodestroyanold large earthenoven thatisalsoconsidered holy. or stepped on. card it,don’tleave itwhere itcouldbekicked throwbreadNever awayandifyoumustdis- crumbs are collected andleftinasafe place. orleft upsidedown,even served and never stition; itmustbehandledwithutmostrespect anditissurroundedbysuper-in Turkmenistan harden quickly. when it’sfresh outof theoven, itdoes although is anotherpopulardish. withsourcream (steamed dumplings)served elsewhere intheregion as carrotandturnip,known ton withpotato, common soupis thisduringspecialoccasions.Amoreonly see youwillprobably Turkmen meal,although of boiledmeatandonions,isatraditional Originally developed bytheRussiansin Originally developed Bread Dograma, At breakfast you’ll be served sourmilkor At breakfast you’llbeserved 12 /pop650,000 (fermented camel’smilk)inthedesert. (çörek) madefrombread andpieces Çörek Çörek isround,flatanddelicious chorba chorba iscooked ina holdsaplaceof honour (soup of boiledmut- shorpa) tamdyr, ed inlessthana tamdyr, . so these so these Manty 405 a

TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN diplomat), Kropfmanages tosneak awayfrom the diplomatic community (hiswife isaUS gabat. Despite livingwithintheconfines of American whospent twoyears livinginAsh- by John WKropf,isatravel memoir byan Most Isolated Country JourneysAround theUnknown Sands: World’s BOOKS Niyazov. (1733–83) and,of course,formerPresident read thewritingsof Magtymguly poet Feraghy Centre. Instead, Turkmenare encouraged to he didwinanawardfromthePENAmerican While injailthebookswere burnedalthough copiesofsmuggle hisbookintothecountry. his late 70s,wasarrested forattempting to differentstan fromthe derer, publication of hisbook best literary hopeuntilhewasjailedfollowing Esenov wasTurkmenistan’s destroyed. Rahim porary Turkmenliterature allbut hasbeen heard atfestivals. singingcompetitions, canbe Shukur Bakhshi, accompanied bya deals withfolklore, battlesandlove, andis most impressive traditionalsinging, acts, concertsanddramaperformances.The albeit withTurkmen-onlysonganddance ally nonexistent. Theatres doremain active, and ballet.Filmmakingislikewise virtu- upon byNiyazov, resulting inabanonopera 404 Between theSoviets andNiyazov,Between contem- formsof Western artwereCertain frowned space and will orbit Earth for the next 150years!Copiesof forthenext space andwillorbitEarth a placeinheaven. is someincentive toread thebook–accordingtoNiyazov, reading it100timesguarantees you reviews) There atwww.rukhnama.com. canbefoundonamazon.com,oryouread portions pitals. A shops. The bookisalsofoundin revisionist andtends tofavourmythologyover historicalfact. Turkmenistan’s neutralityandtheexclusionofforeign influences. is Muchofthehistorysection Turkmen valuesandadviceonhoweachTurkmen shouldupholdthem.There are discussionson version ofTurkmen history,culture the andspirituality.At itsheart, Soul), whichwasfirstpublishedin2001.This incredibly bizarre pieceofwritingsetsoutNiyazov’s Part ofNiyazov’s cult-building missionwasthepromotionofhisbook BOOK OFTHESOUL make it clear that the actual driving part isirrelevant inthetest). drivingpart itclearthattheactual VolumeIIwaspublishedin2004. make needed topasseverything drivingskills fromcollegeentranceexamstodrivingtests (Turkmen UKEITN • ok TURKMENISTAN ••Books Nyzv ae made Niyazov Travellers willseethe which portraysahistoryof Turkmeni- Ruhnama dutar Ruhnama University isexpected toopen in2010.The bookhaseven beenblasted into (DustySpark,2006), Ruhnama (two stringed guitar). The CrownedWan- Ruhnama compulsoryreading forallTurkmen. Knowledgeofthe . Esenov, in Ruhnama ondisplayinallpublicbuildingsandtheshelves ofbook- bakhshi, reading rooms,located inshoppingmallsandhos- monitor lizard. the greyimportantly are inreal really life exciting tosee –most Many of theKarakum’s nastiest inhabitants villagesing scenicallybetween andtowns. (Arabian camels)are everywhere, wander- the ancestorof today’s purebred. Dromedaries beautiful goldencreature tobe thatisbelieved interesting speciesistheAkhal-Teke a horse, The mostfamousof many Turkmenistan’s Wildlife bleakly beautifulplacesinthecountry. massifmakeBig Balkan thisoneof themore oured canyonsandtheenormousbulkof the is particularlyunusual–vastmudflats,col- The territory littoraltothe Caspian pian Sea. upinalinetowardstheCas- Dag range rises whiletothesouthKopet Nature Reserve, ofcanyons andlush mountains theKugitang 90% of thecountry’sarea. Totheeastare the place where theKarakum takes up desert and more variedthanyou’dexpectfroma isdramatic The landscapeinTurkmenistan ENVIRONMENT Turkmen language andtriballaw. The bookalsoprovides anunderstanding of Soviet nationbuildingof the1920sand1930s. withwell-researchedTurkmenistan, on details a scholarly accountof theSoviet creation of menistan the groundforordinaryTurkmen. togivethe capital usaperspective of life on Tribal Nation:Tribal TheMaking of Soviet Turk- (2006),byAdrienneLynnEdgar,is Ruhnama Ruhnama (complete withglowing varan, Ruhnama isabouttraditional or lonelyplanet.com zemzen ( Book ofthe Ruhnama , alarge is Similar to Asian countries, other Central FOOD &DRINK (October toMay).low-season aretion andthese usuallyonlyavailable inthe take uptothree toprocesstheapplica- weeks Nature areand these available fromthe model. Apermitisrequired tovisit areserve aside forscientificresearch, aspertheSoviet –theyhave designed forpublicuse set been are nature eight Turkmenistan’s not reserves Nature Reserves a thinlayerof smog. semipermanent by thegovernment. The result inAshgabat is allareelectricity orwater because subsidised wheremenistan, no-onebothers tosave gas, consciousnessinTurk- little environmental Therebecome rarer isvery Sea. intheCaspian another concern,ascaviar-bearing sturgeon on thehealthof is localpeople. Overfishing of itstoll with thesalination thelandtaking problemsinnorthernTurkmenistan, mental hasledtodesperate environ- disappearance isinUzbekistanSea andKazakhstan, its WhiletheAral water boundfortheAralSea. irrigation of its southernbeltusingsource haspaid aheavyTurkmenistan priceforthe Environmental Issues afterwards unlessyoukillitfirst. a snake haslooked atyou,you’lldieshortly caution. Turkmenfolklore hasitthatonce sotreadcan allbefoundinthedesert, with April toMay. Cobras, vipers andscorpions isfrom them.Snakeunlikely season tosee youaredigenous although toTurkmenistan, and thevery squirrel. commondesert cates coloniesof sandflies. snakes (such ascobras), eatsmiceanderadi- orscaresthe giantlizardasitdevours away ful bite, Turkmenhave traditionallywelcomed lonelyplanet.com which islarger and roundinshape. variation onthemeatpastry called samsa of tree. asaxaul Otherfavoured snacks include ered atitsbestwhencooked over the branches its distinctive aroma,whileshashlyk isconsid- oil,which providesproduced withcottonseed dishesacrossTurkmenistan. staple (rice, meatandcarrots)shashlyk are the Despite itslarge sizeandparticularlypain- Tarantulas andblackwidowsare bothin- You are foxes, desert alsolikely tosee owls

(samosa, meat-filled pastries)anda (samosa, ( % 39 6002;2035köçesi102,Ashgabat) ASHGABAT Ministry of Ministry . Itcan Plov fitchi, plov is

TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN ὈὈ ὈὈὈ

TURKMENISTAN relax before alonghaulacrossthedesert. placeto makingitapleasant quirky sights, with good-value accommodationandafew grounds. Butatheartit’safairlyrelaxed city, parade andStalinist fountains of Bellagio VegasLas andPyongyang,withamixture its modernincarnationissomewhere between 406 4 1 3 2 5 ASHGABAT

Ashgabat wasrebuilt intheSoviet style,but Geok-Depe (42km) Geok-Dere (35km); To Gypjak(11km);Nissa(15km); Tehran köçesi Tehran SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT Muhammed Art Gallery...... Ministry ofCultureShop...... Carpet Shop...... Russian DramaTheatre...... Pushkin RussianDramaTheatre.... Mukan Club...... Mollanepes DramaTheatre...... Magtymguly Theatre...... Kumush Ay...... (see59) INFORMATION Uzbek Embassy...... US Embassy...... UK Embassy...... (see45) Tourism-Owadan...... Russian Embassy...... Post Office...... OVIR...... OSCE...... Miras Bookshop...... Ministry ofAgriculture...... Matrix...... Lechebnii Hospital...... Kyrgyz Embassy...... Iranian Embassy...... International CallCentre...... German Embassy...... (see45) Georgian Embassy...... French Embassy...... (see45) Dutch Embassy...... Brilliant...... A¢gabatsyýahat...... (see 48) Azerbaijani Embassy...... Ayan Travel...... Armenian Embassy...... Altyn AsyrMarketingCentre...... INFORMATION US Embassy...... UK Embassy...... (see45) Tourism-Owadan...... Russian Embassy...... Post Office...... OVIR...... OSCE...... Miras Bookshop...... Ministry ofAgriculture...... Matrix...... Lechebnii Hospital...... Kyrgyz Embassy...... Iranian Embassy...... International CallCentre...... German Embassy...... (see45) Georgian Embassy...... French Embassy...... (see45) Dutch Embassy...... Brilliant...... A¢gabatsyýahat...... (see 48) Azerbaijani Embassy...... Ayan Travel...... Armenian Embassy...... Altyn AsyrMarketingCentre...... SGBT • retto ASHGABAT ••Orientation

Magtumguly šayoli 9 6 Botanical Gardens ὈὈ

AB Görogly köçesi Görogly 52 Azady World Languages 4 Institute 42 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 Ὀ Ὀ 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 D4 E4 E4 D4 B2 F4 F3 E4 39 D3 D5 B4 F3 E4 F4 E3 E4 F4 F4 E4 E4 F4 D4 A3 E4 B4 A3 D3 B4 D3 D5 E4 B4 F3 E4 F4 E3 E4 F4 F4 E4 E4 F4 D4 A3 E4 B4 A3 D3 B4 E4 47 Turkmenistan Airlines...... Turkish Airlines...... (see 72) Turkmenabat...... Buses &SharedTaxistoMary & British Airways...... (see 48) Aerosvit UkrainianAirlines...... (see 72) Aeroflot...... (see 72) TRANSPORT Turkmenistan SöwdaMerkazi...... Tekke Bazaar...... Russian Bazaar...... 7 65 Ministry ofDefence...... Majlis...... Iranian Mosque...... Earthquake Memorial&Museum.. Carpet Museum...... Atlant ...... Ashgabat Zoo...... Ashgabat StateUniversity...... ofTurkmenistan...... Archive oftheCommunistParty Arch ofNeutrality...... Academy ofSciences...... Ministry ofDefence...... Majlis...... Iranian Mosque...... Earthquake Memorial&Museum.. Carpet Museum...... Atlant ...... Ashgabat Zoo...... Ashgabat StateUniversity...... ofTurkmenistan...... Archive oftheCommunistParty Arch ofNeutrality...... Academy ofSciences...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES

Mopra köçesi (2023) Gunesh Park

Gorky (2060)

Azadi köçesi

21 2029 ὈὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ

2052 streets. marks andinstitutionsare onornearthese ning easttowest.Many of thecity’sland- andMagtymgulyof Berzengi, tothenewsuburbfrom thetrainstation bashi The mainarteries of thecityare Turkmen- ORIENTATION 57 26 45 Revfov köçesi 74 73 72 71 70 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 61 Circus ş E3 F3 F4 D4 E4 ayoli (avenue), runningalltheway E5 E5 A3 E4 E4 C3 C4 F4 E4 E4 E3 E5 E5 A3 E4 E4 C3 C4 F4 E4 E4 E3 C Turkmen StatePuppetTheatre (1.2km); Olimpiya SportWaterPalace(1.2km); Affairs (4.5km);SenagatBank (5.5km); ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Statue ofNiyazov...... (see23) Statue ofLenin...... Soviet WarMemorial...... School No20...... Ruhyyet Palace...... Rostrum...... Public SwimmingPool...... Presidential Administration...... Palace ofTurkmenbashi...... New WarMemorial...... Museum ofFineArts...... Mosque ofKhezretyOmar...... Ministry ofNature...... Statue ofNiyazov...... (see23) Statue ofLenin...... Soviet WarMemorial...... School No20...... Ruhyyet Palace...... Rostrum...... Public SwimmingPool...... Presidential Administration...... Palace ofTurkmenbashi...... New WarMemorial...... Museum ofFineArts...... Mosque ofKhezretyOmar...... Ministry ofNature...... State BankforForeignEconomic Atamyrat Niyazov World ofFairytales(800m);

National Museum (6km); President Hotel (6.8km) Atamurat Kopet Dag

Stadium

34 šayoli

To Turkmenbashi Niyazov

kö Görogly köçesi

çesi 36 Kemine köçesi (2035) köçesi Kemine

Mopra köçesi (2023) Magtymguly šayoli Magtymguly 71 55

To OldAirportBusStation 2037 Tolkuchka Bazaar(8km) (700m); Airport(6km); Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈ ὈὈ 58 2 lonelyplanet.com

Gurbansoltan Eje köçesi Eje Gurbansoltan

46 Ata

Gowshudov Khojov Annadurdyev köçesi Annadurdyev Khojov D ş Seidi köçesi 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33

Seidi köçesi 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33

ayoli, run- köçesi E4 F4 B3 E5 E4 B4 F5 E5 C4 E5 C5 E3 E4 F4 B3 E5 E4 B4 F5 E5 C4 E5 C5 E3 10 Mir Cinema 50

(disused)

Alishera Navoi köçesi (2022) 60 köçesi Navoi Alishera

Kerbabayeva köçesi Kerbabayeva 56 66 5 ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ part, post-Soviet nameshave in used been as fourtimessincethe1990s.Formost streets anyway–somehave changed asmany toknowthenamesof the as nobodyseemed toconfuse, pointless exercise hasonlyserved (street) isnow1984köçesi,forexample. This all thestreets withnumbers. Pushkin köçesi lonelyplanet.com Independence 54 35 of Fairness Ten Yearsof 1 48 17

Ministry

40 Ata ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ In 2002formerPresident Niyazov renamed

Park 28 59 bayev

41 Karl 8 12 Square/ Ground Liebknekht köçesi Parade

National Shevche Library 23

67 68 köçesi 19 Independence ofTurkmenistan (3.2km); 70 Independence Park(2.8km);Berzengi, 0.5miles 0 0 31 29 Zhitnikov köçesi Museum ofTurkmenValues(3.3km); International MedicalCentre(3km); 32 Milli OlimpiyaSportIceRink(6km); To Yimpa¢,CentralHospital(1km);

Altyn AsyrShoppingCentre(2km);

13 Sim (3km);Monumentto the nko köçesi nko Turkmenbashi Cableway (8km); 37 E 33 53 Minara Restaurant(2km); Bitarap Turkmenistan šayoli Iranian Border(10km)

Iceberg Bar...... Iceberg Bar...... City Pub...... City Pub...... British Pub...... British Pub...... DRINKING DRINKING Sazada...... (see 72) Sazada...... (see 72) Sai Baba...... Sai Baba...... Italian Restaurant...... (see51) Italian Restaurant...... (see51) Dip Club...... Dip Club...... Coffee House...... (see15) Coffee House...... (see15) Ayna...... Ayna...... Ay Peri...... Ay Peri...... Altyn Jam...... Altyn Jam...... EATING EATING Hotel Turkmenistan...... Hotel Turkmenistan...... Hotel Syyahat...... Hotel Syyahat...... Hotel Nissa...... Hotel Nissa...... Hotel Dayhan...... Hotel Dayhan...... Hotel Ashgabat...... Hotel Ashgabat...... Grand TurkmenHotel...... Grand TurkmenHotel...... Bezirgen Hotel...... Bezirgen Hotel...... Amanov Homestay...... Amanov Homestay...... Ak AltynHotel...... Ak AltynHotel...... SLEEPING SLEEPING 22 2011 74 44 ASHGABAT ••Information 62

16 Kemine köçesi (2035) köçesi Kemine 24

ὈὈ Pushkin köçesiὈὈ (1984)

20 Azadi köçesi Azadi 63 43 38 72 49 Park First To DNTours(0.5km); 25

Turkmenbashi šayoli 64 Hippodrome (5km); Independence F 73 51 14 To AzadiMosque 61 61 60 60 59 59 58 58 57 57 56 56 55 55 54 54 53 53 52 52 51 51 50 50 49 49 48 48 47 47 46 45 45 Square Erzurum (1km) Anau (20km) 11 Bazaar (3km) To Dashogus C2 C2 D4 D4 E4 E4 D3 D3 C4 C4 D3 D3 D3 D3 E3 E3 E4 E4 A4 A4 F5 F5 D4 D4 F3 F3 E4 E4 B3 B3 D5 D5 C3 C3

18 2009 Station Train (0.5km); 1 km 4 1 3 2 5 less wellequipped. Hospital the clinic.Therealso includesadental isalso the BritishandUSembas speaks Englishandisrecommended byboth isDrYahya,staff a Jordaniandoctorwho Amongthement, soinsuranceisessential. köçesi 1) the vast The main medical provision inAshgabat is Medical Services overnight. where youcanleave bagsforaboutUS$0.25 khraneniya) There isaleft-luggage service Left Luggage laundry foraroundUS$5. Floor maidsatmosthotels willdoaloadof ş more expensively atthe at Drycleaning canbedoneforreasonable rates Laundry Matrix traffic. in mindthattheauthoritiesmonitorweb it.Bear the latter allowsnonguests touse Grand Turkmenallhave internet, butonly the top-endhotels. ThePresident, and Nissa Your bestchance toget onlineisatoneof Internet Access speak TurkmenorRussianonly. or Dial Emergency are authored byTurkmenbashi. ş glory. Mostcentralis propaganda storefronts topromote national Turkmen bookshops are littlemore than Bookshops INFORMATION recognised. this chapter, astheyremain themostwidely slow connection and blocked websites. andblocked slow connection aterribly only ahandfulofinternetcafésinthecity.Expect 1; perhrUS$2.20; 08) ayoli 54; ayoli 29; in Berzengi. Inthecitycentre is inBerzengi. % Brilliant Brilliant International Medical Centre Medical International % 03 foranambulance. Theoperators will ( . Foreigners have topayfortheirtreat- h h %

01 for fire service, 01 forfire service, Central Hospital Central ( % 9am-11pm) 10am-7pm) 35 5459;WorldTradeComplex,2005köçesi ( % 39 08 77; Shevchenko 39 0877;Shevchenko at Ashgabat’s maintrainstation, h 39 06 39; Magtymguly 39 0639;Magtymguly 9am-7pm Mon-Sat)Thisisoneof , where over halfthebooks Turkish departmentstore. Miras Bookshop Miras ( % % Yimpa 45 0303,31;Emre sies. Thefacility 02 forthepolice ( ş ayoli) % ş

ş ayoli 99) (Turkmenbashi (Turkmenbashi 51 9006, , which is (Turkmenba (kamera Lechebnii and 407

ş i TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN ὈὈ ὈὈὈ

Ashgabat wasrebuilt intheSoviet style,but Geok-Depe (42km) Geok-Dere (35km); To Gypjak(11km);Nissa(15km); Tehran köçesi Tehran Muhammed Art Gallery...... Ministry ofCultureShop...... Carpet Shop...... SHOPPING Russian DramaTheatre...... Pushkin RussianDramaTheatre.... Mukan Club...... Mollanepes DramaTheatre...... Magtymguly Theatre...... Kumush Ay...... (see59) ENTERTAINMENT INFORMATION Uzbek Embassy...... US Embassy...... UK Embassy...... (see45) Tourism-Owadan...... Russian Embassy...... Post Office...... OVIR...... OSCE...... Miras Bookshop...... Ministry ofAgriculture...... Matrix...... Lechebnii Hospital...... Kyrgyz Embassy...... Iranian Embassy...... International CallCentre...... German Embassy...... (see45) Georgian Embassy...... French Embassy...... (see45) Dutch Embassy...... Brilliant...... A¢gabatsyýahat...... (see 48) Azerbaijani Embassy...... Ayan Travel...... Armenian Embassy...... Altyn AsyrMarketingCentre...... INFORMATION US Embassy...... UK Embassy...... (see45) Tourism-Owadan...... Russian Embassy...... Post Office...... OVIR...... OSCE...... Miras Bookshop...... Ministry ofAgriculture...... Matrix...... Lechebnii Hospital...... Kyrgyz Embassy...... Iranian Embassy...... International CallCentre...... German Embassy...... (see45) Georgian Embassy...... French Embassy...... (see45) Dutch Embassy...... Brilliant...... A¢gabatsyýahat...... (see 48) Azerbaijani Embassy...... Ayan Travel...... Armenian Embassy...... Altyn AsyrMarketingCentre...... SGBT • retto ASHGABAT ••Orientation

Magtumguly šayoli 9 6 Botanical Gardens ὈὈ

Mopra köçesi (2023) Gunesh Park

Gorky (2060)

Azadi köçesi

21 2029 ὈὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ

National Museum (6km); President Hotel (6.8km) Atamurat Kopet Dag

Stadium

34 šayoli

To Turkmenbashi Niyazov

kö Görogly köçesi

çesi 36 Kemine köçesi (2035) köçesi Kemine

Mopra köçesi (2023) Magtymguly šayoli Magtymguly 71 55

To OldAirportBusStation 2037 Tolkuchka Bazaar(8km) (700m); Airport(6km); Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈ ὈὈ 58 2 lonelyplanet.com

Gurbansoltan Eje köçesi Eje Gurbansoltan

46 Ata

Gowshudov Khojov Annadurdyev köçesi Annadurdyev Khojov D ş Seidi köçesi 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33

Seidi köçesi 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33

ayoli, run- köçesi E4 F4 B3 E5 E4 B4 F5 E5 C4 E5 C5 E3 E4 F4 B3 E5 E4 B4 F5 E5 C4 E5 C5 E3 10 Mir Cinema 50

(disused)

Alishera Navoi köçesi (2022) 60 köçesi Navoi Alishera Kerbabayeva köçesi Kerbabayeva 56 66 5 ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ part, post-Soviet nameshave in used been as fourtimessincethe1990s.Formost streets anyway–somehave changed asmany toknowthenamesof the as nobodyseemed toconfuse, pointless exercise hasonlyserved (street) isnow1984köçesi,forexample. This all thestreets withnumbers. Pushkin köçesi lonelyplanet.com Independence 54 35 of Fairness Ten Yearsof 1 48 17

Ministry

40 Ata ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ In 2002formerPresident Niyazov renamed

Park 28 59 bayev

41 Karl 8 12 Square/ Ground Liebknekht köçesi Parade

National Shevche Library 23

Altyn AsyrShoppingCentre(2km);

13 Sim (3km);Monumentto the nko köçesi nko Turkmenbashi Cableway (8km); 37 E 33 53 Minara Restaurant(2km); Bitarap Turkmenistan šayoli Iranian Border(10km)

16 Kemine köçesi (2035) köçesi Kemine 24

ὈὈ Pushkin köçesiὈὈ (1984)

20 Azadi köçesi Azadi 63 43 38 72 49 Park First To DNTours(0.5km); 25

ş ayoli 99) (Turkmenbashi (Turkmenbashi 51 9006, , which is (Turkmenba (kamera Lechebnii and 407

ş i TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN but they’re notof totravellers much use as The preferred currency isUSdollars incash. International Call Centre. International Call from alltop-endhotels and the can besent Citizens; Hwy(Archabil Berzengi south of downtownand1.5kmnorthof the ş EconomicAffairs for Foreign cheques. they don’thave ATMs orchange travellers Centre can befoundoutsidethe The bestrates forblack-market exchange Money 408 Centre Centre rates youcancallfromthe forbetter(IDD) andfaxfacilities, although Most hotels offer international direct dialling Telephone &Fax registration see 2-5pm) Fortourist p438 . OVIR Registration able ataroundUS$0.08. very small.Aletter totheUSAisvery reason- h The main Post withdrawals. ment store. Itcharges a3%commission on Mon-Fri) ( charges a4%commission onwithdrawals. % ayoli 32; If you use aMasterCard,If youuse goto There are banksinthecitycentre, several If youhave the card,use aVisa greatest and most colourful sights. greatest andmostcolourful Walk ofHealth ofTurkmen ‘Museum by gushingfountainsandbronzestatuescontainsthecurious Values’. monument Independence Museum National Bazaar Tolkuchka Cableway Turkmenbashi Arch ofNeutrality ASHGABAT MUST-SEES cently awfulstructure. this spectacular wasteofmoneyandtimeisstrangelycompelling. this spectacular gondola. 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pmSat &9am-1pmSun) 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 45 4421;Turkmenba (State Service forthe (StateService ofForeign Registration SGBT • agr noacs ASHGABAT ••Dangers&Annoyances (Turkmenistan Söwda Merkazi; Magtymguly Magtymguly SöwdaMerkazi; (Turkmenistan (Karl Liebknekht köçesi33; Liebknekht (Karl % located next totheYimpa h 39 1337;2011köçesi57; post office 9.15am-4pm Mon-Fri) ( p417 ) Youdon’thavetobecrazybuildstaircasesintothemountainside,butithelps. Avisitto ş i ( p410 andrelics found here. artefacts ofhistoric ) Enjoythefinecollection ( p411 andtrulyoneofCentralAsia’s modernAshgabatasanywhere elseonearth, ) Asunlike ( opposite tothetopofthismagnifi- theglasselevator ) Forthebestviewsofcapital,ride

ş ( ayoli 42; %

( 35 1555;Mopraköçesi16; % ( p411 backdropfromthetopofthis3.5kmlong thecitywithitsdesert ) Survey ş h Turkmenistan Trade ayoli). Thebank , which is4.5km h ( p410 ) Knownas‘theplunger’,thisenormousmarbleandgoldtowerissurrounded 40 60 40; Garashyyzlyk 40 6040;Garashyyzlyk International Call Call International h 8am-7pm) 9am-1pm &2-5pm 9am-noon & Senagat Bank Senagat State Bank State ş depart- . Faxes ş ayoli) is .

ş .stantours.com; Kunyaeva 163/76,Almaty) .stantours.com; Kunyaeva Azadi köçesi65) Azadi agency them)toorganise workingthrough with oneof thefollowing(oraforeign travel willusuallyhaveTurkmenistan madecontact Any traveller notsimplyintransitthrough Travel Agencies tour guide (ifyouare should onatouristvisa) she isaprostitute). Ifyouare arrested, your local womanlate (policewillassume atnight explain themselves iftheyare walking witha to bedrunk.Foreign menwillalsohave to arrested andthingsget ifyouhappen worse Foreigners breaking caught thecurfew canbe by foreigners isabidingbythe11pmcurfew. for permissionfirst. public buildings,askthenearest policeofficer outside. Alsotake care whenphotographing trouble thanyou)forsafe places,preferably citizens (whoare farmore likely toget into conversations, especiallyanywithTurkmen sensitive anywhere foreigners Reserve meet. bugged, asare restaurants manyoffices, and aware thatalltop-rangeBe hotel roomsare DANGERS &ANNOYANCES Tourism-Owadan Stantours Tours DN .com; Magtymguly Travel Ayan Grand Turkmen Hotel,Göroglyköçesi7) A tours andotherexcursions. ing LOIs,guides,drivers, hotel bookings,city includ- agencies offer comprehensive services their letter of (LOI).Thefollowing invitation ayoli 48/1) ş gabatsyýahat gabatsyýahat The mostcommonproblem encountered ( % (in Kazakhstan (in Kazakhstan ( % 39 58 28; www.dntours.com; Magtymguly 39 5828;www.dntours.com; Magtymguly ş 35 2914,0797;www.ayan-travel ( ayoli 108-2/4) % ( % 35 7777,352015;fax396660; 39 1825;www.owadan.net; % 7 3272631344;www lonelyplanet.com the Trips tothetop volves theday. tofollowthesunthroughout polished-gold high istherealthe arch itself gem, acomic12m- bashi’s policyof neutralityin1998.Above ingly unanimousendorsement of Turkmen- to celebrate theTurkmenpeople’sunsurpris- Neutrality Ashgabat istheembarrassinglylarge alive. ing innumberalmostmonthlywhilehewas President Niyazov, withthelatter increas- monolithicconstructions ofthe politicised, constructions of theSoviet government and two halves monolithic –thepoliticised, Ashgabat’s canbedividedneatlyinto sights allbutwipedfromtheearth in1948, Being Central Ashgabat SIGHTS after 11pmtoavoidtaxis problems. be abletohelp,butdon’tcountonit.Take lonelyplanet.com in English, presumably for visitors to read. information about itsconstruction iswritten soldiers though toharassyou,even will cause restrained, butjustwalkingtowards thegates is the tion, thecourtbuildertoNiyazov. this Behind the the French corporationBouyguesConstruc- the enormous sits thegolden-domed The Palace of Turkmenbashi isrelatively At thecentre of Niyazov’s monolithic this book. this book. wasdeleted fromthemaps.and thename‘Darvaza’ the loftystandardsof‘GoldenAge’. The peoplelivingthere were moved toothervillages state, hadthevillagerazed Apparently tothegroundàlaJenghizKhan. itwasnotlivingupto President desert, and,notpleasedwithitsdilapidatedNiyazov stoppedatthetownofDarvaza thatrequiredwas oneofmanyprojects ofhundreds theeviction offamilies. sion forrehousing orcompensation.Turkmenbashi WorldofFairytales, anewamusementpark, 200 journalists. The US$17millionedificewasconstructed intheshapeofabook. for 11km.Newbuildingsincludethe‘HouseofFree Creativity’ with workspaceformore than fountainsandenormoussculptures. wayforpalaces,apartments, being demolishedtomake transforming thecapitalintoanall-marble‘White City’,andstilltodaywholeneighbourhoodsare Ashgabat’s post-Soviet isaworkinprocess. Niyazov ofhispresidency face-lift spentthebetter part THE EVER-CHANGING FACE OFASHGABAT Ministry ofFairness Ministry Ruhyyet Palace Be aware vulnerabletochangeduringthelifetime thattheAshgabat of mapisparticularly The ofoldbuildingsisnotlimited destruction toAshgabat. DuringonetriptotheKarakum The demolitionshave left hundreds ofpeoplehomelessandthecityauthoritieshave noprovi- riverOne ofthemostrecent thatslicesthroughthecity wasaUS$63millionartificial projects Majlis

(admission US$0.15; (parliament). Independence Square ASHGABAT ••Sights

give commandingviewsof , allof which were builtby statue ofNiyazov , the Palace of Turkmenbashi Ministry ofDefence Ministry h 8am-10pm) , onwhich , which re- , erected Arch of and , Ashgabat State University State Ashgabat The stripendswith menbashi’s private staff. centreand mostrecently of thenerve Turk- Committee building inmore austere times, and theTurkmen CommunistParty Central tion Off to the right isthe totheright Off structure withaneternal flameatitscentre. is the inside). locked get (askingaguard nearbymight you isusuallycity. Unfortunately themuseum of 110,000bodiesandthebuildingof anew theburyingthe five-year clean-upeffort, earthquakes aswellinformationabout includes once-banned photosof pre-1948 andthedisplaymost touching museum free; which lurksthe of abullandchild (thebabyNiyazov), under Memorial quake ditional costumes. ofa fineselection Turkmenjewelleryandtra- and paintings, includingonebyCaravaggio, lection of Russian andWestern European smoke-belching factories.There isalsoacol- sceneswithabackdropofpeasant yurtsand some great Soviet-Turkmen artwork:happy of gold ornament.Thecollectioncontains building withabigrotunda,twotiers andlots h Arts Further downthislong,manicured strip Next totheArch of Neutralityisthe Also inthevicinityis 9am-5pm Wed-Mon) ( building, oncethepresidential residence h % Soviet warmemorial Soviet 9am-6pm). 35 3129;AlisheraNavoiköçesi88;admissionUS$10; , abombasticbronzerendering This isperhaps Ashgabat’s Earthquake Museum Museum Earthquake ,

located inabeautifulnew . Presidential Administra- Presidential , apleasinglysubtle Museum ofFine Museum (admission Earth-

409 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN but they’re notof totravellers much use as The preferred currency isUSdollars incash. International Call Centre. International Call from alltop-endhotels and the can besent Centre Centre rates youcancallfromthe forbetter(IDD) andfaxfacilities, although Most hotels offer international direct dialling Telephone &Fax OVIR Registration able ataroundUS$0.08. very small.Aletter totheUSAisvery reason- h The main Post withdrawals. ment store. Itcharges a3%commission on Mon-Fri) ( charges a4%commission onwithdrawals. Hwy(Archabil Berzengi south of downtownand1.5kmnorthof the ş EconomicAffairs for Foreign cheques. they don’thave ATMs orchange travellers Centre can befoundoutsidethe The bestrates forblack-market exchange Money 408 2-5pm) For tourist registration see 2-5pm) Fortourist p438 . Citizens; % ayoli 32; If you use aMasterCard,If youuse goto There are banksinthecitycentre, several If youhave the card,use aVisa greatest and most colourful sights. greatest andmostcolourful Walk ofHealth ofTurkmen ‘Museum by gushingfountainsandbronzestatuescontainsthecurious Values’. monument Independence Museum National Bazaar Tolkuchka Cableway Turkmenbashi Arch ofNeutrality ASHGABAT MUST-SEES cently awfulstructure. this spectacular wasteofmoneyandtimeisstrangelycompelling. this spectacular gondola. 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pmSat &9am-1pmSun) 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 45 4421;Turkmenba (State Service forthe (StateService ofForeign Registration SGBT • agr noacs ASHGABAT ••Dangers&Annoyances (Turkmenistan Söwda Merkazi; Magtymguly Magtymguly SöwdaMerkazi; (Turkmenistan (Karl Liebknekht köçesi33; Liebknekht (Karl % located next totheYimpa h 39 1337;2011köçesi57; post office 9.15am-4pm Mon-Fri) ( p417 ) Youdon’thavetobecrazybuildstaircasesintothemountainside,butithelps. Avisitto ş i ( p410 andrelics found here. artefacts ofhistoric ) Enjoythefinecollection ( p411 andtrulyoneofCentralAsia’s modernAshgabatasanywhere elseonearth, ) Asunlike ( opposite tothetopofthismagnifi- theglasselevator ) Forthebestviewsofcapital,ride

ş ( ayoli 42; %

ş .stantours.com; Kunyaeva 163/76,Almaty) .stantours.com; Kunyaeva Azadi köçesi65) Azadi tour guide (ifyouare should onatouristvisa) she isaprostitute). Ifyouare arrested, your local womanlate (policewillassume atnight explain themselves iftheyare walking witha to bedrunk.Foreign menwillalsohave to arrested andthingsget ifyouhappen worse Foreigners breaking caught thecurfew canbe by foreigners isabidingbythe11pmcurfew. for permissionfirst. public buildings,askthenearest policeofficer outside. Alsotake care whenphotographing trouble thanyou)forsafe places,preferably citizens (whoare farmore likely toget into conversations, especiallyanywithTurkmen sensitive anywhere foreigners Reserve meet. bugged, asare restaurants manyoffices, and aware thatalltop-rangeBe hotel roomsare DANGERS &ANNOYANCES Tourism-Owadan Stantours Tours DN .com; Magtymguly Travel Ayan Grand Turkmen Hotel,Göroglyköçesi7) A tours andotherexcursions. ing LOIs,guides,drivers, hotel bookings,city includ- agencies offer comprehensive services their letter of (LOI).Thefollowing invitation agency them)toorganise workingthrough with oneof thefollowing(oraforeign travel willusuallyhaveTurkmenistan madecontact Any traveller notsimplyintransitthrough Travel Agencies ayoli 48/1) ş gabatsyýahat gabatsyýahat The mostcommonproblem encountered ( % (in Kazakhstan (in Kazakhstan ( % 39 58 28; www.dntours.com; Magtymguly 39 5828;www.dntours.com; Magtymguly ş 35 2914,0797;www.ayan-travel ( ayoli 108-2/4) % ( % 35 7777,352015;fax396660; 39 1825;www.owadan.net; % 7 3272631344;www lonelyplanet.com the Trips tothetop volves theday. tofollowthesunthroughout polished-gold high istherealthe arch itself gem, acomic12m- bashi’s policyof neutralityin1998.Above ingly unanimousendorsement of Turkmen- to celebrate theTurkmenpeople’sunsurpris- Neutrality Ashgabat istheembarrassinglylarge alive. ing innumberalmostmonthlywhilehewas President Niyazov, withthelatter increas- monolithicconstructions ofthe politicised, constructions of theSoviet government and two halves monolithic –thepoliticised, Ashgabat’s canbedividedneatlyinto sights allbutwipedfromtheearth in1948, Being Central Ashgabat SIGHTS after 11pmtoavoidtaxis problems. be abletohelp,butdon’tcountonit.Take lonelyplanet.com in English, presumably for visitors to read. information about itsconstruction iswritten soldiers though toharassyou,even will cause restrained, butjustwalkingtowards thegates is the tion, thecourtbuildertoNiyazov. this Behind the French corporationBouyguesConstruc- the the enormous sits thegolden-domed The Palace of Turkmenbashi isrelatively At thecentre of Niyazov’s monolithic this book. this book. wasdeleted fromthemaps.and thename‘Darvaza’ the loftystandardsof‘GoldenAge’. The peoplelivingthere were moved toothervillages state, hadthevillagerazed Apparently tothegroundàlaJenghizKhan. itwasnotlivingupto President desert, and,notpleasedwithitsdilapidatedNiyazov stoppedatthetownofDarvaza thatrequiredwas oneofmanyprojects ofhundreds theeviction offamilies. sion forrehousing orcompensation.Turkmenbashi WorldofFairytales, anewamusementpark, 200 journalists. The US$17millionedificewasconstructed intheshapeofabook. for 11km.Newbuildingsincludethe‘HouseofFree Creativity’ with workspaceformore than fountainsandenormoussculptures. wayforpalaces,apartments, being demolishedtomake transforming thecapitalintoanall-marble‘White City’,andstilltodaywholeneighbourhoodsare Ashgabat’s post-Soviet isaworkinprocess. Niyazov ofhispresidency face-lift spentthebetter part THE EVER-CHANGING FACE OFASHGABAT Ministry ofFairness Ministry Ruhyyet Palace Be aware vulnerabletochangeduringthelifetime thattheAshgabat of mapisparticularly The ofoldbuildingsisnotlimited destruction toAshgabat. DuringonetriptotheKarakum The demolitionshave left hundreds ofpeoplehomelessandthecityauthoritieshave noprovi- riverOne ofthemostrecent thatslicesthroughthecity wasaUS$63millionartificial projects Majlis

(admission US$0.15; (parliament). Independence Square ASHGABAT ••Sights

give commandingviewsof , allof which were builtby statue ofNiyazov , the Palace of Turkmenbashi Ministry ofDefence Ministry h 8am-10pm) , onwhich , which re- , erected Arch of and , Ashgabat State University State Ashgabat The stripendswith menbashi’s private staff. centreand mostrecently of thenerve Turk- Committee building inmore austere times, and theTurkmen CommunistParty Central tion isthe totheright Off structure withaneternal flameatitscentre. is the inside). locked get (askingaguard nearbymight you isusuallycity. Unfortunately themuseum of 110,000bodiesandthebuildingof anew theburyingthe five-year clean-upeffort, earthquakes aswellinformationabout includes once-banned photosof pre-1948 andthedisplaymost touching museum free; which lurksthe of abullandchild (thebabyNiyazov), under Memorial quake ditional costumes. ofa fineselection Turkmenjewelleryandtra- and paintings, includingonebyCaravaggio, lection of Russian andWestern European smoke-belching factories.There isalsoacol- sceneswithabackdropofpeasant yurtsand some great Soviet-Turkmen artwork:happy of gold ornament.Thecollectioncontains building withabigrotunda,twotiers andlots h Arts Further downthislong,manicured strip Next totheArch of Neutralityisthe Also inthevicinityis 9am-5pm Wed-Mon) ( building, oncethepresidential residence h % Soviet warmemorial Soviet 9am-6pm). 35 3129;AlisheraNavoiköçesi88;admissionUS$10; , abombasticbronzerendering This isperhaps Ashgabat’s Earthquake Museum Museum Earthquake ,

located inabeautifulnew . Presidential Administra- Presidential , apleasinglysubtle Museum ofFine Museum (admission Earth-

409 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN 600m eastof the junctionwithTurkmenbashi. mosque than asignof religious awakening, the More of astatement foreign-policy leanings East ofDowntown as thecamerafee isUS$2pershot. Shutterbugs maywanttorestrain themselves est hand-woven rug,really issomethingtosee. thecentralexhibit,world’slarg-can stand, a limittothenumberof rugstheaverage visitor issuedforexport.Whilethere’s documentation carpets valuedandtaxed, andthenecessary well-curated spaceistheplacetohave your ‘expert commission’ atthebackof thisnewand in thehistoryof Turkmencarpetweaving. The foranyoneinterestedis anexcellentmuseum child US$2/1; Ashgabat duringthe1970s. the Russianartistwholived andworked in crete sculptures madebyErnstNeizvestny, Turkmenistan was oncethe facesanaustereLenin concrete buildingthat new Magtymguly Theatre. Acrosstheroad, aroundthecornerisbrand- plinth. Right Asian onanenormousandvery Central Lenin charmingly of incongruousassembly atiny 410 period desks. Tofindthe school, walknorth inside andaclassroom containing museum hereattended classes asaboy.There isasmall of will likely close. thisonewas beingplanned,inwhich case trodden. Atthetimeof writing, anewzoo and bearinparticularlookseverely down- ters asidefortheanimals.Theresident set lion lovers maybeappalledatthetinylivingquar- animal- pen tobewalkingnearby,although h the waytoNissa. köçesi onthewestern outskirtsof thecityon illuminated withgreen neon,isonGörogly ings. Theangular,futuristic ing foritswonderfullygarishpainted ceil- NiyazovAtamurat köçesi,isalsoworthvisit- its construction. deaths of accidental because during several İ Similar inappearancetotheBlueMosque stanbul, the mosque sees few worshippers themosquesees stanbul, The Further west,the mostfamousgraduate The modern The The School No20 8am-7.30pm) SGBT • ihs ASHGABAT ••Sights Carpet Museum Museum Carpet statueofLenin stands justsouthof stands Magtymguly Ashgabat Zoo Ashgabat h . Itswallsfeature modernistcon- 10am-1pm & 2-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) 10am-2pmSat) 10am-1pm &2-6pmMon-Fri, isacuriousdiversion ifyouhap- wasSaparmurat Niyazov, who Archive of the Communist Party of oftheCommunistParty Archive mosque of Khezrety Omar mosque ofKhezrety

(2011 köçesi;admissionUS$0.20; (Görogly köçesi 5; adult/student & (Görogly köçesi5;adult/student& , off Azadiköçesi,isa, off Iranian mosque ş ayoli, Azadi , off ,

cult paraphernalia. There isalsoamodelof cupsand including beautifulamulets,seals, from theBronzeAge Margiana civilisation, andrelicstools fromwestern Turkmenistan ish AncientHistoryHall includes Neolithic position infrontof theKopetDag.Thelav- admission US$10; popular forweddings. atthetop(Minara,see taurant p413 ), that’s floor shopping centre, there’s although ares- less thanimpressive –anallbutemptytwo- gest intheworld.Insideit’srather fountain end of pyramidical shoppingcentre atthenorthern hotel complexes. ş Hwy(Archabil culminates intheBerzengi parksandgeneralfountains, emptinessthat new worldof white-marble towerblocks, of begins–anentirely artificialbraveBerzengi South of Moskovsky Berzengi lecturing ayounggirl. ofOutside theschool isastatue thepresident h (Garashsyzlyk downtown is official occasions. forZoroastrianritualsand ivoryused carved rhytons –horn-shapedvessels of intricately p428 ). TheAntiquityHall amazing houses uncoveredthe walledsettlement atGonur(see the ian are (akindoftains enough totalitar- pleasant ofa goldenstatue thepresident, andthefoun- for weddinggroupstotake photographs with clothing andjewellery.Thisisapopularspot and overpriced lookattraditional Turkmen US$10, cameraUS$1; the andtasteless monumentthathouses tatious it),isatypicallyosten- ous assoonyousee community as‘theplunger’ (forreasons obvi- menistan guages Institute andtake thenextmainleft. on 2060köçesi,pasttheAzadyWorldLan- celebrations. Theparkhas 54attractions,in- just intime forthenation’s 15thanniversary park wasunveiled withgreat fanfare in2006, ayoli), which ishometoahuge numberof Between the National Museum and theNationalMuseum Between Looking like alostpalace inthedesert, The Altyn Asyr Shopping thecurious Centre, National Museum Museum National 9am-6pm) Museum ofTurkmen ValuesMuseum Waterworld, MonumenttotheIndependenceofTurk- Independence Park , knownuniversally totheforeign ş . The US$50 million amusement . TheUS$50million amusement ayoli; admission US$0.04, each ride US$0.04; ayoli; admissionUS$0.04, eachride h Turkmenbashi WorldofFairytales ifyouwill). h 10am-5pm) 9am-5pm) ( % ş ayoli thesurreal world 48 9020;Archabil isreputedly thebig- occupies astriking ( % , aratherempty lonelyplanet.com 45 1954;admission ş ayoli 30;

ş köçesi (1958isablockeastof Turkmenbashi the cornerof Magtymguly gotherecost aroundUS$1.50.Buses from shouldbeyond theKarakum Ataxi Canal. 8km northAshgabat, pasttheairportandjust Watch outforpickpockets. Thesite isabout smallerscale,onThursdaya slightly morning. and Sundayfromaround8amto2pmand,on ( seum opposite ). ‘expert commission’ Mu- behind theCarpet country (see p435 are), these available atthe cate forthecarpetbefore itoutof taking the togetthat you’llstillneed anexportcertifi- Haggling shave might offUS$50.Remember average priceranges fromUS$150toUS$250. size of adoublebedorbitsmaller,andthe pets. Predominantly red, deep mostare the US$2andUS$3. costbetween scarves skullcapsandembroideredwhile sequined US$15, worn byTurkmenmen)isroughly (the attractive red-and-yellow stripedrobe go forUS$15ormore. Afairpricefora thebest around US$10,although worn byTurkmenmales)should gofor youwant,it’ssoldatTolkuchka.ever frompistachios tocarparts.What- everything villages of trucksfromwhich Turkmenhawk women squattingbefore silver jewellery,and rals of camelsandgoats,avenues of red-clothed ontheoutskirtsofdesert Ashgabat, withcor- The enormousmarket sprawlsacrossacres of Asia’s one of sights. Central mostspectacular you canexpectfromthe Tolkuchka Bazaar, away inasidecarare afew of theoddities in midairbyacraneorsheep beingdriven hats,abrayingcamelsuspended sheepskin ofThe sight withered forshaggy menhaggling Tolkuchka Bazaar giant mapof Sea. theCaspian cluding arollercoaster thatswoopsover a Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com level onalowerpeak oflevel theKopet Dag.The ofand climbs toaheight 1293m above sea Kopet Dag(south of theNational Museum) of from thebase the opened in2006, starts 10pm) Turkmenbashi Cableway take arideupthethe surroundingdesert, viewsofFor somespectacular Ashgabat and Turkmenbashi Cableway ayoli). Tolkuchka Saturday isinfullswingevery Above all,Tolkuchka istheplaceforcar- A tohaggle. Expect . TheUS$20million cablecarsystem,

(admission 1000M; telpek ş (sheepskin hat (sheepskin ayoli and1958 ASHGABAT ••Activities telpek h khalat 9am- do the midrange category. Niyazov’s bizarre it’s thin inmodation options,although Ashgabat has a range accom- of affordable SLEEPING to check outthe Swimmersthe KopetDagstadium. maywant a moderngymlocated ontheeastern sideof north of theIndependencemonument. Hwy,acoupleof hundredthe Berzengi metres It’son tocallandmakeneed areservation. locals soifyouwanttoskate there youmay mission US$0.25; IceRink OlimpiyaSport Milli gabat (see p408 ). thetravelbe contacted through agents inAsh- is northwestof town.Hemra Geok-Depe can cated 2kmwestof village, which Geok-Depe islo- Thestable pack tripsintothedesert. You candoridesof afew hours orovernight operatedmenguly stable byHemra Gulmedov. and Alaja isattheendonright. for Geok-Dere. thevillage Continuethrough road outof Ashgabat andturn left atthesign Take daysaweek. ates seven theGeok-Depe youcanjustturnupasthefarmoper-erwise Yangebaeva ( ( canyons aroundGeok-Dere. Katya Contact andsomewonderfulridinginthe stallions day, worththepriceforbeautifulgolden here costsUS$15anhourorUS$120per fed elsewhere). Riding (notalwaysthecase where thehorses are wellcared forandwell called Chuli).Thisisaprofessional stable, Kolestnikova andlocated inGeok-Dere (also ommended istheAlaja Farm, runbyKatya specificallytorideone. rec-menistan Highly and joy,manyvisitors cometoTurk- Akhal-Teke horses are pride Turkmenistan’s ACTIVITIES the 3.5km-longcableway. artificial waterfall. Ittakes 10minutes totravel andan80m-high telescopes forsightseeing high-powered rant, café,picnicspots,several syzlyk brand-new poolfacility,located onGarash- upper terminal hassouvenir shops,arestau- ( p415). the 3rdfloorof theYimpa % Atlant The onlyice-skatingrinkinthecountry, Another optionforhorse tripsistheShah- Bowling 800-66330362), orcallhercolleagueGulya ş ayoli, opposite thepuppettheatre.

( % and 36 2616;perdayUS$2; h % billiards 9am-7pm) 42 6358,800-66340198),oth- Olympia Sport Water Palace Water Olympia Sport are bothavailable on ishugely popularwith

( % ş departmentstore 48 92 70; Berzengi; ad- 48 9270;Berzengi; h 9am-10.30pm) 411

, a is TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN period desks. Tofindthe school, walknorth inside andaclassroom containing museum hereattended classes asaboy.There isasmall of will likely close. thisonewas beingplanned,inwhich case trodden. Atthetimeof writing, anewzoo and bearinparticularlookseverely down- ters asidefortheanimals.Theresident set lion lovers maybeappalledatthetinylivingquar- animal- pen tobewalkingnearby,although h the waytoNissa. köçesi onthewestern outskirtsof thecityon illuminated withgreen neon,isonGörogly ings. Theangular,futuristic ing foritswonderfullygarishpainted ceil- NiyazovAtamurat köçesi,isalsoworthvisit- its construction. deaths of accidental because during several İ Similar inappearancetotheBlueMosque 600m eastof the junctionwithTurkmenbashi. mosque than asignof religious awakening, the More of astatement foreign-policy leanings East ofDowntown as thecamerafee isUS$2pershot. Shutterbugs maywanttorestrain themselves est hand-woven rug,really issomethingtosee. thecentralexhibit,world’slarg-can stand, a limittothenumberof rugstheaverage visitor issuedforexport.Whilethere’s documentation carpets valuedandtaxed, andthenecessary well-curated spaceistheplacetohave your ‘expert commission’ atthebackof thisnewand in thehistoryof Turkmencarpetweaving. The foranyoneinterestedis anexcellentmuseum child US$2/1; Ashgabat duringthe1970s. the Russianartistwholived andworked in crete sculptures madebyErnstNeizvestny, Turkmenistan was oncethe facesanaustereLenin concrete buildingthat new Magtymguly Theatre. Acrosstheroad, aroundthecornerisbrand- plinth. Right Asian onanenormousandvery Central Lenin charmingly of incongruousassembly atiny 410 stanbul, the mosque sees few worshippers themosquesees stanbul, Further west,the mostfamousgraduate The modern The The The School No20 8am-7.30pm) SGBT • ihs ASHGABAT ••Sights Carpet Museum Museum Carpet statueofLenin stands justsouthof stands Magtymguly Ashgabat Zoo Ashgabat h . Itswallsfeature modernistcon- 10am-1pm & 2-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) 10am-2pmSat) 10am-1pm &2-6pmMon-Fri, isacuriousdiversion ifyouhap- wasSaparmurat Niyazov, who Archive of the Communist Party of oftheCommunistParty Archive mosque of Khezrety Omar mosque ofKhezrety

(2011 köçesi;admissionUS$0.20; (Görogly köçesi 5; adult/student & (Görogly köçesi5;adult/student& , off Azadiköçesi,isa, off Iranian mosque ş ayoli, Azadi , off ,

cult paraphernalia. There isalsoamodelof cupsand including beautifulamulets,seals, from theBronzeAge Margiana civilisation, andrelicstools fromwestern Turkmenistan ish AncientHistoryHall includes Neolithic position infrontof theKopetDag.Thelav- admission US$10; h (Garashsyzlyk downtown is official occasions. forZoroastrianritualsand ivoryused carved rhytons –horn-shapedvessels of intricately p428 ). TheAntiquityHall amazing houses uncoveredthe walledsettlement atGonur(see the ian are (akindoftains enough totalitar- pleasant ofa goldenstatue thepresident, andthefoun- for weddinggroupstotake photographs with clothing andjewellery.Thisisapopularspot and overpriced lookattraditional Turkmen US$10, cameraUS$1; the andtasteless monumentthathouses tatious it),isatypicallyosten- ous assoonyousee community as‘theplunger’ (forreasons obvi- menistan popular forweddings. atthetop(Minara,see taurant p413 ), that’s floor shopping centre, there’s although ares- less thanimpressive –anallbutemptytwo- gest intheworld.Insideit’srather fountain end of pyramidical shoppingcentre atthenorthern hotel complexes. ş Hwy(Archabil culminates intheBerzengi parksandgeneralfountains, emptinessthat new worldof white-marble towerblocks, of begins–anentirely artificialbraveBerzengi South of Moskovsky Berzengi lecturing ayounggirl. ofOutside theschool isastatue thepresident guages Institute andtake thenextmainleft. on 2060köçesi,pasttheAzadyWorldLan- celebrations. Theparkhas 54attractions,in- just intime forthenation’s 15thanniversary park wasunveiled withgreat fanfare in2006, ayoli), which ishometoahuge numberof Between the National Museum and theNationalMuseum Between Looking like alostpalace inthedesert, The Altyn Asyr Shopping thecurious Centre, National Museum Museum National 9am-6pm) Museum ofTurkmen ValuesMuseum Waterworld, MonumenttotheIndependenceofTurk- Independence Park , knownuniversally totheforeign ş . The US$50 million amusement . TheUS$50million amusement ayoli; admission US$0.04, each ride US$0.04; ayoli; admissionUS$0.04, eachride h Turkmenbashi WorldofFairytales ifyouwill). h 10am-5pm) 9am-5pm) ( % ş ayoli thesurreal world 48 9020;Archabil isreputedly thebig- occupies astriking ( % , aratherempty lonelyplanet.com 45 1954;admission ş ayoli 30;

(admission 1000M; telpek ş (sheepskin hat (sheepskin ayoli and1958 ASHGABAT ••Activities telpek h khalat 9am- do the midrange category. Niyazov’s bizarre it’s thin inmodation options,although Ashgabat has a range accom- of affordable SLEEPING syzlyk brand-new poolfacility,located onGarash- to check outthe Swimmersthe KopetDagstadium. maywant a moderngymlocated ontheeastern sideof north of theIndependencemonument. Hwy,acoupleof hundredthe Berzengi metres It’son tocallandmakeneed areservation. locals soifyouwanttoskate there youmay mission US$0.25; IceRink OlimpiyaSport Milli gabat (see p408 ). thetravelbe contacted through agents inAsh- is northwestof town.Hemra Geok-Depe can cated 2kmwestof village, which Geok-Depe islo- Thestable pack tripsintothedesert. You candoridesof afew hours orovernight operatedmenguly stable byHemra Gulmedov. and Alaja isattheendonright. for Geok-Dere. thevillage Continuethrough road outof Ashgabat andturn left atthesign Take daysaweek. ates seven theGeok-Depe youcanjustturnupasthefarmoper-erwise Yangebaeva ( ( canyons aroundGeok-Dere. Katya Contact andsomewonderfulridinginthe stallions day, worththepriceforbeautifulgolden here costsUS$15anhourorUS$120per fed elsewhere). Riding (notalwaysthecase where thehorses are wellcared forandwell called Chuli).Thisisaprofessional stable, Kolestnikova andlocated inGeok-Dere (also ommended istheAlaja Farm, runbyKatya specificallytorideone. rec-menistan Highly and joy,manyvisitors cometoTurk- Akhal-Teke horses are pride Turkmenistan’s ACTIVITIES the 3.5km-longcableway. artificial waterfall. Ittakes 10minutes totravel andan80m-high telescopes forsightseeing high-powered rant, café,picnicspots,several upper terminal hassouvenir shops,arestau- ( p415). the 3rdfloorof theYimpa % Atlant The onlyice-skatingrinkinthecountry, Another optionforhorse tripsistheShah- Bowling 800-66330362), orcallhercolleagueGulya ş ayoli, opposite thepuppettheatre.

( % and 36 2616;perdayUS$2; h % billiards 9am-7pm) 42 6358,800-66340198),oth- Olympia Sport Water Palace Water Olympia Sport are bothavailable on ishugely popularwith

( % ş departmentstore 48 92 70; Berzengi; ad- 48 9270;Berzengi; h 9am-10.30pm) 411

, a is TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN US$10/20/30; season. high to payforallthebedsinroomduring a busyplacesosolotraveller have might dingy andthebathroomsdecrepit. It’salso plenty tobedesired astheroomsare pretty middle of downtown.Yet itsqualityleaves this onehasthebestlocation,smackin dm/s/d US$10/20/30; for Muratwhenyouarrive. ers stillknowthisstreet asShaumyana. Ask great forpeoplewhoare transiting.Taxi driv- (see p435 ) asthisisanunofficial hotel, but Not anoptionforpeoplewithtouristvisas shared toilets.Thefamilyalsokeeps pigeons. hotwaterclean, withconstant anddecent downtown. Theroomsare functionaland US$5) Homestay Amanov Budget found themdepressingly isolated. we’ve although inthese, that theirclientsstay Mosttourcompaniessuggestof Berzengi. perfectly hotels comfortable inthesuburb enormous numberof largely and deserted withbuildinghotelsobsession hasleftan 412 the renovations have thus farfailedtoreach recently gave itslobby amarblemakeover, but or take trolleybus6. It’s located ridefromdowntown, ashort taxi and sauna. Breakfast isincludedintherates. comes withTV. Hotel amenities includeabar an extraUS$5youget ahalf- tern. Thebathroomsare For notahighlight. tohaveeach seems itsownwallpaperpat- ofRooms comeinvaryingstates decayand an enormousbronzeprofile of Turkmenbashi. Institute.Languages It’slocated neartheAzadyWorld basement. to passthetimethere isabilliardshallinthe andwellappointed. comfortable Ifyouneed bedroom.Thesingleroomislikewiseseparate ler. Thevery large ingly goodvalue,especiallyforthesolotravel- much attention, buttheroomsare surpris- Görogly and sports a comfortable lobby with Görogly andsportsacomfortable impression, of thishotel isonaleafysection 60a; s/d/trUS$15/30/33; quiet neighbourhood a short taxi ridefrom quiet neighbourhood ashorttaxi s/d US$20/30; Bezirgen Hotel Hotel Bezirgen Dayhan Hotel Hotel Ashgabat Ashgabat Hotel Syyahat Hotel This eccentric homestay islocated ina Thiseccentrichomestay SGBT • leig ASHGABAT ••Sleeping a a ) ) This small hotel doesn’t get Thissmallhotel doesn’t Ashgabat’s oldSoviet standby (

% a ( ( % % (

% lux ( % 35 73 44, 35 73 72; Azadi köçesi69; 35 7344,72;Azadi ) a 34 4508,4220;Göroglyköçesi Among thebudget hotels, 34 0644;Mopraköçesi45;s/d/lux 35 74 05; Magtymguly 35 7405;Magtymguly room has a sofa, TV and roomhasasofa, TV 39 3672;2028köçesi106;dm ) Making adecentfirst lux roomthat ş ayoli 74; US$25/30 This surreal, stripof deserted totally hotels BERZENGI the basement. is clean.AmenitiesincludeaTurkishbathin renovated bathroomsare goodandtheplace unexciting andalittlecramped,butthenewly near theArch of Neutrality.Theroomsare tle overpriced, buthasanexcellentlocation menistan TurkmenistanHotel CENTRAL ASHGABAT Midrange and abetter viewfacingMagtymguly. half- extra US$5perperson, youcanupgradetoa Foran frommostsights. walking distance surprisingly cheap (perhaps asitiscontrolled lent hotel isoneof thebest inthecity,andit is Nissa Hotel Top End facilities atthePresident Hotel. the swimmingpoolnextdoorand internet part of the AhalGroup,givingyouaccessto with akitchenette andincludebreakfast. It’s at itsentrance. rooms are Large case ensuite impressive vaulted ceilingandaspiralstair- s/d US$40/45; is included rant andanindoorpool,butnobar. Breakfast breakfast US$40/50; rant downstairs. Breakfast isincluded. the food–there restau- isanexcellentChinese butmaybetheyarein theevening justhere for OK. Itattractsaninteresting castof characters blotches onthecarpet,roomshere seem if youdon’tmindthedesolate location. than hotels. There are somegoodbargains here 20 roomsandlookingmore like private villas are enormous,despite having never more than are allgovernment-run andmost guesthouses minute drive fromthecitycentre. Thehotels nestles beneaththeattractive KopetDag,a10- rooms andhardwoodfloors. Ithasarestau- rid palace,theAhalsportsattractive, bright a decent choice because ofa decentchoice because thenicelocation, down, andthebathroomslacksinks,butit’s the guestrooms.Roomsare smallandrun- köçesi 18;s/d/steUS$50/60/90; Hotel Ahal Hotel Aziya Hotel Hotel Independent Hotel lux ş room with a TV, improved bathroom roomwithaTV, ayoli 19;s/d/steUS$40/50/60; a ( as % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ) Besides themysterious dark Besides (

% 48 87 00/1/2/3/4; fax 48 81 55; Atabayev 48 8700/1/2/3/4;fax 8155;Atabayev ( as % 48 8737;Archabil ) Thishuge hotel features an ( % 48 0180;Archabil

( % ) 35 0544,0960;BitrapTurk- Designedlike aTimu- ais 48 8700;Archabil as ş ayoli 35;s/dincl ) This excel- ş ayoli 31;s/d ) ş Alit- ayoli 33; 12 51;Göroglyköçesi7;s/d/steUS$75/80/140; the inevitable stomach bug.Still,mealsarethe inevitable have someGI-medsonhandtocounteract tend tobeprettyhygiene standards lowso Ashgabat isnotknownforitscuisine and EATING desolate. Breakfast isincludedinthe rates. locationisfairly 40% discount),itsBerzengi the pricesare reasonable (andgroupsget a the topfloorisoneof thebestintown. While bathrobe and asafe. restaurant TheItalian on Gaudy roomscomewithlittlenicetieslike a giftshop andgrandmarblehallway. sauna, ming pools(oneindoor,oneoutdoor),agym, brashest hotel inAshgabat. Ithastwoswim- This 151-roombehemoth isthenewest, .tm; Archabil effective inallrooms. be properlyair-conditioned, asit’snotterribly checkingBefore in,make sure yourroomcan amenities includeafitnesscentre andsauna. to manyrestaurants andshops, andinhouse It’s alively downtownplace,walkingdistance divided intoabedroomandcosylivingroom. rooms are inexcellentshape. Thesuites are issmall,butthe are abitcrampedandtheTV Turkmen isagreat choice. rooms Thestandard location,theGrand withanunbeatable Blessed upgrade.needed Breakfast isincluded. hotel foratimeandhasgiven theplaceamuch cotton ball.Sheraton managingthe hadbeen and theexterior designismeanttolooklike a means ‘White Gold’,isareference tocotton, and afitnesscentre. Theunusualname,which this 109-roomhotel haswell-appointed rooms of upto60%onthewalk-inprice. Mosttravel agents canget discounts service. centre, breakfast and24-hourroom buffet able roomsandextrasincludinganinternet by thepresident’s son),withlarge, comfort- Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com the ‘Golden Bowl’ is a pleasant place forlunchthe ‘Golden Bowl’isapleasant 11pm) Altyn Jam Restaurants get toarestaurant by10pmat thelatest. dinner. Allshut atabout11pm,soit’s bestto areRestaurants mainly openforlunch and cheap and youcaneatwellonUS$2toUS$3. cupying aleafylocationwestof downtown, tymguly o President Hotel Hotel President Ak AltynHotel Knownas AJs to theforeign community, ş ayoli 141/1;s/d/steUS$60/65/120; ( % ş Grand Turkmen Hotel ayoli 54;s/d/steUS$110/120/180; 39 68 50; Magtymguly 39 6850;Magtymguly ( % ( % 36 37 00; [email protected]; Mag- 36 3700;[email protected]; 40 0000;presidenthotel@online ş ( ayoli 101; % 51 0555;fax as ASHGABAT ••Eating ais ais h ) 11am- Oc- ) ) white wine(US$15).Itattractsayoung,hip ing shrimp shashlyk(US$7)andfrogslegsin won’t findanywhere inthecity,includ- else anarrayof dishesyouprobably Sim serves restaurant is no easy feat to pull off in Central restaurant isnoeasy feat topulloff inCentral US$8-15; place take ataxi. and inthemain dining room.Tofindthis crowd whoeatanddrinkonthelively balcony there’s of wine. adecentselection Italian enormousmillsand fromsuitably is served in thecity.TheParmesan isfresh, pepper reputation of beingoneof thebesteateries köçesi 18;dishesUS$6-7; endangered speciessuch asthemaral deer. ellers shouldresist eatingdishes thatinclude product. Whatever thehealthbenefits,trav- of vodka,’considered maralChinese ahealth menu offers afew delicacies,including‘penis red lanterns addtotheAsian décor,whilethe inspicySichuan dishes.The joint specialises US$3-5; live musiconweekends. playArabicmusicandhas bland, butitdoes Theatmosphere inapita). isabit and served chicken grape leaves), like hummus, favourites MiddleEastern uptasty serving 4; isrecommended.in beer style smallcakes withbrains’.Thecarpstewed dishes include‘squirrel and‘English- salad,’ the menuisvaried,ifnotalittleamusing– dependence Park. Theviewsare great and floor of theenormouswaterfall-mall inIn- This classyrestaurant islocated onthe5th wood-fired oven. get very hotinthesummermonths duetothe isattentive itcan andswift,although service bread. cheese (Turkish pizza),andtasty The Turkish uptasty fare including serves h liver pizzatoyourhotel room. areserts especiallygoodhere, anditwillde- andreliableand hastasty Europeanfood.Des- Centre, IndependencePark; dishesUS$2-4; 11pm) h o Italian Restaurant Ay Peri Erzurum Sim Dip Club Restaurant Minara 10am-10.30pm) 11am-4pm &6-11pm) Hidden amongapartmentblocks, Sim h h shawarma ( 10am-11pm) 11am-11pm Mon-Sat,5-11pmSun) ( ( Ayna ( % % % % 39 50 69; Magtymguly 39 5069;Magtymguly moutabal 45 3343;Andalibaköçesi50/1; 27 53 71; Shevchenko köçesi53;US$1.50-3; 27 5371;Shevchenko 33 0511;Göroglyköçesi117;dishesUS$3- ( Smart andsimple,theEzurum dolma % 39 10 56; Kemine köçesi 39 1056;Kemine ( (chicken cutfromaspit % ( h % This authentic Chinese authentic Chinese This (vegetables in stuffed 22 11 35; Hotel Nissa, Atabayev 22 1135;HotelNissa,Atabayev Lebanese restaurant Lebanese 11am-11pm) 47 2286;AltynAsyrShopping (grilled eggplant) and (grilled eggplant) ş h ayoli 112;dishes Enjoys the A seafood Aseafood 10am-11pm)

156a; dishes h 10am- pide 413

TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN the renovations have thus farfailedtoreach recently gave itslobby amarblemakeover, but or take trolleybus6. It’s located ridefromdowntown, ashort taxi and sauna. Breakfast isincludedintherates. comes withTV. Hotel amenities includeabar an extraUS$5youget ahalf- tern. Thebathroomsare For notahighlight. tohaveeach seems itsownwallpaperpat- ofRooms comeinvaryingstates decayand an enormousbronzeprofile of Turkmenbashi. Institute.Languages It’slocated neartheAzadyWorld basement. to passthetimethere isabilliardshallinthe andwellappointed. comfortable Ifyouneed bedroom.Thesingleroomislikewiseseparate ler. Thevery large ingly goodvalue,especiallyforthesolotravel- much attention, buttheroomsare surpris- US$10/20/30; season. high to payforallthebedsinroomduring a busyplacesosolotraveller have might dingy andthebathroomsdecrepit. It’salso plenty tobedesired astheroomsare pretty middle of downtown.Yet itsqualityleaves this onehasthebestlocation,smackin dm/s/d US$10/20/30; for Muratwhenyouarrive. ers stillknowthisstreet asShaumyana. Ask great forpeoplewhoare transiting.Taxi driv- (see p435 ) asthisisanunofficial hotel, but Not anoptionforpeoplewithtouristvisas shared toilets.Thefamilyalsokeeps pigeons. hotwaterclean, withconstant anddecent downtown. Theroomsare functionaland US$5) Homestay Amanov Budget found themdepressingly isolated. we’ve although inthese, that theirclientsstay Mosttourcompaniessuggestof Berzengi. perfectly hotels comfortable inthesuburb enormous numberof largely and deserted withbuildinghotelsobsession hasleftan 412 Görogly and sports a comfortable lobby with Görogly andsportsacomfortable impression, of thishotel isonaleafysection 60a; s/d/trUS$15/30/33; quiet neighbourhood a short taxi ridefrom quiet neighbourhood ashorttaxi s/d US$20/30; Hotel Ashgabat Ashgabat Hotel Syyahat Hotel Hotel Bezirgen Dayhan Hotel This eccentric homestay islocated ina Thiseccentrichomestay SGBT • leig ASHGABAT ••Sleeping a a ) ) This small hotel doesn’t get Thissmallhotel doesn’t Ashgabat’s oldSoviet standby (

% a ( ( % % (

% lux ( % 35 73 44, 35 73 72; Azadi köçesi69; 35 7344,72;Azadi ) a 34 4508,4220;Göroglyköçesi Among thebudget hotels, 34 0644;Mopraköçesi45;s/d/lux 35 74 05; Magtymguly 35 7405;Magtymguly room has a sofa, TV and roomhasasofa, TV 39 3672;2028köçesi106;dm ) Making adecentfirst lux roomthat ş ayoli 74; US$25/30 surprisingly cheap (perhaps asitiscontrolled lent hotel isoneof thebest inthecity,andit is Nissa Hotel Top End facilities atthePresident Hotel. the swimmingpoolnextdoorand internet part of the AhalGroup,givingyouaccessto with akitchenette andincludebreakfast. It’s at itsentrance. rooms are Large case ensuite impressive vaulted ceilingandaspiralstair- s/d US$40/45; is included rant andanindoorpool,butnobar. Breakfast breakfast US$40/50; rant downstairs. Breakfast isincluded. the food–there restau- isanexcellentChinese butmaybetheyarein theevening justhere for OK. Itattractsaninteresting castof characters blotches onthecarpet,roomshere seem if youdon’tmindthedesolate location. than hotels. There are somegoodbargains here 20 roomsandlookingmore like private villas are enormous,despite having never more than are allgovernment-run andmost guesthouses minute drive fromthecitycentre. Thehotels nestles beneaththeattractive KopetDag,a10- This surreal, stripof deserted totally hotels BERZENGI the basement. is clean.AmenitiesincludeaTurkishbathin renovated bathroomsare goodandtheplace unexciting andalittlecramped,butthenewly near theArch of Neutrality.Theroomsare tle overpriced, buthasanexcellentlocation menistan TurkmenistanHotel CENTRAL ASHGABAT Midrange and abetter viewfacingMagtymguly. half- extra US$5perperson, youcanupgradetoa Foran frommostsights. walking distance rooms andhardwoodfloors. Ithasarestau- rid palace,theAhalsportsattractive, bright a decent choice because ofa decentchoice because thenicelocation, down, andthebathroomslacksinks,butit’s the guestrooms.Roomsare smallandrun- köçesi 18;s/d/steUS$50/60/90; Hotel Ahal Hotel Aziya Hotel Hotel Independent Hotel lux ş room with a TV, improved bathroom roomwithaTV, ayoli 19;s/d/steUS$40/50/60; a ( as % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ) Besides themysterious dark Besides (

% 48 87 00/1/2/3/4; fax 48 81 55; Atabayev 48 8700/1/2/3/4;fax 8155;Atabayev ( as % 48 8737;Archabil ) Thishuge hotel features an ( % 48 0180;Archabil

156a; dishes h 10am- pide 413

TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN selection ofselection coffees imported fromIndonesia, the city.As thenameindicates, there isanice this oneof themore attractive restaurants in andEuropean-styleatmosphere make service US$3; US$0.80; leisure time. howyoungAshgabatansto see spendtheir pizza, butit’sstillafunplacefordrinkor tempt athotdogs,burgers, and sandwiches at- the walls.Thefoodisafairlylamentable plates andcarfenderslicense poking outfrom Sinatra, Marilyn andElvis,rusting Monroe kitsch Americana,you’llfindposters of Frank tymguly Ş Quick Eats (US$45) are amongthemains. Baked scallops(US$15)andapriceylobster includes red caviar, andsourcream. potato (US$5),which salad (US$5) andthetsar’s soupStarters includeanexcellentseafood isfriendly. with modelships andtheservice tasteful interior isappropriately decorated ingredients infromMoscowandDubai.The Asia, butthisplacemanages byflyingallits 414 large mugsof you’re imported beer after then of shashlyk. pints of microbrewed andsizzlingsticks beer upfrothy located behindthecircus,serves a friendtofillyourcup. pouring yourowndrinkisbadform, waitfor couldblindyou).Onelastreminder,stuff to spendmore than US$1(thesupercheap booze, make sure andtry thebottle hasaseal in First Park. Ifyouprefer tobuyyourown day, check outoneof thepatiobars located in thecity.Foracooldrinkonhotsummer thatexistcater mainlytoexpatsliving those There are few dedicated bars in Ashgabat and DRINKING Ashgabat’s expats. Thisplaceisveryor tabuleh. popularwith thehummus yousampling see might petisers omelettes andpastrieswhileafternoon ap- America. BreakfastAfrica andLatin includes US$2; ciate thiscake, ice-cream andcoffee shop. köçesi; azada Sai Baba rts Pub British Bar Iceberg Coffee House h h SGBT • rnig ASHGABAT ••Drinking h ş ( h ayoli; % 9am-11pm) 10am-4am) 10am-11pm) 8am-11pm) 39 57 64; Turkmenistan Söwda Merkazi, Mag- 39 5764;Turkmenistan SöwdaMerkazi, ( % h (Florida; (Florida;

( %

( 39 57 64; Magtymguly 39 5764;Magtymguly 8am-11pm) % Theeclecticmenu,excellent Ifit’spub grub,expatsand 36 18 08; cnr Kemine köçesi & Revfov köçesi&Revfov 36 1808;cnrKemine This tranquil beer garden, Thistranquilbeer 39 6006;Turkmenbashi 15A;dishes % Dessert-lovers willappre- 39 3336;Göroglyköçesi 8;beer A bizarre tribute to ş ayoli 113; cake ayoli 113;cake However, thereHowever, isa zov declared motionpictures ‘un-Turkmen’. There are nocinemasinthecitysinceNiya- Cinemas ENTERTAINMENT with bothlocalsandexpats. aginable Englishfootballteam, andispopular of im- every scarves from homeitcontains Asia.its waytoCentral Like ahomeaway Pub isanotherreal British pubthathasfound the BritishPub. recommend tryingTandoori, located adjacent mended. Forsomethingmore ethnic,expats and chips, andsteak; thefajitas are recom- The menu(dishesUS$3)includesburgers, fish withlivenight musicandfree-flowing alcohol. mosphere isabitsombre, butgets goingat and management. Thelow-lit,dark-woodat- for quite awhile,albeitunderdifferent names step intoBritish around Pub,which hasbeen of paddednooks where you cansitandwatch a huge room contains bar and lots a second ing inferno of while andlasers, strobe lights people. Thedanceroomisaflash- the same located above theBritishPub andownedby in Ashgabat isthisnewlyrenovated venue, 8; numbers of prostitutes. of foreign businessmen theyalsoattractlarge areAltyn; these allpopular,butas they get lots GrandTurkmen andtheAk such astheNissa, check insidethebighotels, outthenightclubs thefollowing youcouldalso limited. Besides aspeciallicence,andsothingsareneeds Ashgabat –anyoneoperatingbeyond11pm There are ahandfulof operatingin nightspots Nightclubs of traditionaldancingandsinging. son, includingdinnerandafullprogramme most travel agents foraroundUS$20perper- ist-oriented are ‘folkevenings’ organised by Fun,yetextremelya few aweek. nights tour- ish Pub(see left ), which hostslocalrockbands The bestplacetotryforlive musicistheBrit- Live Music undubbed Englishversion. you maybeable toget themtoputonthe in Russian, butifyouare theonlycustomer the Yimpa US$2.50; h Kumush Ay City Pub 11pm-4am) h ş 9am-11pm) ( departmentstore. Allthefilmsare % (Florida; (Florida; The biggest, brashest nightclub Thebiggest, brashest nightclub 35 2288;AlisheraNavoiköçesi54a;beer % In aworryingtrend, City DVD Cinema 39 3336,51;Göroglyköçesi lonelyplanet.com

( % 45 4266) in mer months. 7pm. Itisalsousuallyshut duringthesum- banning both. in Ashgabat, thanks toapresidential decree andoperaareSunday. Ballet notperformed formances are heldat7pmonSaturdayand into asmallerfacilitynearGuneshPark. Per- original theatre demolishedandwasmoved plex featuring, amongother things, theonly 41 93; Magtymguly 41 93;Magtymguly once-proud longer supported bythegovernment, the Russian Theatre isdyingaslowdeath.No US$0.25) Theatre musical performances,visitthe theatre willprobably beshut.ForTurkmen toOctober) the insummer(July although ances are heldWednesdaytoSundayat7pm, 74 63;Magtymguly drama isatthe music. Thebestplacetowatch Turkmen centred onTurkmenfolklore andtraditional watching musicalanddramaticproductions Ashgabat offers someexcellentvenues for Theatre &ConcertHalls on match days. should have notroublepickingupaticket which You playsattheKopetDagstadium. Magtymguly ride. oraUS$0.50taxi east of thecitycentre –eitherbus4down races.It’s5km to dramaticTurkmenhorse mid-November, theHippodromeplayshost May, thenagainfromtheendof Augustuntil Every Sundayfromtheendof March until Ashgabat isagreat placeforhorse-lovers. Sport Florida Nightclub. know thisplacebyitsalternative name,the the action.Note drivers thatsometaxi may lonelyplanet.com you want tobuyinexpensive cottonclothing, fromfrozeneverything lobster toDoritos. If escalators Here inTurkmenistan. you canbuy h is the The biggest andbestsupermarket intown SHOPPING crowd of regulars. Lively localbarthatattractsanenthusiastic While Turkmenproductionsflourish, the The localfootballteam isKopetDag, Mukan Club Mukan 7am-11pm) , which hasshowsFridaytoSundayat Yimpa ( % , ahuge Turkish shoppingcom- Pushkin RussianDrama Theatre Pushkin 35 05 64; Shevchenko köçesi;admission35 0564;Shevchenko ş (

ş % ( ayoli 79;admissionUS$0.25). ş % Mollanepes DramaTheatre ayoli 142;admissionUS$0.25) ASHGABAT ••Shopping 35 1854;First Park; 45 4266;Turkmenbashi h Magtymguly Magtymguly 10am-11pm) Perform- saw its saw ş ayoli 54;

( ( % % 35 36 office canhandle Aeroflot connections. Magtymguly Aeroflot Aeroflot in Ashgabat. (exceptwherestan andhave stated) offices The followingairlinesflyto/fromTurkmeni- AIRLINE OFFICES (US$11). three toBalkanabat weekly US$10,viaTurkmenabat) and(Atamurat; (US$12), aswellregular toKerki flights Mary (US$11),twodailytoTurkmenbashi daily toTurkmenabat (US$12),twodailyto five toDashogus(US$11),three dailyflights change regularly butthere are approximately vance asfaraheadpossible. Timetables also massive tobebooked need inad- andflights demand isamazingly low.Consequently, heavily tomake subsidised theticket prices US$140). both link Ashgabat andTashkent (oneway AirlinesandUzbekistanmenistan Airways chapter ( p461 Asia,). Within Central Turk- Asia Asia theTransportinCentral Central see fromoutside For informationabout flights Air GETTING THERE&AWAY shop of Culture atthesmall lapel pinscanbebought and flowers. Niyazov books,calendars and Bazaar great forCDsandclothing,whilethe ers inthetowncentre. is TheRussianBazaar Asia,most fabulousinCentral there are oth- (see Tolkuchka Bazaar p411 ) ispossiblythe had atoneof Ashgabat’s manymarkets. While welcomes foreign visitors infortea. displayed hisartingalleriesworldwideand sign). Muhammedov, whospeaksEnglish, has gate de- horse withthe stained-glass metal The galleryisnexttoCityPub(lookforthe ofstudio, plusamuseum ancientartefacts. Muhammedov’s aroundhis own works set Muhammedov. Theuniquecollectionhas produced art,try government-run for thetextile industry.Forcarpets,trythe Grand TurkmenHotel, which hasoutletshops visit the köçesi 5 59 31;Göroglyköçesi12a) Domestic Turkmenistan Airlines flights are Airlinesflights Domestic Turkmenistan The bestshopping experiencesare tobe If youare lookingtobuysomelocally ), eastof Museum. theCarpet isrecommended fruit forfoodstuffs, ( Altyn Asyr Marketing Centre Marketing Altyn Asyr % ş ayoli 73)No flightstoTurkmenistan butthis 39 87 92; Turkmenistan Söwda Merkazi; 39 8792;Turkmenistan SöwdaMerkazi; (Asudaliq köçesi33). Carpet Shop Carpet Muhammed Art Gallery Gallery Art Muhammed , runbyartistAllamurat

( % , opposite the 35 2550;Görogly Ministry Ministry ( Tekke % 415

39 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN large mugsof you’re imported beer after then of shashlyk. pints of microbrewed andsizzlingsticks beer upfrothy located behindthecircus,serves a friendtofillyourcup. pouring yourowndrinkisbadform, waitfor couldblindyou).Onelastreminder,stuff to spendmore than US$1(thesupercheap booze, make sure andtry thebottle hasaseal in First Park. Ifyouprefer tobuyyourown day, check outoneof thepatiobars located in thecity.Foracooldrinkonhotsummer thatexistcater mainlytoexpatsliving those There are few dedicated bars in Ashgabat and DRINKING Ashgabat’s expats. Thisplaceisveryor tabuleh. popularwith thehummus yousampling see might petisers omelettes andpastrieswhileafternoon ap- America. BreakfastAfrica andLatin includes ofselection coffees imported fromIndonesia, the city.As thenameindicates, there isanice this oneof themore attractive restaurants in andEuropean-styleatmosphere make service US$3; US$0.80; leisure time. howyoungAshgabatansto see spendtheir pizza, butit’sstillafunplacefordrinkor tempt athotdogs,burgers, and sandwiches at- the walls.Thefoodisafairlylamentable plates andcarfenderslicense poking outfrom Sinatra, Marilyn andElvis,rusting Monroe kitsch Americana,you’llfindposters of Frank tymguly Ş Quick Eats (US$45) are amongthemains. Baked scallops(US$15)andapriceylobster includes red caviar, andsourcream. potato (US$5),which salad (US$5) andthetsar’s soupStarters includeanexcellentseafood isfriendly. with modelships andtheservice tasteful interior isappropriately decorated ingredients infromMoscowandDubai.The Asia, butthisplacemanages byflyingallits 414 US$2; ciate thiscake, ice-cream andcoffee shop. köçesi; azada Sai Baba rts Pub British Bar Iceberg Coffee House h h SGBT • rnig ASHGABAT ••Drinking h ş ( h ayoli; % 9am-11pm) 10am-4am) 10am-11pm) 8am-11pm) 39 57 64; Turkmenistan Söwda Merkazi, Mag- 39 5764;Turkmenistan SöwdaMerkazi, ( % h (Florida; (Florida;

( %

( 39 57 64; Magtymguly 39 5764;Magtymguly 8am-11pm) % Theeclecticmenu,excellent Ifit’spub grub,expatsand 36 18 08; cnr Kemine köçesi & Revfov köçesi&Revfov 36 1808;cnrKemine This tranquil beer garden, Thistranquilbeer 39 6006;Turkmenbashi 15A;dishes % Dessert-lovers willappre- 39 3336;Göroglyköçesi 8;beer A bizarre tribute to ş ayoli 113; cake ayoli 113;cake of paddednooks where you cansitandwatch a huge room contains bar and lots a second ing inferno of while andlasers, strobe lights people. Thedanceroomisaflash- the same located above theBritishPub andownedby in Ashgabat isthisnewlyrenovated venue, 8; numbers of prostitutes. of foreign businessmen theyalsoattractlarge areAltyn; these allpopular,butas they get lots GrandTurkmen andtheAk such astheNissa, check insidethebighotels, outthenightclubs thefollowing youcouldalso limited. Besides aspeciallicence,andsothingsareneeds Ashgabat –anyoneoperatingbeyond11pm There are ahandfulof operatingin nightspots Nightclubs of traditionaldancingandsinging. son, includingdinnerandafullprogramme most travel agents foraroundUS$20perper- ist-oriented are ‘folkevenings’ organised by Fun,yetextremelya few aweek. nights tour- ish Pub(see left ), which hostslocalrockbands The bestplacetotryforlive musicistheBrit- Live Music undubbed Englishversion. you maybeable toget themtoputonthe in Russian, butifyouare theonlycustomer the Yimpa thereHowever, isa zov declared motionpictures ‘un-Turkmen’. There are nocinemasinthecitysinceNiya- Cinemas ENTERTAINMENT with bothlocalsandexpats. aginable Englishfootballteam, andispopular of im- every scarves from homeitcontains Asia.its waytoCentral Like ahomeaway Pub isanotherreal British pubthathasfound the BritishPub. recommend tryingTandoori, located adjacent mended. Forsomethingmore ethnic,expats and chips, andsteak; thefajitas are recom- The menu(dishesUS$3)includesburgers, fish withlivenight musicandfree-flowing alcohol. mosphere isabitsombre, butgets goingat and management. Thelow-lit,dark-woodat- for quite awhile,albeitunderdifferent names step intoBritish around Pub,which hasbeen US$2.50; h Kumush Ay City Pub 11pm-4am) h ş 9am-11pm) ( departmentstore. Allthefilmsare % (Florida; (Florida; The biggest, brashest nightclub Thebiggest, brashest nightclub 35 2288;AlisheraNavoiköçesi54a;beer % In aworryingtrend, City DVD Cinema 39 3336,51;Göroglyköçesi lonelyplanet.com

( % , opposite the 35 2550;Görogly Ministry Ministry ( Tekke % 415

39 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN one way. forUS$340 viaBaku 73) HastwiceweeklyflightsfromKiev from flights to/fromYerevan. Two flights a week connecting Tashkent.Two flightsaweekconnecting Concourse,SaparmuratTurkmenbashi .com; Main Airport) London andMoscow. Bangkok,Birmingham,Delhi,Frankfurt, Amritsar, Magtymguly international 3900;www.turkmenistanairlines.com; flights per week from Frankfurt via Baku. viaBaku. flights perweekfromFrankfurt concourse,SaparmuratTurkmenbashi Three Main Airport) agency. doesn’t flytoAshgabat,butthisofficeisusefulasatravel Grand Turkmen Airways Hotel,Göroglyköçesi7)British private cars fluctuate bydemandandthemake and marshrutki Fares asmuch asbuses. for tination, andare byshared alsoused taxis inAshgabatBus stands are organised bydes- Bus, Marshrutka&SharedTaxi Airways Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Airlines Airlines Turkish Lufthansa Airways British Armavia UkrainianAirlines Aerosvit 416 Dashogus are slightly higher: LvovDashogus are higher: slightly will buses willcost US$24.Pricesto ing awhole taxi inasharedwhile aseat isUS$6. Charter- taxi Konye-Urgench costsUS$4(10to 12hours), Amarshrutka(also calledAzatlyk Bazaar). to Urgench leaves fromtheDashogusBazaar islockedby 2pmthebusstation up. departearlyinthemorningand buses These (fiveand onetoBalkanabat hours, US$1.20). (fourhours, US$1) US$0.80), onetoSerakhs (4½ hours, US$1),fourtoTejen (2½hours, tion, which runsthree perdaytoMary buses Near theprivate lotisanofficial bussta- taxi and Turkmenbashi(sixhours, bothUS$6.25). (4¼hours, toBalkanabat bothUS$4) taxis aeroport) bashi leaves from theOldAirport (6½ hours, US$5). to Mary (fourhours, US$3) andTurkmenabat asyoulookatit.Therestation, are marshrutki leaves fromthehubtoleftof themaintrain car. the of Magtymguly vit.com; Turkmenistan SöwdaMerkazi, ishairlines.com; Magtymguly ishairlines.com; Magtymguly Transport forDashogusandKonye- andTurkmen- Transport forBalkanabat Transport forMary andTurkmenabat İ stanbul toAshgabat. SGBT • etn rud ASHGABAT Around ••Getting ( % . There are marshrutki andshared ( ş % ayoli 82)FromAshgabattoAbuDhabi, 39 0548;Turkmenba 33 20 37, 33 20 56; www.lufthansa.com; 33 2037,56;www.lufthansa.com; ( ( % % 51 07 99; www.britishairways.com; 51 0799;www.britishairways.com; ( 39 2919,356619;www.turk % (domestic 37 8203;www.uzairways ş ayoli 73)Fourflightsweekly ( % ş % 35 0164;www.aeros i ş ayoli 15)Weekly 35 2643, İ stanbul, (stary ş ayoli travel aroundthecountryandare notparticu- hours, US$2).Trainsare theslowestwayto one incredibly slowtraintoDashogus(24 and Turkmenabat(15hours, US$1.50)and three departures forMary (8½hours, US$1) per daytoTurkmenbashi(11hours, US$2), ridefromdowntown.Theretaxi are twotrains northern endof Turkmenbashi The Ashgabat Train costsUS$0.20. (forOldNissa) Bagyr side of Tekke Bazaar. Aspotin aminibusto departfromthewesterngabat (egOldNissa) 11 to12hours. willcostUS$9andthetriptakesplace inataxi (US$5) make thetripin12to14hours. A (15hours) arebuses faster, whilemarshrutki a two-hourstopforlunch ontheway.Ikarus take 18hours forthetrip(US$3.50)including sion US$1; initsprime the 3rdcentury BC, ofFounded asthecapital theParthians in Nissa &Around AROUND ASHGABAT call order ataxi over onarrivalwithextreme confidence. To beforehand, justhandthemoney otherwise for alonger one. If indoubt,agree onaprice for ashort tripwithinthecity,andUS$0.45 anywhere. topayUS$0.15US$0.20 Expect but youcanflagdowncars almost withease are taxis notparticularlyplentiful,Official Taxi Ashgabat hasnometrosystem ortrams. on abusroute andlivingoutof thecitycentre. –unlessyouhappen tobe buses reason touse beingsocheap,modern. Withtaxis there’s little areBuses crowdedandslow,butdirtcheap and Public Transport for anythingfromUS$5toUS$10initially. in. Drivers are likely totrytheirluckasking topayUS$1,butagreeExpect before getting both plentifulandcheap, especiallyifshared. Theyarefrom theairportistotake ataxi. The bestwaytoget intocentral Ashgabat To/From theAirport GETTING AROUND are for either.larly comfortable Pricesquoted above Short-distance destinations westof Ash- kupe/ h 8am-6pm) 2nd-class train station % 35 3406. was reinforced with43 .

( % lonelyplanet.com 39 3804) ş ayoli, ashort Nissa isatthe

(admis- ings, sportingfacilitiesanditsownmosque. project withmassive futuristicmarblebuild- Gypjak government officials. The children in thisvillage are educated tobe the presidential Onthewayyou’llpass highway. alongthe sible totake theroadpastBerzengi town,todaythevillage ofmedieval Bagyr. far sideof thewestern wallare theruinsof a is thepartlyrebuilt ‘tower’building.Onthe have aZoroastriantemple. been Adjoiningit cludes alarge circularchamber to thought wine cellars innearbybuildings. of alarge builtaroundacourtyard,with house In thenorthernpartof thecityare theremains road followstheroute of theoriginalentrance. the fortress modernapproach walls;thesteep, after 15daysrazedittotheground. the Mongolsarrived, laidsiege tothecityand replaced anotheruntilthe13thcenturywhen thriving commercialcity.Onerulingdynasty couple of temples. Itwassurroundedbya towers thatsheltered theroyalpalaceanda lonelyplanet.com tion over themain arch ‘ states of independence. Theinscrip- Turkmenistan’s mosque, each representing 91mtall, theyear Four minarets soarabove the gold-domed Asia, itcan hold10,000worshippers.Central Mosque heresight isthegleaming Gypjak, is11kmwestof Ashgabat. Themajor The boyhoodhomeof President Niyazov, Coming bycarfromAshgabat itispos- The maincomplexonthewestern sidein- The ridges surroundingtheplateau were the walkhimself,andsoitwas. wasnotgoodenoughtodo that hisheart of thecourse. The president oftlamented as theycomewheezingtotheconclusion the finishbyhelicopter soastogreet them thentravel toto seethemoffatthestart the mountaininsuitsandties. Niyazov used headup thousands ofothercivilservants) isters andparliamentmembers(alongwith one 37km.OnceayeartheTurkmen min- tains. There are twowalks–one8kmand built intothesideofKopetDagmoun- the One ofNiyazov’s more idiosyncraticprojects, STAIRCASE TO…? Palace ofOrphans Walk ofHealth ; thebiggest structure of itskindin ASHGABAT Desert ••Karakum , anotherbizarre Niyazov isaconcrete staircase Turkmenbashi Ruhy Ruhnama is agreed of details your tripontheitinerary. torequestyou’ll need thatyour guidelists extra fuelandpossibly abackupvehicle, remote villages. As this requires much time, more towardsever trips furtherinto the desert adventure, atravel agency canorganise 4WD down fortea insideayurt. watch traditional cookingmethodsandsit ofa glimpse ruralTurkmenlife, andyoucan looklikedoesn’t much, offer thevillage does theovergrazedto blowoff dunes.While it continue assands consumed bythedesert the occasionalcamel,Jerbent isbeingslowly collection of homes,battered trucks,yurtsand bent includingtheoasistownofsettlements, butmanagesdesert tosupportahandfulof Asia’sof hottest It’sCentral Turkmenistan. of dunesandsparse vegetation inthecentre The Karakum isasun-scorched expanse desert KARAKUM DESERT followed. loosely Turkmen visitthemosqueonceayearisonly Saudi government. Niyazov’s request thatall he returned withUS$10billionin aidfromthe president’s pilgrimage toMecca, fromwhich and burrows.Themosque’snamerefers tothe ridges besidethetelltale blue domes,stands futuristic was partof acollective farm.Todaythelarge earthen fortress, where 15,000Turkmendied, the uncommemorated site of thebreached against theRussians.DuringSoviet era (Green Hill),site of theTurkmen’slaststand isthevillage ofbat andBakharden Ashga-Midway onthemainroadbetween Geok-Depe for400vehicles.enough is anenormousunderground carparkbig road. Parking shouldn’t beaproblem –there visible fromthemainAshgabat–Balkanabat father isceremonial. brothers andhismother,themarker forhis Turkmenbashi wasburiedalongsidehistwo thegravetaining of formerPresident Niyazov. to themosqueisanelegant sitting onenormoushandwoven carpets.Next the grandeurandextravagance of itallwhile into theminarets. Inside,youcancontemplate there are quotes fromthe a holybook;theKoranisAllah’sbook’and If youhave of time,moneyand asense The mosqueandmausoleumare clearly , 160kmnorthof Ashgabat. Aramshackle Saparmurat

Hajji Mosque Ruhnama mausoleum , anditssky- Geok-Depe etched con- 417 Jer-

TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN one way. forUS$340 viaBaku 73) HastwiceweeklyflightsfromKiev from Two flights a week connecting Tashkent.Two flightsaweekconnecting Concourse,SaparmuratTurkmenbashi .com; Main Airport) flights to/fromYerevan. Magtymguly Magtymguly international 3900;www.turkmenistanairlines.com; London andMoscow. Bangkok,Birmingham,Delhi,Frankfurt, Amritsar, viaBaku. flights perweekfromFrankfurt concourse,SaparmuratTurkmenbashi Three Main Airport) agency. doesn’t flytoAshgabat,butthisofficeisusefulasatravel Grand Turkmen Airways Hotel,Göroglyköçesi7)British Dashogus are slightly higher: LvovDashogus are higher: slightly will buses willcost US$24.Pricesto ing awhole taxi inasharedwhile aseat isUS$6. Charter- taxi Konye-Urgench costsUS$4(10to 12hours), Amarshrutka(also calledAzatlyk Bazaar). to Urgench leaves fromtheDashogusBazaar islockedby 2pmthebusstation up. departearlyinthemorningand buses These (fiveand onetoBalkanabat hours, US$1.20). (fourhours, US$1) US$0.80), onetoSerakhs (4½ hours, US$1),fourtoTejen (2½hours, tion, which runsthree perdaytoMary buses Near theprivate lotisanofficial bussta- taxi and Turkmenbashi(sixhours, bothUS$6.25). (4¼hours, toBalkanabat bothUS$4) taxis aeroport) bashi leaves from theOldAirport (6½ hours, US$5). to Mary (fourhours, US$3) andTurkmenabat asyoulookatit.Therestation, are marshrutki leaves fromthehubtoleftof themaintrain car. the of private cars fluctuate bydemandandthemake and marshrutki Fares asmuch asbuses. for tination, andare byshared alsoused taxis inAshgabatBus stands are organised bydes- Bus, Marshrutka&SharedTaxi Airways Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Airlines Airlines Turkish Lufthansa Airways British Armavia Magtymguly vit.com; Turkmenistan SöwdaMerkazi, UkrainianAirlines Aerosvit 416 ishairlines.com; Magtymguly ishairlines.com; Magtymguly Transport forDashogusandKonye- andTurkmen- Transport forBalkanabat Transport forMary andTurkmenabat İ stanbul toAshgabat. SGBT • etn rud ASHGABAT Around ••Getting ( % . There are marshrutki andshared ( ş % ayoli 82)FromAshgabattoAbuDhabi, 39 0548;Turkmenba 33 20 37, 33 20 56; www.lufthansa.com; 33 2037,56;www.lufthansa.com; ( ( % % 51 07 99; www.britishairways.com; 51 0799;www.britishairways.com; ( 39 2919,356619;www.turk % (domestic 37 8203;www.uzairways ş ayoli 73)Fourflightsweekly ( % ş % 35 0164;www.aeros i ş ayoli 15)Weekly 35 2643, İ stanbul, (stary ş ayoli sion US$1; initsprime the 3rdcentury BC, ofFounded asthecapital theParthians in Nissa &Around AROUND ASHGABAT call order ataxi over onarrivalwithextreme confidence. To beforehand, justhandthemoney otherwise for alonger one. If indoubt,agree onaprice for ashort tripwithinthecity,andUS$0.45 anywhere. topayUS$0.15US$0.20 Expect but youcanflagdowncars almost withease are taxis notparticularlyplentiful,Official Taxi Ashgabat hasnometrosystem ortrams. on abusroute andlivingoutof thecitycentre. –unlessyouhappen tobe buses reason touse beingsocheap,modern. Withtaxis there’s little areBuses crowdedandslow,butdirtcheap and Public Transport for anythingfromUS$5toUS$10initially. in. Drivers are likely totrytheirluckasking topayUS$1,butagreeExpect before getting both plentifulandcheap, especiallyifshared. Theyarefrom theairportistotake ataxi. The bestwaytoget intocentral Ashgabat To/From theAirport GETTING AROUND are for either.larly comfortable Pricesquoted above travel aroundthecountryandare notparticu- hours, US$2).Trainsare theslowestwayto one incredibly slowtraintoDashogus(24 and Turkmenabat(15hours, US$1.50)and three departures forMary (8½hours, US$1) per daytoTurkmenbashi(11hours, US$2), ridefromdowntown.Theretaxi are twotrains northern endof Turkmenbashi The Ashgabat Train costsUS$0.20. (forOldNissa) Bagyr side of Tekke Bazaar. Aspotin aminibusto departfromthewesterngabat (egOldNissa) 11 to12hours. willcostUS$9andthetriptakesplace inataxi (US$5) make thetripin12to14hours. A (15hours) arebuses faster, whilemarshrutki a two-hourstopforlunch ontheway.Ikarus take 18hours forthetrip(US$3.50)including Short-distance destinations westof Ash- kupe/ h 8am-6pm) 2nd-class train station % 35 3406. was reinforced with43 .

( % lonelyplanet.com 39 3804) ş ayoli, ashort Nissa isatthe

(admis- Gypjak government officials. The children in thisvillage are educated tobe ings, sportingfacilitiesanditsownmosque. project withmassive futuristicmarblebuild- the presidential Onthewayyou’llpass highway. alongthe sible totake theroadpastBerzengi town,todaythevillage ofmedieval Bagyr. far sideof thewestern wallare theruinsof a is thepartlyrebuilt ‘tower’building.Onthe have aZoroastriantemple. been Adjoiningit cludes alarge circularchamber to thought wine cellars innearbybuildings. of alarge builtaroundacourtyard,with house In thenorthernpartof thecityare theremains road followstheroute of theoriginalentrance. the fortress modernapproach walls;thesteep, after 15daysrazedittotheground. the Mongolsarrived, laidsiege tothecityand replaced anotheruntilthe13thcenturywhen thriving commercialcity.Onerulingdynasty couple of temples. Itwassurroundedbya towers thatsheltered theroyalpalaceanda lonelyplanet.com tion over themain arch ‘ states of independence. Theinscrip- Turkmenistan’s mosque, each representing 91mtall, theyear Four minarets soarabove the gold-domed Asia, itcan hold10,000worshippers.Central Mosque heresight isthegleaming Gypjak, is11kmwestof Ashgabat. Themajor The boyhoodhomeof President Niyazov, Coming bycarfromAshgabat itispos- The maincomplexonthewestern sidein- The ridges surroundingtheplateau were the walkhimself,andsoitwas. wasnotgoodenoughtodo that hisheart of thecourse. The president oftlamented as theycomewheezingtotheconclusion the finishbyhelicopter soastogreet them thentravel toto seethemoffatthestart the mountaininsuitsandties. Niyazov used headup thousands ofothercivilservants) isters andparliamentmembers(alongwith one 37km.OnceayeartheTurkmen min- tains. There are twowalks–one8kmand built intothesideofKopetDagmoun- the One ofNiyazov’s more idiosyncraticprojects, STAIRCASE TO…? Palace ofOrphans Walk ofHealth ; thebiggest structure of itskindin ASHGABAT Desert ••Karakum , anotherbizarre Niyazov isaconcrete staircase Turkmenbashi Ruhy Ruhnama is agreed of details your tripontheitinerary. torequestyou’ll need thatyour guidelists extra fuelandpossibly abackupvehicle, remote villages. As this requires much time, more towardsever trips furtherinto the desert adventure, atravel agency canorganise 4WD down fortea insideayurt. watch traditional cookingmethodsandsit ofa glimpse ruralTurkmenlife, andyoucan looklikedoesn’t much, offer thevillage does theovergrazedto blowoff dunes.While it continue assands consumed bythedesert the occasionalcamel,Jerbent isbeingslowly collection of homes,battered trucks,yurtsand bent includingtheoasistownofsettlements, butmanagesdesert tosupportahandfulof Asia’sof hottest It’sCentral Turkmenistan. of dunesandsparse vegetation inthecentre The Karakum isasun-scorched expanse desert KARAKUM DESERT followed. loosely Turkmen visitthemosqueonceayearisonly Saudi government. Niyazov’s request thatall he returned withUS$10billionin aidfromthe president’s pilgrimage toMecca, fromwhich and burrows.Themosque’snamerefers tothe ridges besidethetelltale blue domes,stands futuristic was partof acollective farm.Todaythelarge earthen fortress, where 15,000Turkmendied, the uncommemorated site of thebreached against theRussians.DuringSoviet era (Green Hill),site of theTurkmen’slaststand isthevillage ofbat andBakharden Ashga-Midway onthemainroadbetween Geok-Depe for400vehicles.enough is anenormousunderground carparkbig road. Parking shouldn’t beaproblem –there visible fromthemainAshgabat–Balkanabat father isceremonial. brothers andhismother,themarker forhis Turkmenbashi wasburiedalongsidehistwo thegravetaining of formerPresident Niyazov. to themosqueisanelegant sitting onenormoushandwoven carpets.Next the grandeurandextravagance of itallwhile into theminarets. Inside,youcancontemplate there are quotes fromthe a holybook;theKoranisAllah’sbook’and If youhave of time,moneyand asense The mosqueandmausoleumare clearly , 160kmnorthof Ashgabat. Aramshackle Saparmurat

Hajji Mosque Ruhnama mausoleum , anditssky- Geok-Depe etched con- 417 Jer-

TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN to reach thecrater. bear inmindthatittakes agoodtwohours and walk fromtheroad,justfollowlight kiosk neartherailroadtracks.Ifyouintend to around togive directions, exceptperhapsata get stuckinthedunes.There isreally no-one rideanddrivers frequently getoff-road lostor of thecrater. tothecrater isaserious Getting camping placebehindthesmallhill,justsouth the gates of hell.There isanaturallysheltered the blazinginferno canonlybecompared to bubbling mudandwater. miles away.Theothertwocraters contain with anincredible strength that’svisiblefrom andblazes alight set artificial. Onehasbeen ploration inthe1950s,three craters are Apparently theresult of Soviet-era gasex- one of mostunusualsights. Turkmenistan’s added attractionof the the heartof theKarakum andhasthe desert andKonye-Urgench.the capital It’salsoat isthe halfwaypostbetween maps. Darvaza itmarked bytheroadonsome you’ll stillsee demolished ontheorders four people). ling, butthispriceisforgroupsof three to (depending onhowmanypeopleare travel- hicles, which costs aroundUS$200perday tripsusuallyrequire atleasttwove- Off-road 418 being home to vast oil and gas reserves, as being home tovastoiland gasreserves, is economically crucialto Turkmenistan, mountain-dwelling Nokhurians. The region ruin ed citiesandminoritytribessuch asthe country isoneof haunting moonscapes, thewestern partof standards, menistan the byTurk- path,even off-the-beaten Rather TURKMENISTAN WESTERN hoursto eight fromKonye-Urgench. about fourtofive hours fromAshgabat andsix Urgench orDashogus( p434 ). Thegascrater is have topay thefullpricetoAshgabat, Konye- you wanttoget you’llprobably although off, the vehicle thedriver knowthat isfull.Let around thevillage for aride,andleaving when transport fromJerbent; it’samatter of asking Jerbent.gus gothrough There isirregular gabat tobothKonye-Urgench andDasho- Although thevillageAlthough of All buses and marshrutki headedfromAsh-All buses The fire crater is best seen at night, when The fire atnight, crater isbestseen ETR UKEITN • ö t negon ae WESTERN TURKMENISTAN ••KöwAtaUndergroundLake Darvaza Darvaza Gas Craters Craters Gas Darvaza of thepresident, wasrecently , world. Atthebottomawaitsasuperblake of into awonderfullysulphuroussubterranean 65munderground, whichstaircase, takes you dusk) Lake Underground KöwAta avisittothe changing roomsandastaircase, Like entering Milton’sunderworld,onlywith KÖW ATAUNDERGROUNDLAKE (Misrian). Dekhistan and thehistoricallyimportant andYangykalaDag mountains Canyon, country’s bestnaturalphenomena,theKopet includingsomeofextraordinary sights, the ahandfulofa slowerpaceit’spossibletosee continue ontoAzerbaijanbyferry. Butwith Turkmenbashi, fromwhere it’spossibleto herepass through onthewaytoportof Mostpeoplesimplytred Sea. ontheCaspian etery, photo- asit’sfor locals only,although spirits. Youshould notenteroff evil thecem- goat’s skullhanging onastickoutsidetoward inthevillage have manyhouses indeed a goatsthatlocalsconsider sacredmountain – grave isprotected bythehuge horns of the lage. Oneisthetown’s the tribe. selves ratherthanintroducenewgenes to army andprefer tomarryamongthem- claim ancestryfromAlexanderthe Great’s and aparticulardialectof Turkmen.They haveNokhuris retained uniquetraditions and backwards.Thankstotheirisolation, among Soviet rural Turkmenforeverything some rurallife. wasonceabywordNokhur opportunity tohike inthehillsandsoakup metres fromIran,thisvillage offers aunique Wedged justafew intothemountains kilo- NOKHUR walk fromtheroad. it’sagood90-minute turn-off, although Ata could easilyaskthedriver tostopattheKöw orTurkmenbashiyou or bustoBalkanabat with alarge Bymarshrutka signforKöwAta. off tothelake is clearlymarked totheleft Ashgabat forthebestpartof anhour;theturn if youdon’tmindthesteep entryfee. Asia’s more unusualactivities,andworthit Underground swimmingisoneof Central clear water naturallyheated toabout 36°C. well asthefishingandcaviar businesscen- at the base of andwalkdowna at thebase amountain There are inthisfascinatingvil- twosights from Follow themainroadtoBalkanabat isauniqueexperience. Youenter acave

(admission US$10; cemetery lonelyplanet.com , where each h dawn- cated 269steps atthetopof high, astaircase indicating thedesire of thepilgrim.Itislo- offerings contains such asmodelcribs, cliffs, small white tomb,builtfromacave inthe creating afertility shrine onthespot.The ingly engulfed herinthenickof time. heardherpleasandaccord- The mountain bythebarbariantribes. lest shebecarriedoff wouldopenupandswallow her, the mountain time of enemysiege, Parau Bibiprayedthat young womanlivinginthearea. Duringa According tolore, Parau Bibiwasavirtuous placeoftant pilgrimage sinceancienttimes. The PARAU BIBI the nextday. 8am. Thebusleaves at8am fromNokhur Ashgabat (US$1,twohours) at toNokhur projectionist before heretired. nomekanik Gaib–hewasthevillage’s cinema per person Ask pernight. anywhere forKi- Theychargeplete withsatellite US$15 TV). guests totheirlarge (com- house mountain Gaib andEnebai,alocalcouplewhowelcome iswith with alocalfamily.Thebesthomestay intheimpressiveand taking scenery. fairly arduous,butgreat funforday-tripping (ask yourguidetoaskaround).Theroutes are be visited byhiringaUAZ 4WDinNokhur allof beyondNokhur, whichmountains can conceiving achild. pilgrims tiecolourfulmaterial inthehopesof ahuge, ancienttreepathway thatpasses where to 40cmindiameter) attheendof awinding the cave (theentranceof which isjust30cm goddess of fertility. She todwellin isbelieved the pre-Islamic patronessof womenandthe country comeonpilgrimage. QyzBibiwas Muslim shrine, where peoplefromallover the beyond thecemetery is graphy isperfectly Ashortwalk acceptable. lonelyplanet.com stan, only10remainstan, today. were more than 500such canalsinTurkmeni- karyz in theground,delineating theunderground the distance. steppe behindyou,stretching endlesslyinto The mysticalsurroundsare enhancedbythe which youtrudge upwithotherdevotees. Locals later honoured actby herselfless There isadailybusfromTekke in Bazaar For accommodation,itispossibletostay There are fourimpressive waterfalls inthe Nearby, onthehillside, youcanspotholes Mausoleum ofParau Bibi Mausoleum irrigationcanals. Acenturyagothere WESTERNTURKMENISTAN ••Parau Bibi Qyz Bibi has been animpor- hasbeen , aspiritualist- agency that can organise trips to Dekhistan agency thatcanorganise tripstoDekhistan factory and areasonably priced carpetshop. featuring productschurnedseum out bythe giant carpetsbyhand. There isasmall mu- can watch weave youngwomen painstakingly Mon-Fri) Factory Carpet Balkanabat Palace of OilWorkers. islocated oppositeThe museum theCultural whet yourappetite ifyouare headedthatway. mens. There are to alsophotosof Dekhistan bols of YomutTurk- theCaspian-dwelling carpets, which anchor contains designs–sym- The Sights Nebitchi. islocatedUS$200). Theoffice intheHotel costs around flated prices(atriptoDekhistan atsomewhatin- Mountain or BigBalkan and blocknumbers bothstreet names uses Note thatBalkanabat ofby alonelystatue theformerpresident. wretched andplushwithnothinginbetween. in mindthataccommodationranges between destinations,bearing herenight these between Yangykala toover- Itmaybenecessary Canyon. and pointfortripstoDekhistan is astaging oilindustry. competition fromtheBaku doned for50years after beingbankrupted by and asmallrefinery wasbuilt,onlytobeaban- Oilwasdiscoveredstan. inthevicinity1874 on thelonghaulacrosswestern Turkmeni- eye cansee, isthelogicalstopoverBalkanabat and theonlysignof asfarthe civilisation Tucked belowarange of imposingmountains % BALKANABAT get much sleep. busymostof sodon’texpectto stay thenight, underthepilgrim tents, itdoes night although Parau Bibi.Ifit’slate it’spossibletospendthe followtheroadanother8kmtoreach Serdar, At itsmidpointisNiyazov Sq,watched over ning east–westandparallelwiththerailway. the Balkan region.the Balkan Note thedisplayof local graphy, archaeology andwildlife exhibitsof Tue-Sun) Annayew köçesi;admissionUS$1.20; A coupleof blocksnorthof the themuseum, Originally calledNebitDag,Balkanabat forParauThe turn-off Bibiis19kmwestof Balkansyyahat Balkansyyahat The mainaxisisMagtymguly 222 /pop110,000 Regional History Museum History Regional gives free tours of itsfacilitieswhere you contains an agglomeration of anagglomeration ethno- contains

( % (kvartal) 4 53 38; Kvartal 198) 4 5338;Kvartal

(Azady köçesi; (Azady

h ( % . 9am-1pm &2-6pm 4 91 26; Gurtgeldi 4 9126;Gurtgeldi ş ayoli, run- h isatravel 9am-6pm

419 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN being home to vast oil and gas reserves, as being home tovastoiland gasreserves, is economically crucialto Turkmenistan, mountain-dwelling Nokhurians. The region ruin ed citiesandminoritytribessuch asthe country isoneof haunting moonscapes, thewestern partof standards, menistan the byTurk- path,even off-the-beaten Rather TURKMENISTAN WESTERN hoursto eight fromKonye-Urgench. about fourtofive hours fromAshgabat andsix Urgench orDashogus( p434 ). Thegascrater is have topay thefullpricetoAshgabat, Konye- you wanttoget you’llprobably although off, the vehicle thedriver knowthat isfull.Let around thevillage for aride,andleaving when transport fromJerbent; it’samatter of asking Jerbent.gus gothrough There isirregular gabat tobothKonye-Urgench andDasho- to reach thecrater. bear inmindthatittakes agoodtwohours and walk fromtheroad,justfollowlight kiosk neartherailroadtracks.Ifyouintend to around togive directions, exceptperhapsata get stuckinthedunes.There isreally no-one rideanddrivers frequently getoff-road lostor of thecrater. tothecrater isaserious Getting camping placebehindthesmallhill,justsouth the gates of hell.There isanaturallysheltered the blazinginferno canonlybecompared to bubbling mudandwater. miles away.Theothertwocraters contain with anincredible strength that’svisiblefrom andblazes alight set artificial. Onehasbeen ploration inthe1950s,three craters are Apparently theresult of Soviet-era gasex- one of mostunusualsights. Turkmenistan’s added attractionof the the heartof theKarakum andhasthe desert andKonye-Urgench.the capital It’salsoat isthe halfwaypostbetween maps. Darvaza itmarked bytheroadonsome you’ll stillsee demolished ontheorders four people). ling, butthispriceisforgroupsof three to (depending onhowmanypeopleare travel- hicles, which costs aroundUS$200perday tripsusuallyrequire atleasttwove- Off-road 418 All buses and marshrutki headedfromAsh-All buses thevillageAlthough of The fire crater is best seen at night, when The fire atnight, crater isbestseen ETR UKEITN • ö t negon ae WESTERN TURKMENISTAN ••KöwAtaUndergroundLake Darvaza Darvaza Gas Craters Craters Gas Darvaza of thepresident, wasrecently , etery, photo- asit’sfor locals only,although spirits. Youshould notenteroff evil thecem- goat’s skullhanging onastickoutsidetoward inthevillage have manyhouses indeed a goatsthatlocalsconsider sacredmountain – grave isprotected bythehuge horns of the lage. Oneisthetown’s the tribe. selves ratherthanintroducenewgenes to army andprefer tomarryamongthem- claim ancestryfromAlexanderthe Great’s and aparticulardialectof Turkmen.They haveNokhuris retained uniquetraditions and backwards.Thankstotheirisolation, among Soviet rural Turkmenforeverything some rurallife. wasonceabywordNokhur opportunity tohike inthehillsandsoakup metres fromIran,thisvillage offers aunique Wedged justafew intothemountains kilo- NOKHUR walk fromtheroad. it’sagood90-minute turn-off, although Ata could easilyaskthedriver tostopattheKöw orTurkmenbashiyou or bustoBalkanabat with alarge Bymarshrutka signforKöwAta. off tothelake is clearlymarked totheleft Ashgabat forthebestpartof anhour;theturn if youdon’tmindthesteep entryfee. Asia’s more unusualactivities,andworthit Underground swimmingisoneof Central clear water naturallyheated toabout 36°C. world. Atthebottomawaitsasuperblake of into awonderfullysulphuroussubterranean 65munderground, whichstaircase, takes you dusk) Lake Underground KöwAta avisittothe changing roomsandastaircase, Like entering Milton’sunderworld,onlywith KÖW ATAUNDERGROUNDLAKE (Misrian). Dekhistan and thehistoricallyimportant andYangykalaDag mountains Canyon, country’s bestnaturalphenomena,theKopet includingsomeofextraordinary sights, the ahandfulofa slowerpaceit’spossibletosee continue ontoAzerbaijanbyferry. Butwith Turkmenbashi, fromwhere it’spossibleto herepass through onthewaytoportof Mostpeoplesimplytred Sea. ontheCaspian well asthefishingandcaviar businesscen- at the base of andwalkdowna at thebase amountain There are inthisfascinatingvil- twosights from Follow themainroadtoBalkanabat isauniqueexperience. Youenter acave

( % (kvartal) 4 53 38; Kvartal 198) 4 5338;Kvartal

(Azady köçesi; (Azady

h ( % . 9am-1pm &2-6pm 4 91 26; Gurtgeldi 4 9126;Gurtgeldi ş ayoli, run- h isatravel 9am-6pm

419 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN a fierce sandstorm. a fiercesandstorm. forward theirobstinate camelinthemidstof some concrete of statue caravan menurging the lotin frontof These thetrainstation. h open insummer. with theinternet. Note thatthepoolisonly town andthehotel istheonlyplacearound restaurant inthelobbyisperhaps thebestin anddoublebeds.The come withsatellite TV in Ashgabat. The38roomsare spacious and accommodation, rivallingalmostanything Nebitchi offers surprisinglyswanktop-end d/ste US$70/100/150; of you wantsomesemblance privacy. option of payingforallthebedsinadormif you canescapeforsomefresh air. Youhave the The onlysaving graceisthelarge balconywhere prowl thecorridors toaddafinishing touch. rooms downthehallare filthy.Mangy cats Shower blocksare dysfunctionalandthebath- beds, crumblingwallsandbroken windows. prison-like roomshave fouruncomfortable backpackers themostseasoned will appaleven – Nebitdag Hotel Sleeping &Eating is the Heading west,ontheroadtoTurkmenbashi, which justnorthof stands thedefunctoilrig. a lookatthepretty 420 Ashgabat departsat7.50pm. departs at6.16am whilethebetter trainto The more convenient trainto Turkmenbashi continues toTurkmenabat andDashogus. two toAshgabat hours), oneof (seven which trains adaytoTurkmenbashi (3½hours), and 400m southof Niyazov Sq.There are two The Getting There&Away of meat,chicken, porkandfishdishes. restaurant intown,withafullEuropeanmenu live musicacts.Butlocalsalsoclaimit’sthebest restaurant, knownto host andRuslanhasbeen h rangestandard of quasi-Europeandishes. mosphere, themenuoffers although afairly vines, Victoriaattempts tocreate a jungle at- sian popindicate thisplaceismore barthan On thewestsideof thecity,youcantake Marshrutkas and shared gatherin taxis Ruslan Restaurant Victoria Nebitchi Hotel 11am-11pm) 10am-11pm) train station ETR UKEITN • ehsa WESTERN TURKMENISTAN ••Dekhistan Monument to the Desert Explorers Monument totheDesert ( %

The discoballandblaringRus- ( % With itsAfricanmasksand 4 03 06; Kvartal 197;dishesUS$1.50; 4 0306;Kvartal

( 6 71 92; Kyartel 115;dmUS$1.30) 6 7192;Kyartel ( ais % % ( % 4 53 35/6/7/8/9; Kvartal 198;s/ 4 5335/6/7/8/9;Kvartal 7 0935) Russian Orthodox Church Russian Orthodox 4 07 40; Kvartal 200; dishes US$2; 200;dishesUS$2; 4 0740;Kvartal ) is1kmwestand The yurt-shaped , ahand- This This , by the Mongols. It seems thatsometimeinthe by theMongols.Itseems managedeven torevive after destruction itself system andKonye-Urgench. rivallingMerv It Road oasiscitywithasophisticated irrigation first place?Yet inthe11thcenturyitwasaSilk tion: howdidacitycometobehere inthe The surroundingdesolationbegstheques- tumbledown villages of BugdaylyandMadau. thesouth of midwaybetween Balkanabat, inthebarrenMisrian) liesdeep wastelands The ruinedcityof (alsoknownas Dekhistan DEKHISTAN east of thecity.A Thursday andSaturday.Theairportis2km kanabat andAshgabat (US$11)onTuesday, for US$15. willdothetrip theday.Ataxi throughout travel toAshgabat (US$2toUS$3,sixhours) untimely deathatthehands of Mongol invad- tury, hadalargeGozli Ata following untilhis A respected Sufi teacher intheearly14thcen- GOZLI ATA&YANGYKALA CANYON but unreachable. takyr but after raininthespringorautumn good timeover theflat priced tours. Infairweatheryoucanmake (see time. Balkansyyahat p419 ) runs over- trip shouldcostUS$50,including waiting Theround able toget from Balkanabat. ataxi youshouldbe port isnonexistent, although toget to. isdifficult Dekhistan Publictrans- the earliestmosqueincountry. including theShir-Kabir Mosque-Mausoleum, Mashat, features five mausoleums, semiruined theSilkRoadtraders. served the remains of caravanserais thatonce several hammed. Excavations here have alsorevealed before theMosqueof theKhorezmshah Mo- decorated remains of thatoncestood aportal from the11thand13thcenturies, apart fromtwotruncated 20m-high lunar landscape. slopes finallybecameabarren, eroded deeply the water supplyfailedandthewell-watered exploited forcenturiesuntil the easthadbeen catastrophe. Theforests of theKopetDagto 15th centurytheregion suffered anecological inside therailwaystation. Unless youhave yourownvehicle, Not much remains onthe200-hectare site, Turkmenistan Airlines flies between Bal- Airlinesfliesbetween Turkmenistan The turns to mush, making Dekhistan all turnstomush, makingDekhistan cemetery Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com , 7km north of Dekhistan at , 7kmnorthof Dekhistan booking office booking takyr (clay)landscape,

( % 3 3525) minarets is

42.816’) one of naturalattrac- themostspectacular walls, Yangykala isabreathtaking and sight acrossthesidesof canyon steep rock searing about 160kmeastof Turkmenbashi, makingit proximately 165kmnorthof and Balkanabat towards theGaragogazgolbasinandlieap- existence. fewin thedesert; Turkmenare aware of its isolationthe beautifulviewsisitssolitary Justasalluring astions inTurkmenistan. north to with a9kmsign),anotherroadcontinues driver tofindit. isneeded 135km northof anexperienced Balkanabat; is ‘feed’ thesoulof GozliAta thedeceased. a notch inthetopwhere water cancollectto sprung upnearbywhere gravestones contain pray atherlastresting place. Acemetery has and accordingtocustomvisitors mustfirst wifeAta’s isburied inanadjacentmausoleum is nowapopularplaceof pilgrimage. Gozli located inanaturaldepression of rockydesert, ers. His lonelyplanet.com 1 3 2 TURKMENBASHI Restaurant (5km) Altyn Balyk Turkmenbashi (1km); To Hotel To Viewing Point (250m) ὈὈ The canyons and cliffs slash for25kmThe canyonsandcliffs (marked toGozliAta From theturnoff

. Withbandsof pink,red andyellow Balkan köçesi Balkan mausoleum Yangykala Canyon Yangykala AC 8 2

WESTERNTURKMENISTAN ••Turkmenbashi Turkmenistan šayoli Turkmenistan

(GPS: N40°20.051’,E054°29.249’) Bazaar Bagtygul Bazaar(2km); ὈὈ Old To DenizCharlagy Hotel Sedar(8km) New Town(1km); Discobar (1km);

Awaza (8km);

Naval Base Magtymguly šayoli Magtymguly

(GPS: N40°27.656’,E054°

Shagadam köçesi

Bahri-Hazar köçesi 1 C ASPIN B S EA Ὀ Ὀ Magtymguly Mother &Child Former Entrance To Viewing Monument to Fortress

Point Square köçesi Garayeva ,

Azadliq köçesi Gahryman Atamurat Niyazov road across the desert. Butthemissionfailed, road across thedesert. andthedryriverbed providedSea, thebest Darya) hadoncedrainedintotheCaspian place where theOxus River (nowtheAmu- tothe itwasclose thisspotbecause They chose 1717 withtheintention of marching onKhiva. under ashorePrince AlexanderBekovich set in whenaunitofwas established Russiantroops thebackdoor.Kazakhstan through ferry orheadinginto the Caspian toBaku ifyouarebut itmakes base catching auseful reason tocomeallthiswayforthecityitself, some surprisinglygoodcafés.There isno about theplace,withafew nicebeaches and butthere relaxed isacertain Sea Caspian air Turkmenbashi isn’tquite theMazatlan of the % TURKMENBASHI inquiries whenplanningyourtrip. itineraries,makeinclude itontheirstandard most tourcompaniesruntripshere, notall itcangetcanyon, although windyhere. While It’s possibletocampontheplateau above the thetwocities. easy toslotthecanyonbetween Amusement Park The first settlement here,The first settlement Krasnovodsk, 243 /pop60,000

ὈὈ ὈὈ Gogol köçesi Gogol 3 0.2miles 300m 0 0 Niyazov Statue 7 šayoli Palace of Culture Turkmenistan Airlines...... Kazakhstan...... Shared TaxistoAshgabat& Long-Distance BusStand...... Local BusStand...... TRANSPORT Theatre...... ENTERTAINMENT Supermarket...... EATING Hotel Hazar...... SLEEPING Museum ofRegionalHistory...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Post Office&TelephoneOffice...... Police...... Bank...... INFORMATION 10

Station

Train D Azadi köçesi Azadi D 9 11 5 Japanese Memorial(7km); 6

To DenizPatisserie Ferry Terminal (1.5km); Terminal Ferry Café (1.3km); Airport (8km)

Balkanabat (160km) Balkanabat

Russian Orthodox Russian

Church (200m); Church

To Altyn Asyr Altyn To Kafe (250m); Kafe 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

D1 C1 D1 A2 C1 D1 D1 B2 C1 A1 B2 421 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN a fierce sandstorm. a fiercesandstorm. forward theirobstinate camelinthemidstof some concrete of statue caravan menurging the lotin frontof These thetrainstation. h Ashgabat departsat7.50pm. departs at6.16am whilethebetter trainto The more convenient trainto Turkmenbashi continues toTurkmenabat andDashogus. two toAshgabat hours), oneof (seven which trains adaytoTurkmenbashi (3½hours), and 400m southof Niyazov Sq.There are two The Getting There&Away of meat,chicken, porkandfishdishes. restaurant intown,withafullEuropeanmenu live musicacts.Butlocalsalsoclaimit’sthebest restaurant, knownto host andRuslanhasbeen h rangestandard of quasi-Europeandishes. mosphere, themenuoffers although afairly vines, Victoriaattempts tocreate a jungle at- open insummer. with theinternet. Note thatthepoolisonly town andthehotel istheonlyplacearound restaurant inthelobbyisperhaps thebestin anddoublebeds.The come withsatellite TV in Ashgabat. The38roomsare spacious and accommodation, rivallingalmostanything Nebitchi offers surprisinglyswanktop-end d/ste US$70/100/150; of you wantsomesemblance privacy. option of payingforallthebedsinadormif you canescapeforsomefresh air. Youhave the The onlysaving graceisthelarge balconywhere prowl thecorridors toaddafinishing touch. rooms downthehallare filthy.Mangy cats Shower blocksare dysfunctionalandthebath- beds, crumblingwallsandbroken windows. prison-like roomshave fouruncomfortable backpackers themostseasoned will appaleven – Nebitdag Hotel Sleeping &Eating is the Heading west,ontheroadtoTurkmenbashi, which justnorthof stands thedefunctoilrig. a lookatthepretty 420 sian popindicate thisplaceismore barthan Marshrutkas and shared gatherin taxis Ruslan Restaurant Victoria Nebitchi Hotel On thewestsideof thecity,youcantake 11am-11pm) 10am-11pm) train station ETR UKEITN • ehsa WESTERN TURKMENISTAN ••Dekhistan Monument to the Desert Explorers Monument totheDesert ( %

The discoballandblaringRus- ( % With itsAfricanmasksand 4 03 06; Kvartal 197;dishesUS$1.50; 4 0306;Kvartal

( 6 71 92; Kyartel 115;dmUS$1.30) 6 7192;Kyartel ( ais % % ( % 4 53 35/6/7/8/9; Kvartal 198;s/ 4 5335/6/7/8/9;Kvartal 7 0935) Russian Orthodox Church Russian Orthodox 4 07 40; Kvartal 200; dishes US$2; 200;dishesUS$2; 4 0740;Kvartal ) is1kmwestand The yurt-shaped , ahand- This This , untimely deathatthehands of Mongol invad- tury, hadalargeGozli Ata following untilhis A respected Sufi teacher intheearly14thcen- GOZLI ATA&YANGYKALA CANYON but unreachable. takyr but after raininthespringorautumn good timeover theflat priced tours. Infairweatheryoucanmake (see time. Balkansyyahat p419 ) runs over- trip shouldcostUS$50,including waiting Theround able toget from Balkanabat. ataxi youshouldbe port isnonexistent, although toget to. isdifficult Dekhistan Publictrans- the earliestmosqueincountry. including theShir-Kabir Mosque-Mausoleum, Mashat, features five mausoleums, semiruined theSilkRoadtraders. served the remains of caravanserais thatonce several hammed. Excavations here have alsorevealed before theMosqueof theKhorezmshah Mo- decorated remains of thatoncestood aportal from the11thand13thcenturies, apart fromtwotruncated 20m-high lunar landscape. slopes finallybecameabarren, eroded deeply the water supplyfailedandthewell-watered exploited forcenturiesuntil the easthadbeen catastrophe. Theforests of theKopetDagto 15th centurytheregion suffered anecological thatsometimeinthe by theMongols.Itseems managedeven torevive after destruction itself system andKonye-Urgench. rivallingMerv It Road oasiscitywithasophisticated irrigation first place?Yet inthe11thcenturyitwasaSilk tion: howdidacitycometobehere inthe The surroundingdesolationbegstheques- tumbledown villages of BugdaylyandMadau. thesouth of midwaybetween Balkanabat, inthebarrenMisrian) liesdeep wastelands The ruinedcityof (alsoknownas Dekhistan DEKHISTAN east of thecity.A Thursday andSaturday.Theairportis2km kanabat andAshgabat (US$11)onTuesday, for US$15. willdothetrip theday.Ataxi throughout travel toAshgabat (US$2toUS$3,sixhours) inside therailwaystation. Unless youhave yourownvehicle, Not much remains onthe200-hectare site, The Bal- Airlinesfliesbetween Turkmenistan turns to mush, making Dekhistan all turnstomush, makingDekhistan cemetery Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com , 7km north of Dekhistan at , 7kmnorthof Dekhistan booking office booking takyr (clay)landscape,

( % 3 3525) minarets is

. Withbandsof pink,red andyellow Balkan köçesi Balkan mausoleum Yangykala Canyon Yangykala AC 8 2

WESTERNTURKMENISTAN ••Turkmenbashi Turkmenistan šayoli Turkmenistan

(GPS: N40°20.051’,E054°29.249’) Bazaar Bagtygul Bazaar(2km); ὈὈ Old To DenizCharlagy Hotel Sedar(8km) New Town(1km); Discobar (1km);

Awaza (8km);

Naval Base Magtymguly šayoli Magtymguly

(GPS: N40°27.656’,E054°

Shagadam köçesi

Bahri-Hazar köçesi 1 C ASPIN B S EA Ὀ Ὀ Magtymguly Mother &Child Former Entrance To Viewing Monument to Fortress

Point Square köçesi Garayeva ,

Station

Train D Azadi köçesi Azadi D 9 11 5 Japanese Memorial(7km); 6

To DenizPatisserie Ferry Terminal (1.5km); Terminal Ferry Café (1.3km); Airport (8km)

Balkanabat (160km) Balkanabat

Russian Orthodox Russian

Church (200m); Church

To Altyn Asyr Altyn To Kafe (250m); Kafe 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

D1 C1 D1 A2 C1 D1 D1 B2 C1 A1 B2 421 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN and notgreat forswimming,considering ment tothecity’spastasaRussianfortress church dox exhibit. One of theirboatshasbecomepartof the journey thatwascompleted inthree months. and uptheVolgariver toMoscow,a4650km shore Sea made theirwayalongtheCaspian Travelling insmallboats,thefishermen by agroupof fishermen fromKrasnovodsk. hibition recalls anexpeditionmadein1936 ing andayurt.Inthelastroomphotoex- traditionalTurkmencloth- Sea, the Caspian someinterestingtaxidermy, maps,modelsof Sq. Thecollectionsincludedisintegrating in aquaintoldstructure westof Magtymguly guided tourUS$0.15; The Sights of Western oilworkers. of Russians,Turkmen,Azerisandahandful withamix become somewhatcosmopolitan, roads andbuildings.Sincethenthetownhas here after WWIIandordered toconstruct ofThousands Japanese POWswere dumped with thearrivalof railroad. theTrans-Caspian late 1800s,Krasnovodsk grew inimportance come backformore than150years. Inthe Bekovich losthisheadandthe Russians didn’t 422 crepit, check into theHotel Hazar. Themain threadbare andyourbathrooms utterly de- you like water brown,yourfurniture yourtap Hazar Hotel Sleeping and adriver whoknowstheway. a4WD butyou’llneed abandoned lighthouse, viewsandan dunes,sea sand some spectacular city. Northof Awazait’sa20-minute drive to are better beaches atAwaza,8kmwestof the the proximity of thetownoilrefinery. There graveyard isnearby. structing roadsandbuildings.AJapanese POWs whospentyears inKrasnovodsk con- commemorates of thethousands Japanese rial to theirfallencountrymenata the parkbelowmuseum. mounted about them–which canbefoundin are thegates –distinctcreations withred stars town. Allthatremains of thefortress itself The beaches neartownare abitrocky There’s acharming light-blue Japanese travellers often paytheir respects located neartheairport.Themonument Museum of Regional History History ofRegional Museum ETR UKEITN • ukebsi WESTERN TURKMENISTAN ••Turkmenbashi set back from the sea front,atesta- backfromthesea set ( % 2 46 33; Azadi köçesi;s/d US$28/43) 2 4633;Azadi h 9am-6pm Tue-Sun) (admission US$0.10, Japanese memo- Russian Ortho- is located If Awaza; s/d/steUS$100/120/200; to Awaza. about 2kmwestof downtown,ontheroad and theonlyinternet accessinthecity.It’s cludes agym,bar,decentrestaurant, laundry The90-roomhotelout of in- peakseason. from October toMay whenpricesfall50% of facilitiesmake thisagreat choice, especially star-quality viewsandarange roomswithsea for money. bank), which makes theroomsterrible value rate (youhave toshowacertificate fromthe to payinmanatchanged state attheofficial tion of theplace,isthatyouare onlyallowed problem here, condi- besidesthemiserable billiards hall islocated upstairs. borsch a tasty and a rangedoes of pizzas. A dolma in popular localhangout, thisplacespecialises köçesi;dishesUS$1.50-2; Bahri-Hazar near theRussianchurch.station, It’sabout 600meast ofand salads. thetrain Altyn Asyr isapopularplaceforshashlyk restaurant goneheavy onthedrapery, zov anexcellentTurkishlentil soup. also does yogurt, grilledchicken, andburgers. pasta It simple menuof skewered fish,kebabs with Hazar. designedeatery hasa The pleasantly run café,1.5kmuptheroadfromHotel Turkmenbashi swearbythissmall,Turkish- 54; dishesUS$1-2; per halfkilo. can buyblackcaviar here foraroundUS$22 guly called Cheryomushki,islocated onMagtym- also Bazaar, Bagtygul inland orouttosea. tostockupforthejourney tion ifyouneed There isasupermarket nexttothetrainsta- Eating apart fromwhat’satthehotel. town, withnoeatingorshopping facilities October toMay. islocated 8kmfrom Sedar and fitnesscentre. Pricesdropby50%from breakfast of indoorpool anduse thesauna, getsstan toaholidayresort. Pricesinclude asTurkmeni- isolation, thisisabout asclose views,luxuriousroomsandtotal ing coastal Bahri-Hazar köçesi;s/dUS$100/120; Bahri-Hazar Hotel Sedar Sedar Hotel Altyn Balyk Restaurant Altyn BalykRestaurant Kafe Altyn Asyr Café Deniz Patisserie Hotel TurkmenbashiHotel ş ayoli; dishesUS$1-2; ş ayoli inthewestern partof town.You – lamb stuffed invineleaves, –lambstuffed but also Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ( % h ( % 2 1581,51225;[email protected]; 8am-10pm) h 2 07 52; Gahryman AtamuratNiya- 2 0752;Gahryman ( % ( % noon-11pm) 1 42 54, 2 56 53; Azadi köçesi 1 4254,25653;Azadi as (Golden Fish; 2 1717,1314,1818; Expats livinginExpats ais h ) Russian-style With sweep- 11am-11pm) % ) Four- 7 7405; A train services. for aridetoAwaza. for mostdestinationsaroundtown,or5000M andchargethe trainstation, around3000M Taxis alsohangaroundhere, aswellnear Awaza atpricesthatare almostnegligible. and transport totheairport,seaport Fromhereseum. you cancatch infrequent köçesi,about 500mwestofBalkan themu- isjustoff Turkmenbashi’s localbusstation Getting Around riving at7.55am).A Turkmenbashi at4.05pmforAshgabat (ar- and are farless comfortable. inashared asaseat taxi bat; theycostthesame also leave fromhere toAshgabat viaBalkana- town of Zhanaozen(Novy Uzen). Marshrutki hours), crossing theborderandstoppingat bad roadtoKazakhstan (US$40per car, seven car, sixhours). Theyalsorunnorthalongthe orUS$25forthewhole gabat (US$8perseat Niyazov onAtamurat station köçesiforAsh- (located attheport). The airportis8kmeastof theferry terminal south of theHotel Hazar building. inthesame gus (US$11).The Ashgabat (US$12)twicedailyandtoDasho- inAzerbaijan(see toBaku everyday p468 ). 44 91) From theTurkmenbashi Getting There&Away rant downstairs. plenty of alcohol upstairs andasmallrestau- plays amixof RussianandUSpop.There is sports anoceanicthemeandship décor. It h Deniz CharlagyDiscobar Entertainment lonelyplanet.com US$1.20. Call US$1.20. Call The rise of began in theBronze The rise civilisations Asia. anislandofbeen prosperity inCentral tile plainsof have eastern Turkmenistan long frontier,the fer- andtherugged Afghan desert Karakum the inhospitable between Squeezed TURKMENISTAN EASTERN An overnight trainleaves dailyfrom Shared leave taxis outsidethecolourfultrain Airlinesfliestoandfrom Turkmenistan 11pm-4am) there ferries are untimetabled several The lone nightclub inthecity The lonenightclub % EASTERN TURKMENISTAN EASTERN ••Mary 9 9462forinformationon airline office ( kupe % 2 56 53; Magtymguly 2 5653;Magtymguly (2nd-class seat) is (2nd-class seat) ferry terminal

( % 2 5474)

( ş % ayoli; is 2 lanepes, while thecentral telephone is office graph office is1km eastof theSanjar onMol- Metcheti mosque. Thecentral postandtele- theenormousTurkmenbashi Hajjiyou’ll see River. Crossingtheriver enroute toMerv andtheMurgab (Green) Bazaar the Zelyony partment store. FurtherdownMollanepes is Hotel SanjarandthenearbyUnivermag de- ş The town’smainthoroughfare isMollanepes Orientation &Information joints inthecountry. transport linksandsomeof thebestshashlyk city hasaccommodationforallbudgets, good the ancientcitiesof GonurandMerv. The itmakes toexplorealthough forahandybase there isnothingtoholdthetraveller down, were found20kmwestofreserves thecity. ued wealthcamein1968whenhuge naturalgas quickly picked upand theguaranteeof contin- before thingsgotbloody.Cottonproduction the Turkmenstohandover controlof thefort led byoneLieutenant Alikhanov, convinced ofeast. In1884,abattalion Russian troops, preferring thesite 30km toancientMerv, the Tekke Turkmenserected afortress here, and commerceissurprisinglybrisk. prosperity; themarkets bustleonweekends growing belt,which gives thecityanairof rih) isalsothecentre of themajor cotton- to thesizeof thecity.Mary (pronounced mah- buildings andvastgardensdisproportionate Sovietspartan confection of administrative ofThe capital the Mary region isasomewhat % MARY dreary Soviet-built cities. an elementof colourfulambiencetootherwise festivals add best intheautumnwhenharvest Theregion take isatits timeandeffort. does getting intotheitinerary,although there serve Naturemay alsowanttothrowKugitang Re- and thecave cityatEkedeshik. Nature-lovers Gonur inthecountry,includingMerv, sights eastern offers Turkmenistan someof thebest cotton business.Forvisitors keen onhistory, of thanksmainlytoathriving Turkmenistan, today theregion continuestooutpacetherest to centuriesof accumulated wealthbuteven city of Merv. TheinvadingMongolsputpaid Age, reaching theirclimaxwiththewondrous ayoli, where you’ll findtheseven-storey Apart fromtheexcellentregional museum Mary’s historydates backtothe1820swhen 522 /pop123,000

423 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN and notgreat forswimming,considering crepit, check into theHotel Hazar. Themain threadbare andyourbathrooms utterly de- you like water brown,yourfurniture yourtap Hazar Hotel Sleeping and adriver whoknowstheway. a4WD butyou’llneed abandoned lighthouse, viewsandan dunes,sea sand some spectacular city. Northof Awazait’sa20-minute drive to are better beaches atAwaza,8kmwestof the the proximity of thetownoilrefinery. There graveyard isnearby. structing roadsandbuildings.AJapanese POWs whospentyears inKrasnovodsk con- commemorates of thethousands Japanese rial to theirfallencountrymenata the parkbelowmuseum. mounted about them–which canbefoundin are thegates –distinctcreations withred stars town. Allthatremains of thefortress itself ment tothecity’spastasaRussianfortress church dox exhibit. One of theirboatshasbecomepartof the journey thatwascompleted inthree months. and uptheVolgariver toMoscow,a4650km shore Sea made theirwayalongtheCaspian Travelling insmallboats,thefishermen by agroupof fishermen fromKrasnovodsk. hibition recalls anexpeditionmadein1936 ing andayurt.Inthelastroomphotoex- traditionalTurkmencloth- Sea, the Caspian someinterestingtaxidermy, maps,modelsof Sq. Thecollectionsincludedisintegrating in aquaintoldstructure westof Magtymguly guided tourUS$0.15; The Sights of Western oilworkers. of Russians,Turkmen,Azerisandahandful withamix become somewhatcosmopolitan, roads andbuildings.Sincethenthetownhas here after WWIIandordered toconstruct ofThousands Japanese POWswere dumped with thearrivalof railroad. theTrans-Caspian late 1800s,Krasnovodsk grew inimportance come backformore than150years. Inthe Bekovich losthisheadandthe Russians didn’t 422 The beaches neartownare abitrocky There’s acharming light-blue Japanese travellers often paytheir respects located neartheairport.Themonument Museum of Regional History History ofRegional Museum ETR UKEITN • ukebsi WESTERN TURKMENISTAN ••Turkmenbashi set back from the sea front,atesta- backfromthesea set ( % 2 46 33; Azadi köçesi;s/d US$28/43) 2 4633;Azadi h 9am-6pm Tue-Sun) (admission US$0.10, Japanese memo- Russian Ortho- is located If dolma in popular localhangout, thisplacespecialises köçesi;dishesUS$1.50-2; Bahri-Hazar near theRussianchurch.station, It’sabout 600meast ofand salads. thetrain Altyn Asyr isapopularplaceforshashlyk restaurant goneheavy onthedrapery, zov anexcellentTurkishlentil soup. also does yogurt, grilledchicken, andburgers. pasta It simple menuof skewered fish,kebabs with Hazar. designedeatery hasa The pleasantly run café,1.5kmuptheroadfromHotel Turkmenbashi swearbythissmall,Turkish- 54; dishesUS$1-2; per halfkilo. can buyblackcaviar here foraroundUS$22 guly called Cheryomushki,islocated onMagtym- also Bazaar, Bagtygul inland orouttosea. tostockupforthejourney tion ifyouneed There isasupermarket nexttothetrainsta- Eating apart fromwhat’satthehotel. town, withnoeatingorshopping facilities Awaza; s/d/steUS$100/120/200; to Awaza. about 2kmwestof downtown,ontheroad and theonlyinternet accessinthecity.It’s cludes agym,bar,decentrestaurant, laundry The90-roomhotelout of in- peakseason. from October toMay whenpricesfall50% of facilitiesmake thisagreat choice, especially star-quality viewsandarange roomswithsea for money. bank), which makes theroomsterrible value rate (youhave toshowacertificate fromthe to payinmanatchanged state attheofficial tion of theplace,isthatyouare onlyallowed problem here, condi- besidesthemiserable billiards hall islocated upstairs. borsch a tasty and a rangedoes of pizzas. A October toMay. islocated 8kmfrom Sedar and fitnesscentre. Pricesdropby50%from breakfast of indoorpool anduse thesauna, getsstan toaholidayresort. Pricesinclude asTurkmeni- isolation, thisisabout asclose views,luxuriousroomsandtotal ing coastal Bahri-Hazar köçesi;s/dUS$100/120; Bahri-Hazar Altyn Balyk Restaurant Altyn BalykRestaurant Kafe Altyn Asyr Café Deniz Patisserie Sedar Hotel Hotel TurkmenbashiHotel ş ayoli; dishesUS$1-2; ş ayoli inthewestern partof town.You – lamb stuffed invineleaves, –lambstuffed but also Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ( % h ( % 2 1581,51225;[email protected]; 8am-10pm) h 2 07 52; Gahryman AtamuratNiya- 2 0752;Gahryman ( % ( % noon-11pm) 1 42 54, 2 56 53; Azadi köçesi 1 4254,25653;Azadi as (Golden Fish; 2 1717,1314,1818; Expats livinginExpats ais h ) Russian-style With sweep- 11am-11pm) % ) Four- 7 7405; A train services. for aridetoAwaza. for mostdestinationsaroundtown,or5000M andchargethe trainstation, around3000M Taxis alsohangaroundhere, aswellnear Awaza atpricesthatare almostnegligible. and transport totheairport,seaport Fromhereseum. you cancatch infrequent köçesi,about 500mwestofBalkan themu- isjustoff Turkmenbashi’s localbusstation Getting Around riving at7.55am).A Turkmenbashi at4.05pmforAshgabat (ar- and are farless comfortable. inashared asaseat taxi bat; theycostthesame also leave fromhere toAshgabat viaBalkana- town of Zhanaozen(Novy Uzen). Marshrutki hours), crossing theborderandstoppingat bad roadtoKazakhstan (US$40per car, seven car, sixhours). Theyalsorunnorthalongthe orUS$25forthewhole gabat (US$8perseat Niyazov onAtamurat station köçesiforAsh- (located attheport). The airportis8kmeastof theferry terminal south of theHotel Hazar building. inthesame gus (US$11).The Ashgabat (US$12)twicedailyandtoDasho- inAzerbaijan(see toBaku everyday p468 ). 44 91) From theTurkmenbashi Getting There&Away rant downstairs. plenty of alcohol upstairs andasmallrestau- plays amixof RussianandUSpop.There is sports anoceanicthemeandship décor. It h Deniz CharlagyDiscobar Entertainment lonelyplanet.com The rise of began in theBronze The rise civilisations Asia. anislandofbeen prosperity inCentral tile plainsof have eastern Turkmenistan long frontier,the fer- andtherugged Afghan desert Karakum the inhospitable between Squeezed TURKMENISTAN EASTERN US$1.20. Call An overnight trainleaves dailyfrom Shared leave taxis outsidethecolourfultrain Airlinesfliestoandfrom Turkmenistan 11pm-4am) there ferries are untimetabled several The lone nightclub inthecity The lonenightclub % EASTERN TURKMENISTAN EASTERN ••Mary 9 9462forinformationon airline office ( kupe % 2 56 53; Magtymguly 2 5653;Magtymguly (2nd-class seat) is (2nd-class seat) ferry terminal

( % 2 5474)

423 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN to nearby Merv andGonur.to nearbyMerv of theMary She Museum. canorganise tours tobethedeputydirectortour guide,whoused yahoo.com) US$4 perhour. Yrsgal haspublicinternet accessfor Firmasay 50m northwestof thepostoffice. TheHotel 424 Caravanserai (150m); Ambassador (500m); Motel Rahat(2km) Theatre (360km) To Ashgabat 4 1 3 2 5 MARY Turk Drama 10 m enis Golubeva Yevgenia

tan 14 To Hotel 15 9

Ata K TURKMENISTANEASTERN ••Mary

16 ša Magtymguly köçes Magtymguly op yoli 12

Turkmenistan Airlines...... Marshrutka &SharedTaxiStand...... Bus Station...... TRANSPORT Univermag...... SHOPPING Sanjar Disco...... ENTERTAINMENT Lezzet...... Altyn AsyrKafeBar...... EATING Hotel YrsgalFirmasay...... Hotel Sanjar...... SLEEPING War Memorial...... Niyazov Statue...... Mother &ChildMonument...... Mary RegionalMuseum...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Western Union...... Telephone Office...... Post Office...... INFORMATION Gurb ek M

erg Restaurant (1km) To Sakhra

Ashgabat köçesi Ashgabat ana 8 is anexperienced,English-speaking

Station an

k Train 13 ö

çe A so si

3 ltan

E je

öçe i

si o

lla 7 (

Saram 6 n

urat Niyazov köçesi e

OVIR (2.2km);Turkmenbashi pe

Murgab s š s To HotelMargush(900m); 3 1485;evgeniagolubeva@

0.2miles 0 0400 m a

Stadium y

Hudoznikler Oi(2km); New Mosque(0.5km); o Central

Bazaar

2 Hajji Metcheti(2km) li (300m); Pokrovskaya 1 To MiGAeroplane

Sport Complex R Church (600m) iver Zelyony Bazaar B To Airport(8km); Merv (30km) 11 Bairam Ali, 11 10 16 15 14 13 12 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 A5 A4 A4 A4 A4 B5 A5 A5 A4 A4 A5 A5 B5 A4 B5 B5 Niyazov 4 Park Citizens; the collectionof in theNationalMuseum items fromMargiana isstrikingandrivals The finequalityanddesignof household the originalreturned towhere itwasfound. persuaded themtohave staff among museum replica of –aseries deaths andmisfortunes 21. Theskeleton of aMargiana priestess isa the BronzeAge citiesof GonurandTogolok portioned modelof Merv. Room2features alarge, Room1contains section. poorlypro- and Margush, plusanextensive ethnography lection haulstogether artefacts fromMerv Russian brickbaron.Thewell-appointed col- Tue-Sun) Museum of thecityis The highlight Sights street. Ifyou’dlike somelocal artists tomeet are more shopsintheUnivermag, down the is great place to stockuponfresh fruit.There enormous Turkmen carpet. ofKennedy. isamosaic a thestatue Behind bears astrikingresemblance toUSPresident Niyazov Eje köçesiandGurbansoltan köçesis onthecornerof statue Saparmuratseated statues on Mollanepes To get tothe church andaeroplane,headeast a more ominouslegacyof Russian occupation. west andyou’llspota religious icons.Walkafew hundred metres parkland anditsinterior iscrammedwith 1900. Thechurch issurroundedbypleasant Church heavenly beingcalled predilection towardsthesky,considered a ofoccupation; theuse blueevokes theMongol potterycontains created duringtheMongol clothing; andafullydecorated yurt.Oneroom items; weddingandceremonial everyday, collection; adisplayof Turkmenhousehold hugeTurkmen carpetsfromthemuseum’s Ashgabat. 6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pmSat) 6pm Mon-Fri, your right. your right. theMiGon tracks, after twostreets you’llsee Murgab River, take thefirst leftover railroad You canget yourshoppingdoneatthe In thetowncentre there are new several inMaryThe othermainsight is Other displaysincludeanexhibitionof The , ahandsomered-brick builtin affair % of former President Niyazov; the , a100-year-old mansionbuiltbya OVIR (admissionUS$1,cameraUS$5; 4 5040,4122;Turkmenbashi köçesi; Central Bazaar Central

(State Service for the Registration ofForeign fortheRegistration (State Service ş ayoli, crossthebridge over handlesregistration. MiG aeroplane MiG tenger

(Mollanepes . lonelyplanet.com Mary Regional Regional Mary h ondisplay, Pokrovskaya Pokrovskaya ş ayoli) 10am-5pm h . This 9am- only top-endaccommodationislocated near northwest of OVIR. collection of artiststudios.Itislocated 300m shuthat kóçesi20;s/d/steUS$50/70/150; isabonus. lish-speaking staff andadecent bathroom.Thefriendly,Eng- TV option hassmallbuttidyroomsthatinclude great locationinthecitycentre, thismidrange water, andthere’s alovely garden. facilities are shared, butcleanand have hot withalocalTurkmenfamily.The homestay 25; s/d/trUS$25/40/52) better choice. isamuch unlikely tolinger toolongtheRahat the middleof thecity,butgiven thatyou’re reason here tostay isthelocation,smackin the bathroomsare Theonly simply miserable. The roomshave renovated been never and pileofis yourstandard neglected concrete. US$25/30; safely fromthebar. separated get is tooloudandthehoteldoesn’t section inthebardownstairs. Thankfullyit nights Iranian truckdrivers whocanbefoundmost southern borderandassuch attractsplentyof built nexttoatruckstopontheroad a reasonably cleanbathroom.Themotel is and lemon trees andeach comeswithTV a Rahat Motel Sleeping of themuseum. a handfulof cafés.Theparkisashortwalkeast rides,bumpercars someamusement and tains you canwalkaround and buytheirwork,check outthe Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Oi ming pool (US$2),are also extra. (US$1.50), fitnesscentre (US$1.20) andswim- US$4.50. Otherfacilities, such asthesauna breakfast, which isanoptionforadditional and smalldesk.The pricesdonotinclude fridge a TV, ant lobby,each roomcontains centre. The30roomsare built aroundapleas- the Murgab River, 1kmnorthof thetown cious roomsare builtaroundacourtyardof offers surprisinglynicebudget digs.Thespa- tion (2kmfromthetowncentre), theRahat Mergana köçesi2;s/dUS$40/50; Mergana

(House of Artists; Turkmenbashi(House ofArtists; köçesi; If you’re stilllookingforsomethingtodo, Hotel Margush Margush Hotel Sanjar Hotel Hotel YrsgalFirmasay Hotel Caravanserai Hotel ) Despiteoutof theslightly thewayloca- a ( ) % ThisSoviet-era Intouristhotel ( 6 42 04; Serkhetabat köçesi;s/dUS$20/30; 6 4204;Serkhetabat % ( % 7 1076;Mollanepes ( Pleasant andcharmingPleasant % 3 2328,4601,4940;Gow- Niyazov Park Niyazov ( % 3 9350,3460;Nisimiköçesi ai 7 2127,31;AtaKopek ai ) h Occupyinga , which con- EASTERN TURKMENISTAN EASTERN ••Mary Hudoznikler Hudoznikler 9am-6pm ş ayoli 58;s/d ) Mary’s ), a the morning flight, visit Merv andreturn visitMerv the morning flight, on take(US$11). Iftimeisshort,you couldeven 11) phone office. have does aninternationalbut thestation 24 hours). There isnoleft-luggage facility, runs thewholewaytoDashogus( bat ( hours). There’s train toTurkmena- onenight trainstoAshgabatnight ( leave fromalotnexttothebusstation. shared andmarshrutki,can use taxis which border( Afghan p441 ). Therest of thedayyou onthe toSerkhetabat, or twomorningbuses leave earlyinthemorning.There are alsoone ple of busdepartures toboth cities,butthese US$2, 2½hours respectively). There are acou- also runthisroute (US$3,fourhours and two hours fromTurkmenabat. Marshrutki Mary is3½hours bycar fromAshgabat and Getting There&Away It’s extremely darkinsidebutentryisfree. ş Ambassador Entertainment around thebackismuch nicer). the formaldiningroom(thebar isalittlefussy ifyousitin sian dishes. Service goodTurkmenandRus- rooms which serve shop whenyouenter, buthastwodining 40; yogurt. ish meals,includingdonerkebabs toppedwith pizzasandTurk- uptasty serves scene, Lezzet Adding alittlevarietytothelocalrestaurant place toenjoyyourmeal. meats are admittedly Thepatioisanice tasty. butthegrilled claimindeed try; adebatable thebestshashlyk inthecoun- this placeserves Eje köçesi; Bar Kafe Altyn Asyr Eating &Drinking racy forMary). infrequent andlate (butstillpretty atnight thedanceactsarein thecountry,although door. tobetheonlystripclub Italsoseems abounceratthe small dancefloorandeven h ayoli; Turkmenistan Mary’s revamped Restaurant Sakhra Lezzet Another optionisthe has at least two flights per daytoAshgabathas atleasttwoflights h noon-3.30am) kupe, h 11am-11pm) 7pm-1am) h ( seven hours, US$1.50)andone that seven %

noon-11pm) ( % 3 5767;Ashgabatköçesi; The flashiestbarintownhasa

Airlines 5 6177;Podebyköçesi;admissionUS$1; , nexttotheeponymoushotel. This appears tobeavodka (cnr Turkmenistan ( train station % Locals willtell youthat

( % 5 61 77; Magtymguly köçesi 5 6177;Magtymguly Sanjar Disco kupe, 3 27 77; Magtymguly köçesi 3 2777;Magtymguly ş US$1.50, eight US$1.50,eight ayoli &Gurbansoltan

( % kupe, h

9 2245) (Mollanepes 9am-9pm) US$2,

425 has TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN to nearby Merv andGonur.to nearbyMerv of theMary She Museum. canorganise tours tobethedeputydirectortour guide,whoused yahoo.com) US$4 perhour. Yrsgal haspublicinternet accessfor Firmasay 50m northwestof thepostoffice. TheHotel 424 Caravanserai (150m); Ambassador (500m); Motel Rahat(2km) Theatre To Ashgabat (360km) 4 1 3 2 5 MARY Turk Drama 10 m enis Golubeva Yevgenia

tan 14 To Hotel 15 9

Ata K TURKMENISTANEASTERN ••Mary

16 ša Magtymguly köçes Magtymguly op yoli 12

erg Restaurant (1km) To Sakhra

Ashgabat köçesi Ashgabat ana 8 is anexperienced,English-speaking

Station an

k Train 13 ö

çe A so si

3 ltan

E je

öçe i

si o

lla 7 (

Saram 6 n

urat Niyazov köçesi e

OVIR (2.2km);Turkmenbashi pe

Murgab s š s To HotelMargush(900m); 3 1485;evgeniagolubeva@

0.2miles 0 0400 m a

Stadium y

Hudoznikler Oi(2km); New Mosque(0.5km); o Central

Bazaar

2 Hajji Metcheti(2km) li (300m); Pokrovskaya 1 To MiGAeroplane

Sport Complex R Church (600m) iver Zelyony Bazaar B To Airport(8km); Merv (30km) 11 Bairam Ali, 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 A5 A4 A4 A4 A4 B5 A5 A5 A4 A4 A5 A5 B5 A4 B5 B5 Niyazov 4 Park Citizens; street. Ifyou’dlike somelocal artists tomeet are more shopsintheUnivermag, down the is great place to stockuponfresh fruit.There enormous Turkmen carpet. ofKennedy. isamosaic a thestatue Behind bears astrikingresemblance toUSPresident Niyazov Eje köçesiandGurbansoltan köçesis onthecornerof statue Saparmuratseated statues on Mollanepes To get tothe church andaeroplane,headeast a more ominouslegacyof Russian occupation. west andyou’llspota religious icons.Walkafew hundred metres parkland anditsinterior iscrammedwith 1900. Thechurch issurroundedbypleasant Church heavenly beingcalled predilection towardsthesky,considered a ofoccupation; theuse blueevokes theMongol potterycontains created duringtheMongol clothing; andafullydecorated yurt.Oneroom items; weddingandceremonial everyday, collection; adisplayof Turkmenhousehold hugeTurkmen carpetsfromthemuseum’s Ashgabat. the collectionof in theNationalMuseum items fromMargiana isstrikingandrivals The finequalityanddesignof household the originalreturned towhere itwasfound. persuaded themtohave staff among museum replica of –aseries deaths andmisfortunes 21. Theskeleton of aMargiana priestess isa the BronzeAge citiesof GonurandTogolok portioned modelof Merv. Room2features alarge, Room1contains section. poorlypro- and Margush, plusanextensive ethnography lection haulstogether artefacts fromMerv Russian brickbaron.Thewell-appointed col- Tue-Sun) Museum of thecityis The highlight Sights 6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pmSat) 6pm Mon-Fri, your right. your right. theMiGon tracks, after twostreets you’llsee Murgab River, take thefirst leftover railroad You canget yourshoppingdoneatthe In thetowncentre there are new several inMaryThe othermainsight is Other displaysincludeanexhibitionof The , ahandsomered-brick builtin affair % of former President Niyazov; the , a100-year-old mansionbuiltbya OVIR (admissionUS$1,cameraUS$5; 4 5040,4122;Turkmenbashi köçesi; Central Bazaar Central

(State Service for the Registration ofForeign fortheRegistration (State Service ş ayoli, crossthebridge over handlesregistration. MiG aeroplane MiG tenger

(Mollanepes . lonelyplanet.com Mary Regional Regional Mary h ondisplay, Pokrovskaya Pokrovskaya ş ayoli) 10am-5pm h . This 9am- only top-endaccommodationislocated near northwest of OVIR. collection of artiststudios.Itislocated 300m shuthat kóçesi20;s/d/steUS$50/70/150; isabonus. lish-speaking staff andadecent bathroom.Thefriendly,Eng- TV option hassmallbuttidyroomsthatinclude great locationinthecitycentre, thismidrange water, andthere’s alovely garden. facilities are shared, butcleanand have hot withalocalTurkmenfamily.The homestay 25; s/d/trUS$25/40/52) better choice. isamuch unlikely tolinger toolongtheRahat the middleof thecity,butgiven thatyou’re reason here tostay isthelocation,smackin the bathroomsare Theonly simply miserable. The roomshave renovated been never and pileofis yourstandard neglected concrete. US$25/30; safely fromthebar. separated get is tooloudandthehoteldoesn’t section inthebardownstairs. Thankfullyit nights Iranian truckdrivers whocanbefoundmost southern borderandassuch attractsplentyof built nexttoatruckstopontheroad a reasonably cleanbathroom.Themotel is and lemon trees andeach comeswithTV a Rahat Motel Sleeping of themuseum. a handfulof cafés.Theparkisashortwalkeast rides,bumpercars someamusement and tains you canwalkaround Oi and buytheirwork,check outthe Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ming pool (US$2),are also extra. (US$1.50), fitnesscentre (US$1.20) andswim- US$4.50. Otherfacilities, such asthesauna breakfast, which isanoptionforadditional and smalldesk.The pricesdonotinclude fridge a TV, ant lobby,each roomcontains centre. The30roomsare built aroundapleas- the Murgab River, 1kmnorthof thetown cious roomsare builtaroundacourtyardof offers surprisinglynicebudget digs.Thespa- tion (2kmfromthetowncentre), theRahat Mergana köçesi2;s/dUS$40/50; Mergana

noon-11pm) ( % 3 5767;Ashgabatköçesi; The flashiestbarintownhasa

Airlines 5 6177;Podebyköçesi;admissionUS$1; , nexttotheeponymoushotel. This appears tobeavodka (cnr Turkmenistan ( train station % Locals willtell youthat

( % 5 61 77; Magtymguly köçesi 5 6177;Magtymguly Sanjar Disco kupe, 3 27 77; Magtymguly köçesi 3 2777;Magtymguly ş US$1.50, eight US$1.50,eight ayoli &Gurbansoltan

( % kupe, h

9 2245) (Mollanepes 9am-9pm) US$2,

425 has TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN the country. Merv caneasilybevisitedthe country.Merv ona sidered themostimpressive historicalsite in Heritage con- site in1999andisdeservedly shards of pottery. ItbecameaUnescoWorld fied walls,brickfoundationsandgazillionsof ofthousands private homes. and cluded palaces,mosques,caravanserais brick towered over thegreen oasis,and in- faiths andethnicgroups.Itsbuildingsof fired ameltingpotof hadbeen tion, Merv religious to thegreat cityandslaughtered itspopula- of themetropolisremains. not beunderestimated. Today,almostnothing Asiamerce andsophisticationof Central can- tothecom- on theSilkRoad,itsimportance major centre of religious studyandalynchpin asoneofCairo thegreat centres of Islam.A and stood alongsideDamascus,Baghdad jahan, ‘ of –Queen Merv the World’, andit In itsheydayitwasknownasMarv-i-shah- MERV east of thecity,onroadtoMerv. daytoAshgabat.the same Theairportis8km 426 MERV The scattered ruinslefttodayincludeforti- Before thesonsofBefore Jenghiz laidwaste Khan ATR UKEITN • ev TURKMENISTANEASTERN ••Merv Museum &TicketOffice Margush Archaeological Mohammed ibnZeid Mausoleum of To BairamAli(3km); Great KyzKala Mary (30km) Little KyzKala Kyz Bibi Market Camel Sunday Ice House Mausoleum of Ice House Sultan Sanjar Abdullah-Khan SULTAN KALA SHAHRIYAR Kala

Koshk

Mausolea of Two Askhab

Majan ARK Channel on topof slowlyspread theolderruins,Merv course of itshistory,butinstead of beingre built Nights of Scheherazade’s have even theinspirationfortales been may Merv Legendary made ittheircapital. Turks and 12thcenturies,whentheSeljuq during thepeakof theSilkRoute inthe11th reached Merv civilisation, itsgreatest heights peacefully. As acentre of power, culture and tians, BuddhistsandZoroastrianscohabiting liberal, withsignificantpopulationsof Chris- itwasconsideredsian Sassanians, religiously Alexander theGreat’s time. UnderthePer- wasknownasMargianaMerv orMargush in History ofmake itall. sense your owntransport,andpreferably aguideto walled city called Sultan Kala.walled citycalledSultan in later centuriesmostpeoplelived inthevast rivers. wastheErkKala Theoldestsection and to each other,largely of because theshifting fivewest. Intotal, citieswere constructed next day tripfromMary tohave butit’sessential Yusuf Hamadani Mosque of Merv sufferedMerv anumberof over attacks the

. Ice House

Raz 2km 1mile 0 0

ik Chan

Ancient nel Roads GIAUR KALA The KALA ERK

Thousand andOne Mosque & Buddhist Cistern Stupa lonelyplanet.com restored earlyinthe20thcentury,benefits earthen-brick building,which washeavily Mohammed ibnZeid monument, the12th-century take yourfirst left(north)toanearly-Islamic From theticket office, continueeastand MOHAMMED IBNZEID of artefacts andoldphotos. free; and the mission US$0.80,cameraUS$1.20,videoUS$2; is asmallticket officeforthe complex. OntheroadtowardsancientMerv towardstheMerv 4km asignpointsright Bazaar.heading northfromtheCentral After town of Ali,andturnleftonaroad Bairam Coming fromMary the youpassthrough Sights newly builttown30kmtothewest. Russians monitored fromMary, events their Ali. becameknownasBairam men settlement destroyed itin1795. force,capturedmilitary thecity,andutterly trade. TheEmirof struckbackwith Bukhara gated region toprosperandencouraged free Ali rebuilt thedam,which allowedtheirri- ally wonoutwhenanoble namedBairam andPersia.Khiva Persian influenceeventu- ritorial disputetherulers between of Bukhara, century andwassoonatthecentre of ater- anestimatedinhabitants, 300,000people. tobutcher lastoneof every ceeded thecity’s render of theterrified citizens,andthenpro- the headof an army,accepted thepeacefulsur- Jenghiz sons,arrived Khan’s three years later at lectors. Inretribution ofTolui, themostbrutal response col- wastoslaythetax Seljuq unwise the city’smostbeautifulyoungwomen.The of alongwiththepick of grainfromMerv, Jenghiz tithe demandedasubstantial Khan ofunder theonslaught theMongols.In1218 lonelyplanet.com not Ibn Zeid, aprominent Shiite teachernot IbnZeid, who centre of thecool, darkshrine. It’sdefinitely inthe ied undertheblack marblecenotaph pilgrims. sitethis shrine isalsoanimportant forSufi the otherSufishrines (Gozli-Ata andKubra), that isringed trees. byspindlysaxaul Like greatly fromanattractive inahollow setting Russia annexed in1884and theTurk- Merv All of thiswascompletely eradicated in1221 There’s confusionasto who’s actuallybur- Merv madeasmallcomebackinthe15th Merv h 7am-dusk) Margush Archaeological Museum Archaeological Margush which houses atinycollection which houses EASTERN TURKMENISTAN EASTERN ••Merv . The small, unostentatious . Thesmall,unostentatious Merv complex Merv Mausoleum of Mausoleum h

(admission 7am-dusk)

(ad- that islong gone. Interior decoration issparse, tobevisiblefrom aday’sride away, but said outer dome, had amagnificent turquoise-tiled barrel-mounted domeontop. Originallyit laid waste tohisbeloved Merv. home tofindthatJenghiz soldiers Khan’s had hecame escaping fromcaptivityinKhiva, 1157, reputedly of abroken heartwhen,after open plain. dramatically inthe with Turkishaidandrises Kala. recently Thebuildinghasbeen restored Sanjar isthe38m-high at Merv The bestremaining power testimony toSeljuq SULTAN KALA spread atitsheight. the furthestwestern pointto which Buddhism wasfoundherea Buddhastatue makingMerv tioning intheearlyIslamicera. Theheadof stupa andmonastery, which wasstillfunc- distinct moundmarksthesite of aBuddhist dugintotheground. been waterthe mosqueisan8m-deep cistern that’s a 7th-centurymosque. Attheeastern endof roads inthemiddleof thesite are theruinsof on aHellenistic gridpattern; nearthecross- gaps where gates oncewere. Thecity wasbuilt The fortress wallsare stillsolid,withthree bytheSassanians. during the3rdcenturyBC of anotherfortress – Erk Kala formspartof thenorthernsection smallhillsthatwereeasy tosee oncetowers. savannah-like landscape. Ontherampartsit’s and offer abird’s-eyeviewof thesurrounding archaeologists. Therampartsare 50mhigh, that have dugintotherampartsbySoviet been about 600macross.There are trenches deep Nestorian Christians,Jews andBuddhists. religionstate butErkKala wasalsohometo toAD226)Zoroastrianismwasthe (250BC Alexandria Margiana. UnderParthian control the Macedonians conquered itandrenamed it byAlexandertheGreat, Led 6th centuryBC. todatean Achaemenid fromthe citythought The oldestof thefive citiesis Merv EARLIEST REMAINS and isknowntobeburiedelsewhere. died fourcenturiesbefore thistombwasbuilt The mausoleum is asimplecubewith Sanjar, grandsonof Alp-Arslan, diedin In thesoutheastern cornerof GiaurKala a that From thisvantage pointyoucansee Today ErkKala isabigearthendoughnut , located inwhatwasthecentre of Sultan Giaur Kala Mausoleum ofSultan Mausoleum , constructed Erk Kala 427

, TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN the country. Merv caneasilybevisitedthe country.Merv ona sidered themostimpressive historicalsite in Heritage con- site in1999andisdeservedly shards of pottery. ItbecameaUnescoWorld fied walls,brickfoundationsandgazillionsof ofthousands private homes. and cluded palaces,mosques,caravanserais brick towered over thegreen oasis,and in- faiths andethnicgroups.Itsbuildingsof fired ameltingpotof hadbeen tion, Merv religious to thegreat cityandslaughtered itspopula- of themetropolisremains. not beunderestimated. Today,almostnothing Asiamerce andsophisticationof Central can- tothecom- on theSilkRoad,itsimportance major centre of religious studyandalynchpin asoneofCairo thegreat centres of Islam.A and stood alongsideDamascus,Baghdad jahan, ‘ of –Queen Merv the World’, andit In itsheydayitwasknownasMarv-i-shah- MERV east of thecity,onroadtoMerv. daytoAshgabat.the same Theairportis8km 426 MERV The scattered ruinslefttodayincludeforti- Before thesonsofBefore Jenghiz laidwaste Khan ATR UKEITN • ev TURKMENISTANEASTERN ••Merv Museum &TicketOffice Margush Archaeological Mohammed ibnZeid Mausoleum of To BairamAli(3km); Great KyzKala Mary (30km) Little KyzKala Kyz Bibi Market Camel Sunday Ice House Mausoleum of Ice House Sultan Sanjar Abdullah-Khan SULTAN KALA SHAHRIYAR Kala

Koshk

Mausolea of Two Askhab

Majan ARK Channel Kala.walled citycalledSultan in later centuriesmostpeoplelived inthevast rivers. wastheErkKala Theoldestsection and to each other,largely of because theshifting fivewest. Intotal, citieswere constructed next on topof slowlyspread theolderruins,Merv course of itshistory,butinstead of beingre built Nights of Scheherazade’s have even theinspirationfortales been may Merv Legendary made ittheircapital. Turks and 12thcenturies,whentheSeljuq during thepeakof theSilkRoute inthe11th reached Merv civilisation, itsgreatest heights peacefully. As acentre of power, culture and tians, BuddhistsandZoroastrianscohabiting liberal, withsignificantpopulationsof Chris- itwasconsideredsian Sassanians, religiously Alexander theGreat’s time. UnderthePer- wasknownasMargianaMerv orMargush in History ofmake itall. sense your owntransport,andpreferably aguideto day tripfromMary tohave butit’sessential Yusuf Hamadani Mosque of Merv sufferedMerv anumberof over attacks the

. Ice House

Raz 2km 1mile 0 0

ik Chan

Ancient nel Roads GIAUR KALA The KALA ERK

(admission 7am-dusk)

, TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN The complex has been largelyThe complexhasbeen rebuilt inthe around thetombof a12th-centurydervish. outside thewallsof are Merv interesting for twocrumbling7th-century These KYZ KALA location of recent digs. an experiencedguidetheyshouldknowthe ing thefoundationsof homes.Ifyouhave number of sitesKala, aroundSultan reveal- grimage site; itisnotopentonon-Muslims. last 10years pil- andturnedintoanimportant walls, liesthe ing camel. (fort) withcorrugated walls,andtheoddgraz- Still visibleare itswalls,awell-preserved is oneof themore interesting parts of Merv. building torivalthisone. executed to prevent himfrom designinga According tolore, hadhisarchitect thesultan is etched intotheupperpartof theeastwall. architect, Mohammed IbnAzizof Serakhs, in anunknownlocation!Thenameof the grave robbers hewasactuallyburiedelsewhere fearing Sanjar’s simplestone‘tomb’,although and-red friezeintheuppergallery.Insideis restorationthough backtheblue- hasbrought 428 giant freezers, madefrombrick andcovered built duringtheTimuridice houses era. The South of Kala Sultan and GiaurKala are three ICE HOUSES Timurid squat buildingssitinfrontof reconstructed al-Islami.ThetwoBuraida ibnal-Huseib prophet), Al-Hakim ibnAmr al-Jafari and for twoIslamic arein Turkmenistan themausoleumsbuilt One of pilgrimage themostimportant sites MAUSOLEUMS OFTWOASKHAB no analogiesanywhere else. in western archaeology Merv andtheyhave of structures themostsymbolicandimportant years are later, asfunctionrooms.These some 600 sultans, tury andwere bySeljuq stillinuse inthe7thcen- constructed bytheSassanians clay logsup-endedsidebyside’.Theywere ofThubron describesthem,composed ‘vast their ‘petrifiedstockade’walls,aswriter Colin still-functioning water cistern. the prophets.Infrontof themausoleumsisa The Archaeologists have excavating been a North of theShahriyar Ark,outsidethecity ATR UKEITN • ou TURKMENISTANEASTERN ••Gonur Shahriyar Ark Shahriyar iwans Mosque ofYusuf Hamadani ( aiwans, askhab (or Citadel of Kala) (orCitadel Sultan (companionsof the portals) that honour portals) koshks , built koshk

GONUR onhertourofincludes Merv thearea. Merv. Yevgenia inMary Golubeva (see p423 ) agency andthisisthewaymostpeoplesee Guided tours are available fromanytravel or so;thejourneytakes about45minutes. Marytween halfhour Alievery andBairam gobe- themainmonuments).Buses to see hours (theminimumamountof timeneeded to payUS$7.50foracaranddriver forfour hausting walkisbycar. FromMary expect thesite withoutanex- The onlywaytosee Getting There&Away worth aquicklook. now sitinafairlyneglected state,butare structure. They perhaps thebest-preserved mer. toGiaurKala closest is Theicehouse meat andotherfoodsfrozen duringthesum- the plants. This potent brew isalmost certainly tion prepared frompoppy, hempandephedra of around adrugpo- as evidence acultbased sites have revealed fourfire temples, aswell the religion’s founder, Zoroaster. Theadjacent astrianism, beingatsomepointthe homeof place of thefirst monotheistic religion, Zoro- datedbeen backto3000BC. the cityof water. Thecurrent excavations have the Murgab River changed depriving course, slowly abandoned duringtheBronzeAge as strong agriculture. thecitywas Itisbelieved a anddeveloped the area around7000BC The first appeared agriculturalsettlements in trian cultures inneighbouring Afghanistan. worshipping paralleltotheBac- civilisations, isthatGonurone ofhowever, theoldestfire- isafascinatingsite.certainly Whatiscertain, world andwhilethisclaimmaybedisputed, it be oneof thegreat of civilisations theancient ing newfindings.Sarianidiconsiders Gonurto who stillworksatthesite, continuallyuncover- Russian-Greek archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi, complex layout. archaeological worldfor itsvastarea and admissionUS$1,cameraUS$1.20) Hill; rently beingexcavated around The greatest cur- of ancientsettlements, these gab River inwhatiscalledtheMargiana Oasis. Age villages were alongtheMur- assembling Long before itsfirst raised tower, Bronze Merv by aconical-shaped roof, were tokeep used Sarianidi believes thatGonurwasthebirth- The discoveries were first madein1972by haoma (soma elixir) used bythemagi (somaelixir) used , hasstunnedthe lonelyplanet.com Gonur Depe

(Gonur 44 rooms on two levels. One room, containing Oneroom,containing 44 roomsontwolevels. here thecave stretches back32mandincludes gate where acaretaker youaticket. sells From The maincavern isreached ametal through h complex cave theextraordinary stopping tosee it’sworth en routetabazar toAfghanistan, delineated aborder. andRussiaintonegotiationsthat Afghanistan tory byathread. Thebattleultimately forced deadandRussiaAfghans hangingontovic- the town(thencalledPandjeh) leftover 800 the Great Game(see p45 ). Abriefbattlenear ofbacked inoneof Afghanistan thesalvoes here locked thatthetsar hornswithBritish- the fringe of theformerRussianEmpire, itwas south of Mary On ontheroadtoAfghanistan. The peacefultownof Tagtabazar lies215km TAGTABAZAR water, sopackalunch before off. setting There isnowhere inthearea tobuyfoodor further US$30foranindepthguidedtour. topayUS$40hireExpect adriver, anda call Yevgenia inMary Golubeva (see p423 ). anytravelorganise atripthrough agency or more trackinthedirt.Youcan thanarough is required andthefinal20kmof roadislittle atleasttwohoursyou’ll need there. A4WD Gonur isatwo-hourdrive fromMary and Getting There&Away ing sites tovisit. Palace andnecropolisare themostfascinat- photogenic portionsof thecity.TheRoyal mud bricks)iscovering upsomeof themost theruinswith the workbeingdone(sealing although fort beingputintoconservation, recent findings.There isalsosignificantef- with thearchaeologists andinspectthe most- your visityoumayhave a chance tospeak Zoroastrian texts. whom Zoroaster beganpreaching againstin Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com car or taxi. car ortaxi. 3km north of town andaccessible byprivate at thelocalgovernor’s office. The caves are you gothere inquire about thekey-holder isoff-limits. below, butthissection tomoretor willshow youastaircase caverns have byachief orpriest.Thecura- used been doorway,may a vaulted ceilingandacarved The excavations are ongoingandduring If you happen to be passing through Tag-If youhappentobepassingthrough The caves are sometimeslocked, sobefore 9am-5pm) , located inthehillsnorthof town.

(admission US$2,tourUS$1,cameraUS$3; EASTERN TURKMENISTAN EASTERN ••Tagtabazar Ekedeshik Ekedeshik range category. Amu Darya should emerge solidly in themid- renovation. Onceapopular budget hotel, the wasundergoingopposite thetrainstation, At thetimeof writingtheHotel AmuDarya, Sleeping Dunya Bazaar choice if youare lookingforcarpetsisthe Bazaar zaars. Themostconvenient is interior witharich collectionof icons. painted canaryyellowanddecorated onthe Built inthelate 19thcentury,thechurch is built tohonourStNicolasMaker of Miracles. is the tural productsanda floor isgiven over tolocallyproducedagricul- a requisite roomof animals. The2nd stuffed yurt, adioramaof asilversmith workshopand ethno includesafullyfurnished graphy section by theSoviets inthe1960s.Downstairs, an 20th centurybutwasturnedintoamuseum originally builtasaShia mosqueintheearly gular towerandtwobrickminarets. Itwas The Sights Mary orDashogus. Naturetang Reserve, logical stopover onthelongjourneystoKugi- collection of hotels andrestaurants, makinga haveyou down,butthecitydoes areasonable border trade. There are few attractionstohold air withmostof oncross- itscommercebased city inthecountry,butretains ananachronistic until itsdestructionbytheMongolsin1221. the SilkRoadcityof Amulprospered here cupation. Localhistoryisinfactmuch older– atitlebequeathedduringRussian oc- Charjou, change, mostresidents stillrefer tothetownas north. Having onlyrecently received aname across thebordera few kilometres tothe likely beenjoyingUzbek produce,driven hear asmuch Uzbek asTurkmenandwill crossroads of cultures. Onitsstreets you’ll plains of Uzbekistan, Turkmenabat sitsata theKarakum andthefertilebetween desert Lying onthebanksof Amu-Darya, themighty % TURKMENABAT köçesi 35;admissionUS$0.20; Sat) A coupleof blocksnortheastof themuseum Today Turkmenabat isthesecond-largest Turkmenabat hasacoupleof bustingba- isauniquebrickstructure witharectan- 422 /pop203,000 Lebap Regional Museum Lebap Regional , nearthetelephone office. Abetter Russian Orthodox Church Russian Orthodox , 8kmsouthof downtown. Ruhnama h 9am-1pm &2-6pmMon-

( %

(Magtymguly (Magtymguly 6 2093;Shaidakov display. Zelyony (Green) (Green) Zelyony ş ayoli) 429

, TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN giant freezers, madefrombrick andcovered built duringtheTimuridice houses era. The South of Kala Sultan and GiaurKala are three ICE HOUSES Timurid squat buildingssitinfrontof reconstructed al-Islami.ThetwoBuraida ibnal-Huseib prophet), Al-Hakim ibnAmr al-Jafari and for twoIslamic arein Turkmenistan themausoleumsbuilt One of pilgrimage themostimportant sites MAUSOLEUMS OFTWOASKHAB no analogiesanywhere else. in western archaeology Merv andtheyhave of structures themostsymbolicandimportant years are later, asfunctionrooms.These some 600 sultans, tury andwere bySeljuq stillinuse inthe7thcen- constructed bytheSassanians clay logsup-endedsidebyside’.Theywere ofThubron describesthem,composed ‘vast their ‘petrifiedstockade’walls,aswriter Colin outside thewallsof are Merv interesting for twocrumbling7th-century These KYZ KALA location of recent digs. an experiencedguidetheyshouldknowthe ing thefoundationsof homes.Ifyouhave number of sitesKala, aroundSultan reveal- grimage site; itisnotopentonon-Muslims. last 10years pil- andturnedintoanimportant largelyThe complexhasbeen rebuilt inthe around thetombof a12th-centurydervish. walls, liesthe ing camel. (fort) withcorrugated walls,andtheoddgraz- Still visibleare itswalls,awell-preserved is oneof themore interesting parts of Merv. building torivalthisone. executed to prevent himfrom designinga According tolore, hadhisarchitect thesultan is etched intotheupperpartof theeastwall. architect, Mohammed IbnAzizof Serakhs, in anunknownlocation!Thenameof the grave robbers hewasactuallyburiedelsewhere fearing Sanjar’s simplestone‘tomb’,although and-red friezeintheuppergallery.Insideis restorationthough backtheblue- hasbrought 428 still-functioning water cistern. the prophets.Infrontof themausoleumsisa Archaeologists have excavating been a North of theShahriyar Ark,outsidethecity The ATR UKEITN • ou TURKMENISTANEASTERN ••Gonur Shahriyar Ark Shahriyar iwans Mosque ofYusuf Hamadani ( aiwans, askhab (or Citadel of Kala) (orCitadel Sultan (companionsof the portals) that honour portals) koshks , built koshk

the plants. This potent brew isalmost certainly tion prepared frompoppy, hempandephedra of around adrugpo- as evidence acultbased sites have revealed fourfire temples, aswell the religion’s founder, Zoroaster. Theadjacent astrianism, beingatsomepointthe homeof place of thefirst monotheistic religion, Zoro- datedbeen backto3000BC. the cityof water. Thecurrent excavations have the Murgab River changed depriving course, slowly abandoned duringtheBronzeAge as strong agriculture. thecitywas Itisbelieved a anddeveloped the area around7000BC The first appeared agriculturalsettlements in trian cultures inneighbouring Afghanistan. worshipping paralleltotheBac- civilisations, isthatGonurone ofhowever, theoldestfire- isafascinatingsite.certainly Whatiscertain, world andwhilethisclaimmaybedisputed, it be oneof thegreat of civilisations theancient ing newfindings.Sarianidiconsiders Gonurto who stillworksatthesite, continuallyuncover- Russian-Greek archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi, complex layout. archaeological worldfor itsvastarea and admissionUS$1,cameraUS$1.20) Hill; rently beingexcavated around The greatest cur- of ancientsettlements, these gab River inwhatiscalledtheMargiana Oasis. Age villages were alongtheMur- assembling Long before itsfirst raised tower, Bronze Merv GONUR onhertourofincludes Merv thearea. Merv. Yevgenia inMary Golubeva (see p423 ) agency andthisisthewaymostpeoplesee Guided tours are available fromanytravel or so;thejourneytakes about45minutes. Marytween halfhour Alievery andBairam gobe- themainmonuments).Buses to see hours (theminimumamountof timeneeded to payUS$7.50foracaranddriver forfour hausting walkisbycar. FromMary expect thesite withoutanex- The onlywaytosee Getting There&Away worth aquicklook. now sitinafairlyneglected state,butare structure. They perhaps thebest-preserved mer. toGiaurKala closest is Theicehouse meat andotherfoodsfrozen duringthesum- by aconical-shaped roof, were tokeep used Sarianidi believes thatGonurwasthebirth- The discoveries were first madein1972by haoma (soma elixir) used bythemagi (somaelixir) used , hasstunnedthe lonelyplanet.com Gonur Depe

( %

(Magtymguly (Magtymguly 6 2093;Shaidakov display. Zelyony (Green) (Green) Zelyony ş ayoli) 429

, TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN that approach thetop-endcategory. of Each Turkmenabat offers the onlyroomsintown 430 to theHotel Gunesh, attractsmidday barflies h Vostok Eating and abar,butunfortunately norestaurant. istiny.There lobby isapleasant but theTV ceilingsandcomfybeds, the 45roomshashigh US$45/90; is located behind theHotel Turkmenabat. fails tokeep thelarge roomscoolinsummer. It ture. The hotel hashotwater buttheair-con a kitchen andcollectionsof unmatched furni- ments withalivingroom,coupleof bedrooms, decently looked after. Theroomsare large apart- hotel isanoldSoviet-era place,butfriendlyand ş communal toiletsare downthehall. Roomscomewithasinkbutthe brusque staff. wallsand this downtownhotel haspeeling person US$6) ayoli 51A;perpersonUS$6.50) 1 3 2 TURKMENABAT Hotel TurkmenabatHotel Lebapgurlushyk Hotel Gunesh Hotel 9am-11pm) Dashogus (420km) Caravanserai (170km); To Dayahattin ATR UKEITN • ukeaa TURKMENISTANEASTERN ••Turkmenabat ( Station % Train a

ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ M ὈὈὈ Run-downandbadlyneglected, 1

4 9418;Shaidakovköçesi 34;dishesUS$1; agtymguly šayoli AC ) Although a littleoverpriced, Although the 15 This basic eatery and bar, next Municipality Niyazov šayoli (

% Puskin köçesi Puskin Zelyony Bazaar ( 5 2 1388;Shaidakovköçesi36;per % 7 ( % This unpronounceable Thisunpronounceable 6 02 26; Magtymguly 6 0226;Magtymguly Telephone & Telegraph 4 44 20, 4 41 04; Magtymguly 4 4420,4104;Magtymguly Office

3 Altyn Asyr šayoli 2

11 Niyazov šayoli Magtymguly

Niyazov Square 6

B Ahal köçesi Ahal Bank Turkmen ş

ayoli; s/d Shaidakov köçesi Shaidakov

Gurbansoltan Eje köçesi 12 Arsarybaba köçesi Stadium 8 4 Ashgabat (US$2.50, 16hours), Mary (US$1, the centre of town,hastwo dailytrainsto Turkmenabat. The hour). Theairport is2kmeastof theHotel (US$12, one Turkmenabat and thecapital There are adaybetween aroundfourflights Getting There&Away and beers. ofRussian, withawideselection fish dishes a general cheerfulness. Thefoodismainly low walls,paintingsof Turkmenscenesand 11pm) each dish. warns youbygivingthepreparation timefor ispainfullyslowbutthemenufore- service portions are bigandthecutsratherfatty.The The vastmenuincludesplentyof meatdishes; tacked tothewalls. wheels and shipsteering a maritimetheme,withfishing nets,ropes theTraktir manages torecreatefrom thesea, h shashlyk and salads. shashlyk andsalads. andtasty for beer 13 To Airport(2km); Lebap Traktir 10 11am-11pm) Bitarap Turkmenistan köçesi To DunyaBazaar(8km); 9 (Oxus River) Popular localrestaurant yel- with bright Amu Darya Bus Station(8km); Mary (220km) ( % ( % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 6 3521;Pu 6 1438;Arsarybabaköçesi14;mealsUS$2; Although thousands of thousands Although miles Marshrutka Stand...... TRANSPORT Univermag...... SHOPPING Vostok...... Traktir...... Lebab...... EATING Hotel Turkmenabat...... Hotel Lebapgurlushyk...... Hotel Gunesh...... Hotel AmuDarya...... SLEEPING Statue ofNiyazov...... Statue ofNiyazov...... Russian OrthodoxChurch...... Lebap RegionalMuseum...... Amusement Park...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Post Office...... INFORMATION samsa train station ş kin köçesi;mealsUS$2; kin 200m 0.1miles 0 0 . It also serves pizza, . Italsoserves

( % D 6 4719) 15 14 13 12 11 10 h 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 A1 B2 C3 B3 B3 C2 C2 C3 A1 B2 A1 C2 B3 B2 A2 9am- , in passable mountains’). Itsextent includes the mountains’). passable comes fromthePersian meaning‘almostim- name goat(whose the rare mountain markhor and itsuniqueecosystem, andinparticular range mountain 1986 toprotect theKugitang of upin Set natureTurkmenistan’s reserves. isthemostimpressiveKugitang andpristine KUGITANG NATURERESERVE get permissiontovisitthesite. near acheckpoint to andyourguidewillneed 170km northwestof Turkmenabat.It’slocated isaround the compound.Thecaravanserai earthenwallthatsurrounded out asecond cells. Climbinguponthewallsyoucanmake surrounded byavaulted arcadeandsmall mous arched gateway intoacentralcourtyard, ous state. theenor- Pickyourwaythrough inafairlyruin although intact, building stands abandoned around500years ago,mostof the or take acouplehundred years). Although and dates toaroundthe12thcentury(give ancient route Amulof between Khorezm This SilkRoad onthecaravanserai stands DAYAHATTIN CARAVANSERAI are justasgood. links fromthelotoutsidetrainstation butthetransportation near DunyaBazaar, 9kmsouthofbus station thecentre of town, much higher. There isanother,more formal tobargain pricescanbe need hardasstarting butyoumay border willcostUS$1perseat, and otherdestinations.AridetotheUzbek marshrutki toMary (US$2),Ashgabat (US$4) 23 hours). youcancatch Outsidethestation hours) andTurkmenbashi(US$2.50, seven lonelyplanet.com of the unlikely theory.of theunlikely the printswere advantage human.Creationists in fact in taking have sincelostnoopportunity bling ahumanfoot. In1995aRussiannewspaperstirred upcontroversy whenitreported that of whichhasadiameter of80cm. AroundKugitang, more than2500prints have beenfound. them inlava. There are more than400printsvisibleonasteep inclineoflimestone,thelargest inthesun,after whichavolcanic eruptionsealeddried up,leavingthedinosaurprints baking by aspeciescalledMegalosauripus. the Great. Scientists, however, willtell youthattheprintswere leftduringthe Jurassic period are indeedlegit, andwere lefthere byamblingdinosaurssome155millionyears ago. dinosaur footprintsofKugitang tobereal. Nature seemalmosttooperfect Butthetracks Reserve someonetookagiant like stampofafootprintandpoundeditintotheground, theLooking TURKMENOSAURUS REX The giant dinosaurswere apparently joinedbysmaller dinocreatures thatleftimprintsresem- The locationofthetracksisaplateau thatispresumed that tobethebottomofashallowlake According tolocallegend,theprintswere leftbyelephants usedbythearmiesofAlexander EASTERN TURKMENISTAN EASTERN Caravanserai ••Dayahattin person forfullboard.It’spossible pernight newly builthotel. topayUS$40per Expect withrangersis usuallyinahomestay orata visit andprovide adriver. Accommodation a travel agent who canget youapermitto maiden andothers of more phallicnature. according totheirform,includingMedusa, a natural wonders have namedbylocals been Someof andstalagmites. stalactites these spooky andexciting,withsomeastonishing caves withoneof theparkrangers isboth cessible forvisitors. intothe Walkingdeep onlytheKapkytantourist masses, Cave isac- blind cave loach, fish. asightless from thecaves. Thecaves are alsohometothe during theirrulethattheonyxwasharvested to fullyexplore andexploitthecaves; itwas in Greek texts, buttheSoviets were thefirst since ancienttimes,having mentioned been caves Asia. inCentral Theyhave known been are considered themostextensive networkof incredible experience. Thelimestonecaves to theceilingandmake itstick. if thepilgrimcanflingmudpieandcloth according tolocaltradition,awish isgranted bits of mudfromwhich danglestripsof cloth; tomb. Ontheceilingof thecave youcansee anunmarked canyon,contains spectacular Girl)Cave KyrkGyz(Forty plateau, outsidethevillage of Hojapil, isthe teau streams, caves andtheunique huge canyons,richseveral forests, mountain peak,Airybaba (3137m),country’s highest You’ll need toorganise atriphereYou’ll need through As thecaves have readied notbeen forthe Visiting oneof the (see theboxed (see text, tothe below).Close . Thecave, located ina Karlyuk Caves Karlyuk Dinosaur Pla- isalsoan

431 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN that approach thetop-endcategory. of Each Turkmenabat offers the onlyroomsintown to theHotel Gunesh, attractsmidday barflies h Vostok Eating and abar,butunfortunately norestaurant. istiny.There lobby isapleasant but theTV ceilingsandcomfybeds, the 45roomshashigh US$45/90; is located behind theHotel Turkmenabat. fails tokeep thelarge roomscoolinsummer. It ture. The hotel hashotwater buttheair-con a kitchen andcollectionsof unmatched furni- ments withalivingroom,coupleof bedrooms, decently looked after. Theroomsare large apart- hotel isanoldSoviet-era place,butfriendlyand ş communal toiletsare downthehall. Roomscomewithasinkbutthe brusque staff. wallsand this downtownhotel haspeeling person US$6) 430 ayoli 51A;perpersonUS$6.50) 1 3 2 TURKMENABAT Hotel TurkmenabatHotel Lebapgurlushyk Hotel Gunesh Hotel 9am-11pm) Dashogus (420km) Caravanserai (170km); To Dayahattin ATR UKEITN • ukeaa TURKMENISTANEASTERN ••Turkmenabat ( Station % Train a

ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ M ὈὈὈ Run-downandbadlyneglected, 1

4 9418;Shaidakovköçesi 34;dishesUS$1; agtymguly šayoli AC ) Although a littleoverpriced, Although the 15 This basic eatery and bar, next Municipality Niyazov šayoli (

3 Altyn Asyr šayoli 2

11 Niyazov šayoli Magtymguly

Niyazov Square 6

B Ahal köçesi Ahal Bank Turkmen ş

ayoli; s/d Shaidakov köçesi Shaidakov

431 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN travelling toorfromUzbekistan. especiallyifyouareunique historicalsights, Still, it’sworthvisitingthearea toexplore some of petroltoUzbekistan.smuggling subsidised country, withlittlecommerceapartfromthe water pollution.It’salsothepoorest partof the disasterandsuffers fromair,soiland Aral Sea country. Sadly,theregion hasnotescapedthe and retains aculture apartfromtherest of the asizable Uzbekportion stillcontains minority As partof historicKhorezm, theTurkmen and outof theUzbek andTurkmenborders. with theAmu-Daryariver itswayin wriggling Itremainsto Turkmenistan. thiswaytoday, southern portion,withKonye-Urgench, going goingtoUzbekistanbit withKhiva andthe the splitof theKhorez the divisionof itspeople,thusresulting in Asia modusoperandiinCentral sought Stalin’s TURKMENISTAN NORTHERN Turkmenabat. it’safive-Otherwise tosix-hourdrive from doing thearduousjourneyacrossdesert. via Turkmenabat (US$13),farpreferable than to flyfromAshgabat toGaurdak(Magdanly) 432 venge forthemurder of his envoysinOtrar capturing thatcity in1210. med IImoved toSamarkandafter hiscapital Muslim world,until Khorezmshah Moham- ing bazaars, Gurganj became acentre of the its mosques,medressa, librariesandflourish- to shapeitsownfar-reaching empire. With dynastyknownastheKhorezmshahs, Seljuq inthe12thcentury,undera Turks, butrose of for thousands years.deserts Asian oasisof intheCentral tant civilisation andRussia,wasanimpor- Sea the Caspian a northerlySilkRoadbranch thatleadsto lamic world,nottheendof it. centuries ago,thiswasthecentre of theIs- back roadsthatendinagriculturalfields.Yet with emptyplazas,wanderinglivestock and Persian ‘OldUrgench’) isarural backwater The moderntownof Konye-Urgench (from % KONYE-URGENCH Jenghiz re- arrived Khan in1221,seeking Khorezm fell tothe all-conqueringSeljuq The ancientstate of Khorezm, located on 347 /pop15,000 OTENTRMNSA • KneUgnh TURKMENISTANNORTHERN ••Konye-Urgench m oasis–thenorthern after hisdeath.Rebuilt,Urgench wasagain into which Jenghiz empire Khan’s wasdivided huge, wealthy,westernmost of thekhanates was ruledaspartof the GoldenHorde,the monuments. andare twoofsurvive OldUrgench’s his father,Tekesh, andgrandfather,Il-Arslan, Thetombsof Sea. an islandintheCaspian until hefinallydiedof exhaustionin1221on Mohammed IIwhoeludedthemformonths ing itsdefenders. the Amu-Daryaandfloodedcity,drown- In theend,Mongolsdiverted thewaters of but theresidents fromtheruins. stillfought tocities,burntthehouses Mongols, unused the residents theminthestreets. fought The after theMongolsbroke thecitywalls through eight-cornered thing’). Note the Christian artefacts fromOldUrgench (eg‘bluepolished Arabic texts and afew interestingly labelled mausoleum complex. Itincludessomeancient century DashMosque, justbefore themain 1pm &2-4pmWed-Mon) Museum Urgench part of Konye-Urgench. Thesimple near themiddleof thetownandisholiest ofthe mostimportant asmallcluster of sights The sacred Nejameddin KubraMausoleum is AROUND NEJAMEDDIN KUBRAMAUSOLEUM & Sights and mosttravellers overnight inDashogus. town issomewhatshort ontouristfacilities named itaWorldHeritage site. Themodern ness wasacknowledged in2005whenUnesco get anideaof itsformerglories.Itsunique- ground, butthere urbantissueto isenough the 19thcentury). dates from theconstructionof anewcanalin changed (modernKonye-Urgench itscourse but itwasabandonedwhentheAmu-Darya city waspartlyrebuilt inthe16thcentury, sively oldUrgench finishedoff in1388.The to bearivalSamarkand,hecomprehen- a newgeneration of buildings. monumental trading cities–big,beautiful,crowdedandwith Asia’s probably oneof mostimportant Central Khorezm’s andgrew capital, intowhatwas withstood thesiege forsixmonths, andeven as ordered byMohammed II.OldUrgench The Mongolgenerals went inpursuit of Today, mostof Old Urgench liesunder- In thefollowingperiodof peace,Khorezm Then cameTimur. ConsideringKhorezm ( % is housed intheearly-20th- is housed 2 1571;admissionUS$1; lonelyplanet.com h Konye- 8am- constellation across an empty expanse strad- constellation acrossanemptyexpanse the day;12bigger arches belowrepresenting beneath thedomerepresenting thehours of of theyear;24pointed arches immediately underside of thedome,representing thedays There are onthesparklingmosaic 365sections manity’s insignificanceinthemarch of time. are agiant calendarsignifyinghu- ineffect most perfect buildings.Itsgeometric patterns Asia’s itsfunction,thisisoneofever Central not have inamausoleum).What- used been pears tohave aheating system, which would throne roombuiltinthe12thcentury(itap- Some archaeologists contend thatitwasa no-oneistoosurethough whoisburiedhere. and somescholars considerthisamausoleum, office, isstillthesubjectof somedebate. Locals main town. dling theAshgabat road,1kmsouthof the US$1, cameraUS$0.70; The city’smoststriking SOUTHERN MONUMENTS ful withfloral-pattern tiles. the Mongols)are quite extraordinarily colour- for hishead(which were by kindlyseparated The tombsinside–oneforhisbodyand that appears onthebrinkof forwardcollapse. building hasthree domesandatiledportal and youmayfindpilgrimsprayinghere. The tohavetomb isbelieved healingproperties followers theIslamicworld.His throughout who foundedtheSuficKubraorder,with famous Khorezm Muslimteacher andpoet, yard. Nejameddin Kubra(1145–1221)wasa Mausoleum century. Ishan Mausoleum carpet looms. culture, includingapottery workshop and ethnographicdisplaysofcontaining Turkmen themedressa courtyardare rooms Off several ontosomeof thestonepieces. symbols carved Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Kubra Mausoleum the 19th-century amoderncemeterythe paththrough andthe has itsequalonly inShiraz, Iran. pola isuniqueinearlyIslamicarchitecture and representing of theweeks themonth.Thecu- the months theyear;andfourbig windows Crossing theroad tothesideof the minaret, Complex Turabeg Khanym The pathpasthere leadstothe To onesideof themosqueis Gutlug Timur Minaret facingitacrossashadylittlecourt- Sayid Ahmed Mausoleum ontheleft,and , which isalsoearly20th h 8am-6pm) , builtin the 1320s.It’s , opposite theticket monuments are

dotted like a NORTHERN TURKMENISTAN NORTHERN ••Konye-Urgench Nejameddin Matkerim- leadsto Sultan Ali (admission able, and has a kitchen for self-caterers. It’s also It’salso able, and hasakitchen forself-caterers. isbasic butfriendlyand comfort- farmhouse Guesthouse Chapayev Sleeping either thegate toacaravanserai orapalace. unknown building At lastyou’llarrive attheso-called and finallytoppledbyanearthquake in1895. by theMongols,rebuilt inthe 14th century which wasbuiltin1011,reduced toastump ofther southliesthebase the moulding onthefaçadeisalsounusual.Fur- is unique,andthecollapsingfloralterracotta look.Theconicaldomewith12faces close ther. Thebuildingissmallbutwellwortha Arslan, whodiedin1172,wasTekesh’s fa- and wasexported toSamarkandbyTimur. Il- zigzag brickpattern, isthefirst of itskind monument. Theconicaldome,withacurious Mausoleum curious attractions. fertility rite –oneof Konye-Urgench’s more youngwomen rollingdownthehillina see againsttheMongols.Herelast stand you’ll where Konye-Urgench’s heldtheir inhabitants KyrkMolla graves neartheentrancetobuilding. are recent excavations of earlyIslamic several buried here, there although isnotomb.There After hisdeathin1200 he wasapparently had earlierexisted asaZoroastriantemple. somescholarsever, thatthebuilding theorise spot.How- onthesame (which didnotsurvive) alongwithabigmedressa andlibrary himself, thathebuiltthis mausoleumfor is believed It northern IranandAfghanistan). (present-day quests asfarsouthKhorasan rezmshah whomadeKhorezm great withcon- can’t climbitnow. There are you 144steps tothetop,although the onlywayintominaret isbyladder. ground. Sincethatmosquewasdestroyed, adjacent mosquebyabridge 7mabove the entrance totheminaret –itwaslinked tothe ably. It’sinteresting tonote thatthere isno asitoncewas,andleaningnotice- not astall Asia minarets highest –though inCentral a few tiles,at59mit’soneof turquoise the mosque. Decorated withbandsof brickand partof OldUrgench’sthe onlysurviving main Mausoleum Continue alongthetrackto Nearby isthemoundof graves calledthe Further alongthetrackis (FortyMullahs Hill),asacred place . Tekesh wasthe12th-centuryKho- , Konye-Urgench’s oldeststanding . Thestructure mayhave been

(per personUS$2.50) Mamun IIMinaret Mamun Sultan Tekesh portal ofan portal This old Il-Arslan 433

, TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN venge forthemurder of his envoysinOtrar capturing thatcity in1210. med IImoved toSamarkandafter hiscapital Muslim world,until Khorezmshah Moham- ing bazaars, Gurganj became acentre of the its mosques,medressa, librariesandflourish- to shapeitsownfar-reaching empire. With dynastyknownastheKhorezmshahs, Seljuq inthe12thcentury,undera Turks, butrose of for thousands years.deserts Asian oasisof intheCentral tant civilisation andRussia,wasanimpor- Sea the Caspian a northerlySilkRoadbranch thatleadsto lamic world,nottheendof it. centuries ago,thiswasthecentre of theIs- back roadsthatendinagriculturalfields.Yet with emptyplazas,wanderinglivestock and Persian ‘OldUrgench’) isarural backwater The moderntownof Konye-Urgench (from % KONYE-URGENCH travelling toorfromUzbekistan. especiallyifyouareunique historicalsights, Still, it’sworthvisitingthearea toexplore some of petroltoUzbekistan.smuggling subsidised country, withlittlecommerceapartfromthe water pollution.It’salsothepoorest partof the disasterandsuffers fromair,soiland Aral Sea country. Sadly,theregion hasnotescapedthe and retains aculture apartfromtherest of the asizable Uzbekportion stillcontains minority As partof historicKhorezm, theTurkmen and outof theUzbek andTurkmenborders. with theAmu-Daryariver itswayin wriggling Itremainsto Turkmenistan. thiswaytoday, southern portion,withKonye-Urgench, going goingtoUzbekistanbit withKhiva andthe the splitof theKhorez the divisionof itspeople,thusresulting in Asia modusoperandiinCentral sought Stalin’s TURKMENISTAN NORTHERN Turkmenabat. it’safive-Otherwise tosix-hourdrive from doing thearduousjourneyacrossdesert. via Turkmenabat (US$13),farpreferable than to flyfromAshgabat toGaurdak(Magdanly) 432 Jenghiz re- arrived Khan in1221,seeking Khorezm fell tothe all-conqueringSeljuq The ancientstate of Khorezm, located on 347 /pop15,000 OTENTRMNSA • KneUgnh TURKMENISTANNORTHERN ••Konye-Urgench m oasis–thenorthern eight-cornered thing’). Note the Christian artefacts fromOldUrgench (eg‘bluepolished Arabic texts and afew interestingly labelled mausoleum complex. Itincludessomeancient century DashMosque, justbefore themain 1pm &2-4pmWed-Mon) Museum Urgench part of Konye-Urgench. Thesimple near themiddleof thetownandisholiest ofthe mostimportant asmallcluster of sights The sacred Nejameddin KubraMausoleum is AROUND NEJAMEDDIN KUBRAMAUSOLEUM & Sights and mosttravellers overnight inDashogus. town issomewhatshort ontouristfacilities named itaWorldHeritage site. Themodern ness wasacknowledged in2005whenUnesco get anideaof itsformerglories.Itsunique- ground, butthere urbantissueto isenough the 19thcentury). dates from theconstructionof anewcanalin changed (modernKonye-Urgench itscourse but itwasabandonedwhentheAmu-Darya city waspartlyrebuilt inthe16thcentury, sively oldUrgench finishedoff in1388.The to bearivalSamarkand,hecomprehen- a newgeneration of buildings. monumental trading cities–big,beautiful,crowdedandwith Asia’s probably oneof mostimportant Central Khorezm’s andgrew capital, intowhatwas after hisdeath.Rebuilt,Urgench wasagain into which Jenghiz empire Khan’s wasdivided huge, wealthy,westernmost of thekhanates was ruledaspartof the GoldenHorde,the monuments. andare twoofsurvive OldUrgench’s his father,Tekesh, andgrandfather,Il-Arslan, Thetombsof Sea. an islandintheCaspian until hefinallydiedof exhaustionin1221on Mohammed IIwhoeludedthemformonths ing itsdefenders. the Amu-Daryaandfloodedcity,drown- In theend,Mongolsdiverted thewaters of but theresidents fromtheruins. stillfought tocities,burntthehouses Mongols, unused the residents theminthestreets. fought The after theMongolsbroke thecitywalls through withstood thesiege forsixmonths, andeven as ordered byMohammed II.OldUrgench Today, mostof Old Urgench liesunder- The Mongolgenerals went inpursuit of Then cameTimur. ConsideringKhorezm In thefollowingperiodof peace,Khorezm ( % is housed intheearly-20th- is housed 2 1571;admissionUS$1; lonelyplanet.com h Konye- 8am- constellation across an empty expanse strad- constellation acrossanemptyexpanse the day;12bigger arches belowrepresenting beneath thedomerepresenting thehours of of theyear;24pointed arches immediately underside of thedome,representing thedays There are onthesparklingmosaic 365sections manity’s insignificanceinthemarch of time. are agiant calendarsignifyinghu- ineffect most perfect buildings.Itsgeometric patterns Asia’s itsfunction,thisisoneofever Central not have inamausoleum).What- used been pears tohave aheating system, which would throne roombuiltinthe12thcentury(itap- Some archaeologists contend thatitwasa no-oneistoosurethough whoisburiedhere. and somescholars considerthisamausoleum, office, isstillthesubjectof somedebate. Locals main town. dling theAshgabat road,1kmsouthof the US$1, cameraUS$0.70; The city’smoststriking SOUTHERN MONUMENTS ful withfloral-pattern tiles. the Mongols)are quite extraordinarily colour- for hishead(which were by kindlyseparated The tombsinside–oneforhisbodyand that appears onthebrinkof forwardcollapse. building hasthree domesandatiledportal and youmayfindpilgrimsprayinghere. The tohavetomb isbelieved healingproperties followers theIslamicworld.His throughout who foundedtheSuficKubraorder,with famous Khorezm Muslimteacher andpoet, yard. Nejameddin Kubra(1145–1221)wasa Mausoleum Kubra Mausoleum century. Ishan Mausoleum carpet looms. culture, includingapottery workshop and ethnographicdisplaysofcontaining Turkmen themedressa courtyardare rooms Off several ontosomeof thestonepieces. symbols carved Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com the 19th-century amoderncemeterythe paththrough andthe has itsequalonly inShiraz, Iran. pola isuniqueinearlyIslamicarchitecture and representing of theweeks themonth.Thecu- the months theyear;andfourbig windows Crossing theroad tothesideof the minaret, Complex Turabeg Khanym The pathpasthere leadstothe To onesideof themosqueis Gutlug Timur Minaret facingitacrossashadylittlecourt- Sayid Ahmed Mausoleum ontheleft,and , which isalsoearly20th h 8am-6pm) , builtin the 1320s.It’s , opposite theticket monuments are

dotted like a NORTHERN TURKMENISTAN NORTHERN ••Konye-Urgench Nejameddin Matkerim- leadsto Sultan Ali (admission able, and has a kitchen for self-caterers. It’s also It’salso able, and hasakitchen forself-caterers. isbasic butfriendlyand comfort- farmhouse Guesthouse Chapayev Sleeping either thegate toacaravanserai orapalace. unknown building At lastyou’llarrive attheso-called and finallytoppledbyanearthquake in1895. by theMongols,rebuilt inthe 14th century which wasbuiltin1011,reduced toastump ofther southliesthebase the moulding onthefaçadeisalsounusual.Fur- is unique,andthecollapsingfloralterracotta look.Theconicaldomewith12faces close ther. Thebuildingissmallbutwellwortha Arslan, whodiedin1172,wasTekesh’s fa- and wasexported toSamarkandbyTimur. Il- zigzag brickpattern, isthefirst of itskind monument. Theconicaldome,withacurious Mausoleum curious attractions. fertility rite –oneof Konye-Urgench’s more youngwomen rollingdownthehillina see againsttheMongols.Herelast stand you’ll where Konye-Urgench’s heldtheir inhabitants KyrkMolla graves neartheentrancetobuilding. are recent excavations of earlyIslamic several buried here, there although isnotomb.There After hisdeathin1200 he wasapparently had earlierexisted asaZoroastriantemple. somescholarsever, thatthebuilding theorise spot.How- onthesame (which didnotsurvive) alongwithabigmedressa andlibrary himself, thathebuiltthis mausoleumfor is believed It northern IranandAfghanistan). (present-day quests asfarsouthKhorasan rezmshah whomadeKhorezm great withcon- Mausoleum can’t climbitnow. There are you 144steps tothetop,although the onlywayintominaret isbyladder. ground. Sincethatmosquewasdestroyed, adjacent mosquebyabridge 7mabove the entrance totheminaret –itwaslinked tothe ably. It’sinteresting tonote thatthere isno asitoncewas,andleaningnotice- not astall Asia minarets highest –though inCentral a few tiles,at59mit’soneof turquoise the mosque. Decorated withbandsof brickand partof OldUrgench’sthe onlysurviving main Continue alongthetrackto Nearby isthemoundof graves calledthe Further alongthetrackis (FortyMullahs Hill),asacred place . Tekesh wasthe12th-centuryKho- , Konye-Urgench’s oldeststanding . Thestructure mayhave been

(per personUS$2.50) Mamun IIMinaret Mamun Sultan Tekesh portal ofan portal This old Il-Arslan 433

, TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN Ashgabat (US$4,10to12hours) andto and a taxi ridefromthetowncentre,and ataxi where fromtheGürgençpark, ashort distance Hotel isadisorganised car The town’sbusstation Getting There&Away 9pm) Café Bedev Eating are lessthanluxurious. bathrooms nailedshut. Theoutsidepittoilets growing vegetation andthefinishingtouch is tobe running water, thefloorboardsseem tobackpackers. used There’sbut seems no vasion. TheoldladyonlyspeaksTurkmen, lastrenovatedbeen duringtheMongolin- US$6) a touryourguideshouldknowthelocation. north of town,butithasnosign.Ifyouare on hasnophone. Itislocatedguesthouse 3km mended ifyouhave yourowntransport.The post withUzbekistan, thisplaceisonlyrecom- thetownandborder on theroadbetween you maybeinvited totourthefarm.Located a great alocalfamilyand opportunitytomeet 434 buildings separated byvastacresbuildings separated of empti- lined withconcretean enormous boulevard A Soviet model-town, Dashogus consistsof % DASHOGUS waiting time,isUS$2. to thesouthernmonumentsandback, with on themainroadsorbymarket. Thetrip transport assuch, butyoucanflagdownataxi acar.out soit’sbesttouse There isnopublic ofThe mainsights Konye-Urgench are spread Getting Around up anywhere. away) should costUS$1andcanbepicked US$3.50) atalltimesof day. carUS$0.75/ and Dashogus(seat/whole for Ashgabat carUS$6/US$24) (seat/whole Dashogus (US$0.50,twohours). Taxis leave up passengers. andpick meet marshrutkitaxis, andbuses small shop nexttothiscafé. tostockupongroceries,trythe If youneed in specialises ably thebestplaceintowntograb ameal.It Gürgenç Hotel Hotel Gürgenç A taxi totheborderwithUzbekistanA taxi (20km Frequent andmarshrutki goto buses 322 /pop160,000 Whileabsolutely ordinary,thisisprob- The onlyhotel intownappears tohave OTENTRMNSA • Dsou TURKMENISTANNORTHERN ••Dashogus

( % 2 10 44; Azadi köçesi;dishesUS$3; 2 1044;Azadi samsa ( % andfresh 2 2465;Dashogusköçesi;bed gatik (yogurt). h 7am- meny bowlsof tasty serving taurant management. There isabarandsmallres- relievedslightly bynicebalconiesandfriendly US$8/16; away bybusortrain. overnight inDashogus,twohours (94km) Konye-Urgench, mosttravellers prefer to Given thedire of state accommodationin Sleeping you canbuypretty much anything. excellent dinosaur sculptures most interesting features includetheunusual travellers headingtoorfromUzbekistan. Its asakey transitpointfor serve visitor, itdoes thereness. Although islittletoattractthe abound in this ostentatious restaurantabound in thisostentatious usually 11pm) and dishes, pizza,pasta good, butitmakes somedecent European atmosphere. Theshashlykisn’tparticularly stitution. Theoccasionallive bandaddstothe this festive restaurant isalively downtownin- red yearround, andChristmaslights curtains US$1; Marat Kafé Eating on themaindrag. Eje’,Gurbansultan aculturalcentre of sorts located opposite ‘ThePalace NamedAfter pets, cracked mirrors walls.It’s andpeeling already plentyof wear,includingdirtycar- s/d US$40/80; room andprivate sauna. apartment, which sportsalounge, dining price. Ifyou’ve gotmoneytoburn,take the and carpetshop. Breakfast isincludedinthe is thewelcominglobby, withitscouches, bar oddly onthefloor. Thebestpartof theplace carpets are worndownandbedsare placed western sideof town.Roomsare cramped,the hotel isavastwhite-tile constructiononthe s/d/semi-lux US$30/50/75; lers inrickety oldrooms.Thedecrepit airis chugs along,accommodatingbudget travel- rant. Despite itsrecent constructionthere is andrestau-Other amenitiesincludeasauna andbalcony. has 40spaciousroomswithTV Hotel Dashogus Hotel Ş Diyarbekir Hotel Uzboy Hotel atugi atugi h Yellow andflowerywallpaper curtains or a 10am-11pm) borek ( Bai Bazaar %

) a ( The requisite Soviet still dinosaur Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com % 5 97 42; Al Khorezmi köçesi6; 5 9742;AlKhorezmi

) , dumplingsandbroth). ( 5 0600;Turkmenbashi % This Turkish-ownedventure ( % Decorated withfauxtorches, inthetowncentre andthe

2 6015;Turkmenbashi ( , acolourfulmarket where % 5 3785;Turkmenbashi a 5 9037;Turkmenbashi chuchvara ) Dashogus’ newest chuchvara ş ayoli 15;dishes . ş ş ayoli 19/1; ayoli 5;s/d h

ş (pel- ayoli; 8am- that foreigners are changed. Sowhile youmay is usually10or20timeslowerthan theprice atahotelzens canstay at thelocalrate, which three- andfour-star ventures. Turkmenciti- bigger citiesnowboastforeign-managed dilapidated, andfromtheSoviet era,although Hotels thecountryare throughout generally ACCOMMODATION DIRECTORY TURKMENISTAN services. nabat butalackof demand hassuspended Thereslow speeds. isaraillinetoTurkme- dation, forcingtrainstocrawlatagonisingly to Ashgabat withoutfoun- wasbuiltonsand Ashgabat (US$2.25,24hours). Therailline Konye-Urgench (US$0.50,twohours) and fromhereköçesi. Onetrainperdaygoes to köçesi, about600meastof Gurbansoltan hours). for Turkmenabat are lessregular (US$3,10 hours dependingonthetypeof bus).Buses and Ashgabat (US$3.50toUS$5,1218 here toKonye-Urgench (US$0.50,twohours) the northof regularly thecity.Buses gofrom to visittheDashogus region. in Ashgabat ifyouhave therequired permits Youwillonlybeable toboard four weekly). Airlines alsofliestoTurkmenbashi(US$11, be hard-pressed toget aticket. Turkmenistan demandfaroutstripssupplyandyou’d though (US$11, five daily)lastabout 50minutes, al- fromAshgabatcity. Flights toDashogus The Dashogusairportis14kmsouthof the Getting There&Away behind theHotel Diyarbekir. Finditontheedgeas isthespaghetti. of a park borsch steak are andbeef goodoptionshere, fortourgroupsandweddings.The reserved lonelyplanet.com and has recently shutdown somefledgling reluctant this industry has been todevelop and B&Bsinthe country;thegovernment be charged thegymorpool. touse usually includedintheroomrate andyou’ll –breakfast isnot to payforanyextraservices shouldn’t costmore thanafew dollars. Expect have topayforthelodgingof yourguide,this The There are onlyahandful of homestays The bus station is near the Bai Bazaar, in Bazaar, isneartheBai The busstation train station TURKMENISTAN ••Accommodation DIRECTORY

( % 4 6875) is on Woksal isonWoksal to afew days.There are fees topay. several provide anexport licence. Thiscantake up and your purchase, that willvalueand tax in Ashgabat ( p410 ), where there isabureau Museum to take yourcarpettotheCarpet likely to beproblematic. it’sbest In allcases smaller onewithoutanexportlicence isalso over 6sqmetres, tryingtoexporta though permission toexportanycarpet that youneed officialregulationsIn Turkmenistan state CUSTOMS ( aroundNokhur mountains p418 ). ( Naturethe Kugitang Reserve p431 ) andthe soever. Some of thebestplacestoexplore are hiking isusuallynoproblem what- reserves, you have permissiontovisitoneof thenature if with suspicionbytheauthorities.However, thispastimeisstillviewed walking, although horses inAshgabat,riding these see p411 . beautiful creatures. Formore information on offer specialisthorse-trekking tours withthese Teke thoroughbreds. Many travel agencies toridetheuniqueAkhal- to Turkmenistan Horse-lovers fromaroundtheworldflock ACTIVITIES Gas Crater ( and theDarvaza p418 ). camping includeYangykala ( Canyon p420 ) Someoftent inthedesert. thebestplacesfor you frompullingoff theroadandpitching a good campingandthere isnothingtostop apply fortravellers onatransitvisa. not Thislawdoes guesthouse. or unlicensed gotten withafamily introubleforstaying city;sometravellersexists inthesame have hotel inaprivate homeifalicensed to sleep operations. Note thatit’sillegalfortourists Turkmenistan’s wideopenspacesmakeTurkmenistan’s for Turkmenistan haswonderfulpotential for Turkmenistan

PRACTICALITIES The three state TV channels show The three state TV The maindailynewspapersare Satellite TV iswidelyavailable.Satellite TV scenes ofTurkmen culture andnature. Nevtralny Turkmenistan menistan press. is noindependentorprivately owned the pictures onthefrontpages. There glorify thepresident, asisobviousfrom menistan). Allpapersare designedto andtheRussian-language (NeutralTurk- Turk-

435 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN Ashgabat (US$4,10to12hours) andto buildings separated byvastacresbuildings separated of empti- lined withconcretean enormous boulevard A Soviet model-town, Dashogus consistsof % DASHOGUS waiting time,isUS$2. to thesouthernmonumentsandback, with on themainroadsorbymarket. Thetrip transport assuch, butyoucanflagdownataxi acar.out soit’sbesttouse There isnopublic ofThe mainsights Konye-Urgench are spread Getting Around up anywhere. away) should costUS$1andcanbepicked US$3.50) atalltimesof day. carUS$0.75/ and Dashogus(seat/whole for Ashgabat carUS$6/US$24) (seat/whole Dashogus (US$0.50,twohours). Taxis leave up passengers. andpick meet marshrutkitaxis, andbuses ridefromthetowncentre,and ataxi where fromtheGürgençpark, ashort distance Hotel isadisorganised car The town’sbusstation Getting There&Away 9pm) Café Bedev Eating are lessthanluxurious. bathrooms nailedshut. Theoutsidepittoilets growing vegetation andthefinishingtouch is tobe running water, thefloorboardsseem tobackpackers. used There’sbut seems no vasion. TheoldladyonlyspeaksTurkmen, lastrenovatedbeen duringtheMongolin- US$6) a touryourguideshouldknowthelocation. north of town,butithasnosign.Ifyouare on hasnophone. Itislocatedguesthouse 3km mended ifyouhave yourowntransport.The post withUzbekistan, thisplaceisonlyrecom- thetownandborder on theroadbetween you maybeinvited totourthefarm.Located a great alocalfamilyand opportunitytomeet 434 small shop nexttothiscafé. tostockupongroceries,trythe If youneed in specialises ably thebestplaceintowntograb ameal.It A taxi totheborderwithUzbekistanA taxi (20km Frequent andmarshrutki goto buses Hotel Gürgenç 322 /pop160,000 Whileabsolutely ordinary,thisisprob- The onlyhotel intownappears tohave OTENTRMNSA • Dsou TURKMENISTANNORTHERN ••Dashogus

( % 2 10 44; Azadi köçesi;dishesUS$3; 2 1044;Azadi samsa ( % andfresh 2 2465;Dashogusköçesi;bed gatik (yogurt). h 7am- abound in this ostentatious restaurantabound in thisostentatious usually 11pm) and dishes, pizza,pasta good, butitmakes somedecent European atmosphere. Theshashlykisn’tparticularly stitution. Theoccasionallive bandaddstothe this festive restaurant isalively downtownin- red yearround, andChristmaslights curtains US$1; Marat Kafé Eating on themaindrag. Eje’,Gurbansultan aculturalcentre of sorts located opposite ‘ThePalace NamedAfter pets, cracked mirrors walls.It’s andpeeling already plentyof wear,includingdirtycar- s/d US$40/80; room andprivate sauna. apartment, which sportsalounge, dining price. Ifyou’ve gotmoneytoburn,take the and carpetshop. Breakfast isincludedinthe is thewelcominglobby, withitscouches, bar oddly onthefloor. Thebestpartof theplace carpets are worndownandbedsare placed western sideof town.Roomsare cramped,the hotel isavastwhite-tile constructiononthe s/d/semi-lux US$30/50/75; meny bowlsof tasty serving taurant management. There isabarandsmallres- relievedslightly bynicebalconiesandfriendly US$8/16; away bybusortrain. overnight inDashogus,twohours (94km) Konye-Urgench, mosttravellers prefer to Given thedire of state accommodationin Sleeping you canbuypretty much anything. excellent dinosaur sculptures most interesting features includetheunusual travellers headingtoorfromUzbekistan. Its asakey transitpointfor serve visitor, itdoes thereness. Although islittletoattractthe lers inrickety oldrooms.Thedecrepit airis chugs along,accommodatingbudget travel- rant. Despite itsrecent constructionthere is andrestau-Other amenitiesincludeasauna andbalcony. has 40spaciousroomswithTV Ş Diyarbekir Hotel Uzboy Hotel Dashogus Hotel atugi atugi h Yellow andflowerywallpaper curtains or a 10am-11pm) borek ( Bai Bazaar %

) a ( The requisite Soviet still dinosaur Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com % 5 97 42; Al Khorezmi köçesi6; 5 9742;AlKhorezmi

) , dumplingsandbroth). ( 5 0600;Turkmenbashi % This Turkish-ownedventure ( % Decorated withfauxtorches, inthetowncentre andthe

2 6015;Turkmenbashi ( , acolourfulmarket where % 5 3785;Turkmenbashi a 5 9037;Turkmenbashi chuchvara ) Dashogus’ newest chuchvara ş ayoli 15;dishes . ş ş ayoli 19/1; ayoli 5;s/d h

PRACTICALITIES The three state TV channels show The three state TV The maindailynewspapersare Satellite TV iswidelyavailable.Satellite TV scenes ofTurkmen culture andnature. press. is noindependentorprivately owned the pictures onthefrontpages. There glorify thepresident, asisobviousfrom menistan). Allpapersare designedto Nevtralny Turkmenistan menistan andtheRussian-language (NeutralTurk- Turk-

435 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN for stomach bugs. term healthproblems.BringalongImodium long- tracesof thatcancause contains metal common. Avoid water, which drinkingtap and othercoldfoods–typhoidisnotun- whichTurkmenistan, meansavoiding salads Health-wise it’sbesttobeacautiouseater in DANGERS &ANNOYANCES scrubby couldbeconsidered anantique. try. Anythingthatlooksremotely or old,used your customsformwhenyouenter thecoun- or elsewhere, make sure items on tolistthose inIran,Uzbekistancarrying antiquesbought port. Ifyouare thecountry transitingthrough out asvery goodvalue. thisstillworksmade atTolkuchka Bazaar, spite beingmore expensive thanpurchases come complete withanexportlicence. De- ment shopsinAshgabat, where allcarpets tobuyfromoneofadvised themanygovern- over inahurryare yourmoney.Those best the price,butdefinitely ask before forking fees shouldbeincludedin shopstate these per sqmetre. Whenyoubuyacarpetat exportfee thatcostsaroundUS$50a second and thisusuallycostsUS$10toUS$30, One tocertifythatthecarpetisnotantique, 436 there isone inYerevan (Armenia). (Azerbaijan)or Tbilisi(Georgia), but Baku Note thatthere isno Turkmen embassyin Turkmen Embassies &Consulates and (p178 ). (p392) Kazakhstan Tajikistan (p262), Uzbekistan in has Turkmenistan embassies or consulates Turkmen EmbassiesinCentralAsia EMBASSIES &CONSULATES it’s OKtotake apicture. toaskthenearestso you’llneed policemanif hand. There are no‘nophoto’signs anywhere, the Presidential Palace withacamerainyour ments checked ifsimplystrollingnear even very andyoumayhave seriously yourdocu- especially inAshgabat. Localpolicetake this care whenphotographing publicbuildings, your guidewillprobably doallthework.Take usuallytake justa fewThese minutes and each timeyouenter anew document checks, armypostsandregistration 50kmto100km,pointless in roadblocksevery whichthe officialdom, mainlymanifests itself The biggest annoyanceyou’llexperienceis Antiques are toimpossibleex- difficult UKEITNDRCOY • agr noacs TURKMENISTAN ••Dangers&Annoyances DIRECTORY welayat (province). 75016, Paris) Baharistan sokak 13Eshilkoy, sokak Baharistan Evrenos Jadesi 6620221/2/3; fax2126620224;Gazi ( 06700,Ankara); 28,Chankaya Koza sokak Diplomatic Office Bldg1-15-2,100600,Beijing) Diplomatic Office Katta Mirabat 10,Tashkent) Mirabat Katta 20008, WashingtonDC) Ave,.turkmenistanembassy.org; 2207Massachusetts NW Filipovsky pereulok 22,121019,Moscow) Langobardenalle 14,D-14052,Berlin) h 6, Kiev) St, W13FP,London) Chanakyapuri, NewDelhi) Chanakyapuri, h Yerevan) h Franklin Roosevelt, Brussels) Franklin Roosevelt, Din Rd,22-a,F-7/1,Islamabad) h 2540432; 39Pardaran Ave, Golestan-5St,Tehran) ( 34,Mashhad); Konsulgari Mazar-e Sharif) Mazar-e Pakistan Iran India Germany France China Belgium Armenia St, Herat);( ( Kabul); 13, WazirAkbarKhan, Afghanistan Georgia France China Mon-Fri) ashg.com; 2062köçesi44; Azerbaijan Armenia Afghanistan in Turkmenistan. after the interests of Commonwealthnationals Map(see pp406–7 ). TheBritishembassy looks All thefollowinglegationsare inAshgabat Embassies &ConsulatesinTurkmenistan Uzbekistan USA Ukraine UK Turkey Russia Berzengi; Berzengi;

( 9am-1pm &3-5pmMon-Fri) 3-6pm Tue &Fri) 10am-12.30pm Mon-Fri) 9am-6pm Mon-Fri) 9am-6pm Mon-Fri)

% ( ( %

( ( ( %

% ( ( ( ( % 020 72551071;fax73239184;14-17Wells %

% % ( h

(

202 5881500;fax5880697;www

51 99940,47660;faxKucheye ( ( ( %

% ( ( % % % % % 6118054; fax 11 6118332; C-17 Malcha Marg Marg 6118054; fax116118332;C-17Malcha % 65326975/6/7; fax65326976;SanLiTun 48 81 05; fax 48 18 13; Kuvvat Hotel, Berzengi; Hotel,Berzengi; 48 8105;fax1813;Kuvvat 095 2916591,2916636;fax2910935;

( 0147550536; fax0147550568;13ruePicot, 36 3550,3468;3rd fl, AkAltynHotel; 312 4416122/3/4;fax4417125; ( 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) % ( % 293449, 2286870; fax 2293034; Pushkin 293449, 2286870;fax2293034;Pushkin 33 08 28; fax 33 02 48; Azadi köçesi139a; 33 0828;fax 330248;Azadi ( 6481874, 6481929;fax6481906;106Ave 22 10 29; fax 22 21 72; 19 Kievyana, 22 1029;fax2172;19Kievyana, 050 5023;Darwaza-ye,Tashkurgan, 35 4418,395542;Ingenernayaköçesi37; % % 2278699, 2214913;fax278799;Nazim-ud- 30 30102451/2;fax30102453; 36 4608;fax10;www.azembassy 71 1205278;fax81;One 020 2300541;House280,Lane3,St 48 07 57; Garashsyzlyk köçesi, 48 0757;Garashsyzlyk h % İ stanbul) 9am-1pm &2-6pm 21 2542178,2548686;fax % 040 223534;Walayat lonelyplanet.com % 212 Tue, Thu&Fri) noon &4-6pmMon-Fri) embassy.gov; 1984köçesi9; köçesi 4/2, Berzengi; köçesi 4/2,Berzengi; Gara Altyn Hotel; menistan; 3rdfl,AkAltynHotel; 17; köçesi 4/1, Berzengi; köçesi 4/1,Berzengi; h March (firstSunday) March 19 February 12 January 1 January anyway. willbeclosed services yourtravelwon’t affect plansmuch asmost the followingholidaysare onSunday,which likely tobeaffected bythis.Note thatmostof in mid-February. Transittravellers are un- and aroundNiyazov’s birthdaycelebrations mid-October andthenagainfromNovember, ters of usuallyissued onlyuntil invitation the IndependenceDaycelebrations,withlet- Travel isrestricted toTurkmenistan around HOLIDAYS an entirely alienconceptinTurkmenistan. front of statue. theLenin remainsLesbianism but inthepark gay mensometimesmeet There are nogayorlesbianbars inAshgabat, isillegalinTurkmenistan. Homosexuality GAY &LESBIANTRAVELLERS Uzbekistan USA UK Tajikistan Russia Pakistan Netherlands Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan Iran Germany lonelyplanet.com 21 June Sunday inMay 25 May/last 19 May 18 May 9 May 27 April April 21 March 11 March 50A; ş ayoli 11; h ( 8.30am-12.30pm Mon-Fri) ş % h ( yzlik (

% % (first Sunday) Victory Day Victory ( 9am-6pm Mon-Fri) HolidayofPoetryMagtymguly &Unity DayofRevival % 36 3462/3/4;www.britishembassy.gov.uk/turk Election of First Election President HorseDay 10am-1pm Mon,Wed&Fri) h 35 0045,398764;http://turkmenistan.us ş 34 1452;fax350565;Tehran köçesi3; Navrus (spring festival); datevaries Navrus(spring Women’sDay ( ( NewYear ayoli 11, 13, Berzengi; ayoli 11,13,Berzengi; % ( % h Remembrance Day(BattleofGeok-Depe) Remembrance % 35 3957,7041;fax8466;Turkmenbashi ( ( 9am-1pm &3-6pmMon-Fri) FlagDay(President’s Birthday) % ( % ( % % 48 21 28/9; fax 39 76 40; Garashsyzlyk 48 2128/9;fax397640;Garashsyzlyk 36 3515/17-20;fax22;1stfl,Ak 9am-noon Mon-Fri) 48 01 63; [email protected]; Garashsyzlyk 48 0163;[email protected];Garashsyzlyk 39 2064;Göroglyköçesi14; 33 1062;fax342337;Göroglyköçesi 48 0469,72;fax74 34 6700;fax4252;Tehran köçesi TURKMENISTAN &Lesbian Travellers ••Gay DIRECTORY h h DropofWaterisaGrainGoldDay Dog Day 9am-1pm &3-5pmMon-Fri) 9am-noon Mon-Fri) 9am-noon Mon-Fri) h CarpetDay h 9am-6pm Mon-Fri) h 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri) 9am-noon &5-6pm h 10am- archived articles. language tab. rates. givestable anindication of official exchange fluctuate. as itdoes however, Thefollowing 24,000M perUS dollar. Checkthe rate daily market atthetimeof research was around coins. Therate of exchange ontheblack 5000 and1000,with1000500 manat ket. Notes comeindenominationsof 10,000, rate, buttradedforfarlessontheblackmar- atafixed(M). It’sset government exchange The currency in isthemanatTurkmenistan MONEY www.turkmens.com www.turkmenistan.gov.tm www.turkmenistaninfo.ru www.stantours.com www.gundogar.org index.shtml www.eurasianet.org/resource/turkmenistan/ www.chaihana.com interesting websites abouttheplace. has somesortof agenda, there are several onTurkmenistan While mostcommentary INTERNET RESOURCES .co.uk and/orotheryahooservers). .yahoo.com sotrywww.yahoo canbedifficult, some websites butthere are loopholes(egwww using. Thegovernment alsoattempts torestrict youare monitored dependingontheserver inmindthatout-going emailsmaybe Bear there accessremains fortheprivileged few. is almostunknownoutsideAshgabat andeven www.online.tm. TheinternetTurkmenistan: There’s onlyone provider in internet service INTERNET ACCESS 12 December 7 December 30 November (lastSunday) November 17 November (firstSaturday) November 27–28 October 6 October (secondSunday) August 14 July politics andhistory. Turkmenistan-related websitesaboutculture, music, but there isanEnglishlink. news andinformationpage.ItpopsupinRussian sanctioned for newsandpolitics. Turkmenbashi Holiday Remembrance Day(1948Earthquake) Remembrance GoodNeighbourlinessDay Anotherverystrongnewsarchivewebsite. NeutralityDay StudentYouthDay Bread Day Independence Day The opposition website is invaluable Theoppositionwebsiteisinvaluable Forgeneralinformationand Forplanningyourtrip. A huge collection of Ahugecollection Melon Holiday Melon Harvest Festival Harvest NewssitewithanEnglish- Health Day Turkmenistan’s government

437 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN there isone inYerevan (Armenia). (Azerbaijan)or Tbilisi(Georgia), but Baku Note thatthere isno Turkmen embassyin Turkmen Embassies &Consulates and (p178 ). (p392) Kazakhstan Tajikistan (p262), Uzbekistan in has Turkmenistan embassies or consulates Turkmen EmbassiesinCentralAsia EMBASSIES &CONSULATES it’s OKtotake apicture. toaskthenearestso you’llneed policemanif hand. There are no‘nophoto’signs anywhere, the Presidential Palace withacamerainyour ments checked ifsimplystrollingnear even very andyoumayhave seriously yourdocu- especially inAshgabat. Localpolicetake this care whenphotographing publicbuildings, your guidewillprobably doallthework.Take usuallytake justa fewThese minutes and each timeyouenter anew document checks, armypostsandregistration 50kmto100km,pointless in roadblocksevery whichthe officialdom, mainlymanifests itself for stomach bugs. term healthproblems.BringalongImodium long- tracesof thatcancause contains metal common. Avoid water, which drinkingtap and othercoldfoods–typhoidisnotun- whichTurkmenistan, meansavoiding salads Health-wise it’sbesttobeacautiouseater in DANGERS &ANNOYANCES scrubby couldbeconsidered anantique. try. Anythingthatlooksremotely or old,used your customsformwhenyouenter thecoun- or elsewhere, make sure items on tolistthose inIran,Uzbekistancarrying antiquesbought port. Ifyouare thecountry transitingthrough out asvery goodvalue. thisstillworksmade atTolkuchka Bazaar, spite beingmore expensive thanpurchases come complete withanexportlicence. De- ment shopsinAshgabat, where allcarpets tobuyfromoneofadvised themanygovern- over inahurryare yourmoney.Those best the price,butdefinitely ask before forking fees shouldbeincludedin shopstate these per sqmetre. Whenyoubuyacarpetat exportfee thatcostsaroundUS$50a second and thisusuallycostsUS$10toUS$30, One tocertifythatthecarpetisnotantique, 436 The biggest annoyanceyou’llexperienceis Antiques are toimpossibleex- difficult UKEITNDRCOY • agr noacs TURKMENISTAN ••Dangers&Annoyances DIRECTORY welayat (province). Baharistan sokak 13Eshilkoy, sokak Baharistan Evrenos Jadesi 6620221/2/3; fax2126620224;Gazi ( 06700,Ankara); 28,Chankaya Koza sokak 75016, Paris) Diplomatic Office Bldg1-15-2,100600,Beijing) Diplomatic Office h 10,Tashkent) Mirabat Katta 20008, WashingtonDC) Ave,.turkmenistanembassy.org; 2207Massachusetts NW 6, Kiev) St, W13FP,London) Filipovsky pereulok 22,121019,Moscow) Langobardenalle 14,D-14052,Berlin) h NewDelhi) Chanakyapuri, Yerevan) h h Din Rd,22-a,F-7/1,Islamabad) 2540432; 39Pardaran Ave, Golestan-5St,Tehran) ( 34,Mashhad); Konsulgari Brussels) Franklin Roosevelt, Georgia France China Mon-Fri) ashg.com; 2062köçesi44; Azerbaijan Armenia Afghanistan in Turkmenistan. after the interests of Commonwealthnationals Map(see pp406–7 ). TheBritishembassy looks All thefollowinglegationsare inAshgabat Embassies &ConsulatesinTurkmenistan Uzbekistan USA Ukraine UK Turkey Russia Pakistan Iran India Germany France China Belgium Armenia Sharif) Mazar-e St, Herat);( ( Kabul); 13, WazirAkbarKhan, Afghanistan Berzengi; Berzengi;

( 9am-1pm &3-5pmMon-Fri) 3-6pm Tue &Fri) 10am-12.30pm Mon-Fri) 10am-12.30pm Mon-Fri) 9am-6pm Mon-Fri) 9am-6pm Mon-Fri)

% ( ( %

( ( ( %

% ( ( ( ( % 020 72551071;fax73239184;14-17Wells %

% % ( h

(

202 5881500;fax5880697;www

51 99940,47660;faxKucheye ( ( ( %

( 0147550536; fax0147550568;13ruePicot, 36 3550,3468;3rd fl, AkAltynHotel; 312 4416122/3/4;fax4417125; ( 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) % ( % 293449, 2286870; fax 2293034; Pushkin 293449, 2286870;fax2293034;Pushkin 33 08 28; fax 33 02 48; Azadi köçesi139a; 33 0828;fax 330248;Azadi ( 6481874, 6481929;fax6481906;106Ave 22 10 29; fax 22 21 72; 19 Kievyana, 22 1029;fax2172;19Kievyana, 050 5023;Darwaza-ye,Tashkurgan, 35 4418,395542;Ingenernayaköçesi37; % % 2278699, 2214913;fax278799;Nazim-ud- 30 30102451/2;fax30102453; 36 4608;fax10;www.azembassy 71 1205278;fax81;One 020 2300541;House280,Lane3,St 48 07 57; Garashsyzlyk köçesi, 48 0757;Garashsyzlyk h % İ stanbul) 9am-1pm &2-6pm 21 2542178,2548686;fax % 040 223534;Walayat lonelyplanet.com % 212 Tue, Thu&Fri) noon &4-6pmMon-Fri) köçesi 4/2, Berzengi; köçesi 4/2,Berzengi; Gara embassy.gov; 1984köçesi9; Altyn Hotel; menistan; 3rdfl,AkAltynHotel; 17; March (firstSunday) March 19 February 12 January 1 January anyway. willbeclosed services yourtravelwon’t affect plansmuch asmost the followingholidaysare onSunday,which likely tobeaffected bythis.Note thatmostof in mid-February. Transittravellers are un- and aroundNiyazov’s birthdaycelebrations mid-October andthenagainfromNovember, ters of usuallyissued onlyuntil invitation the IndependenceDaycelebrations,withlet- Travel isrestricted toTurkmenistan around HOLIDAYS an entirely alienconceptinTurkmenistan. front of statue. theLenin remainsLesbianism but inthepark gay mensometimesmeet There are nogayorlesbianbars inAshgabat, isillegalinTurkmenistan. Homosexuality GAY &LESBIANTRAVELLERS Uzbekistan USA UK Tajikistan Russia köçesi 4/1,Berzengi; Pakistan Netherlands Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan h Iran Germany lonelyplanet.com 21 June Sunday inMay 25 May/last 19 May 18 May 9 May 27 April April 21 March 11 March 50A; ş ayoli 11; h ( 8.30am-12.30pm Mon-Fri) ş % h ( yzlik (

437 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN so noexchange certificates are checked. ever ratethe official (excepttobuyairlinetickets) noless.Nooneexchangesdaylight moneyat itwithoutfear ofdoes thepolice,inbroad change moneyontheblackmarket, everyone you 75%less foryourmoney. they willexchange rate, attheofficial giving hotel exchange counters are bestavoided, as exchange rate. bureaux Official dechange and eigners, andtheonlyplaceyou’llget arealistic The blackmarket is easyandaccessibletofor- 438 If youare notflying don’tbotherwith the exchange receipt isfor buyingplanetickets. oracustomsfees. for ataxi borders justalittlecash when youmayneed anything; theyare especiallyhelpfularound will prove handywhenpayingforjustabout sorts of denominations. Ones,fives and tens bringing any.It’sbesttobringUSdollars inall are notaccepted anywhere sodon’tbother torelyill-advised onthem.Travellers cheques Ashgabat, butbyfew otherplaces;you’dbe Credit cardsare accepted byluxuryhotels in can bewired Western through Uniononly. existent. OutsideAshgabat emergency money able inAshgabat ( p408 ) andATMs are non- advancesoncreditCash cardsare onlyavail- S S1 5200 10,169 85 US$1 UK£1 3587 44 Rs1 6858 10 Uzbekistan USA NZ$1 4521 UK ¥1 Russia R1 4088 197 Pakistan sum 41.77 New Zealand €1 42 Manat Kyrgyzstan 1 C$1 1T Kazakhstan Japan A$1 Iran 100 euro zone Unit som 134 China Y1 664 Canada Australia Country rials 56 notes. counterfeit, andmaysubstitute smaller out; someclaimtheywanttocheck itfor Tell themwhatyouhave, butdon’tpullit in anopenpurse orwallet. Fold itupinapocket, toavoid fumbling calculations. Trade aroundamount,forquickmental alittledodgytoex- While itmayseem The only time you’ll ever need toshowan need The onlytimeyou’ll ever UKEITNDRCOY • ot TURKMENISTAN ••Post DIRECTORY REGISTRATION package costsaroundUS$3.20. and a20gletter costsaroundUS$0.20.A3kg card anywhere intheworldcostsUS$0.10 apost- before Sending beingallowedthrough. bygovernmentany) tobescrutinised agents can expectyourpostcards(ifyoufind all Turkmenistan, post ismonitored andyou Like otherformof every communicationin POST neighbouring countries. the border–it’shardtoget ridof manatin is better thanwhatyou’llget onceyoucross change backtodollars. Anyrate, however, your tripyou’llget apoorrate ifyoutryto ifyouhavecause extramanatattheendof exchange receipts. rateofficial anddon’tworryabout collecting The cities of Ashgabat, Mary, Turkme- Merv, permits for someof themost interesting areas. population lieson theperiphery,youneed country islargely andthe uninhabited desert of Given Turkmenistan. thatthecentre of the Permits are tovisittheborderregions needed TRAVEL PERMITS SIM cardsmaybeavailable forUS$100. have ahardtimegetting one. Blackmarket visitors may offices, although onatouristvisa Pre-pay SIM cardsare available fromtheir telegraf telegraph often station, referred toas faxesand send from mostbigtownsatthe tion. Youcancallinternationally, nationally one of themostsecure meansof communica- so keep conversations discreet. Fax provides eigners are likely tobemaylistened inon, Phone callsfromhotels oranywhere for- else TELEPHONE &FAX to beregistered. donotneed visas proving that youare there. staying Transit aletterYou mayalsoneed fromyourhotel three passport photosandyourentrycard. undoubtedly organise this.Make sure tobring pany. Thetourcompanythatinvited youwill via thelocalbureau of thestate tourismcom- Registration of Foreign Citizens(akaOVIR) forthe three workingdayswithState Service mustberegisteredor businessvisa within Anyone enteringonatourist Turkmenistan Finally, don’tchange toomuch moneybe- The major mobile phoneprovider isMTS. . lonelyplanet.com glavny surrounding villages. and Yangykala, Nokhur Gyzyletrek, Garrygala, Dekhistan, ing Konye-Urgench, Dargan-Ata,Gazachak. ing Konye-Urgench, 10 days.TurkmenembassiesinEurope (op- and inextremely andeven rare seven cases, three sometimesforfive days,although days easy tocomeby,theyare normallyvalidfor travel fortouristsisthetransitvisa. Relatively thatallowsunaccompaniedThe onlyvisa Transit visas Turkmenistan. an entrycardthatwilllistyourexitpointin topayanadditionalUS$10fee for will need holder agent visa youtrust.Onentryevery aTurkmentravelall tipistoworkthrough islengthy.Anothergoodover-transit visas) for astheprocess(even to Turkmenistan, aheadofgetting atleastsixweeks entry avisa bassy toembassy.As ageneral rule,planon varyenormouslyfromem- Prices forvisas issued withoutaletter of (LOI). invitation are andtransitvisas menistan theonlyvisas All foreigners require a toentervisa Turk- VISAS TurkmenistanEastern Turkmenistan Northern TurkmenistanWestern tion isdefinitely notpossible: border zonesandentrywithoutdocumenta- well inadvance,see p405 . toputinarequestneed toyourtravel agent wanttovisitone,you’ll you thinkmight the publicunlessyouhave aspecialpermit.If they are toexitto. supposed main road,iftheycorrespond tothecountry transit theborderzonesalongrelevant there. Travellers canusually ontransit visas thusgiving youpermission togo on yourvisa, anywhere areas outsidethese shouldbelisted arenabat andBalkanabat notrestricted, but lonelyplanet.com case of illness.The penaltyforover-case serious ing timeof around10to14 days. inAshgabat,eign Affairs meaningaprocess- tobeforwardedthe Ministryofneed For- you applywithoutanLOI,theapplication will atanyTurkmen consulate, if tained although canbeob- to grantlonger Transitvisas visas. Asia orIran)are toCentral posed more likely Serkhetabat. Tagtabazar,adjoining areas, KugitangNature Reserve, Nature reserves areNature likewise reserves restricted to No transit visa isextendable, saveNo transit visa inthe The followingareas are termed ‘classone’ TURKMENISTAN ••Visas DIRECTORY Farab, plus Atamurat(Kerki) Bekdash, Turkmenbashi, Hazar, Entire Dashogusregion includ- of Foreign Citizens, which willdecidewhether fortheRegistration proved by theState Service before applying.TheLOIisap- you wanttosee and sotherefore todecide what it’sessential are theplacesthatwillbelisted onyourvisa, regions youare planningtovisit.Inturn,these LOI willbeissued withalistof all townsand an accreditedthrough agency themselves. The simplybygoing however, offer LOIservices, can issueLOIs.Many unaccredited agencies still with alicencefromtheTurkmengovernment a travelthrough agency. Only travel agencies prices. transport withtheguide,which dropsthe the guide. Butafew allowyoutoridepublic insist ontravelling inprivate transportwith rons unaccompanied.Mosttourcompanies to roamAshgabat andtheimmediate envi- checkpoints,through buttheywillallowyou Travelper night. agents are key togetting you local rate, usuallyequivalenttoUS$1orUS$2 very asTurkmencitizenspaya smallhowever, for theirmealsandhotels. Thelatter costis US$30 andUS$50),aswellsometimespay to payyourguideadailyrate (usuallybetween ously hascostimplications,asyouwillhave yourtrip.Thisobvi- with youthroughout youattheborderandremainwho willmeet accompaniment byanaccredited tourguide, try (uptothree asarule),theyrequire weeks spend adecentamountof timeinthecoun- Whiletheyallowthevisitortomenistan. areTourist visas amixed blessinginTurk- Tourist visas menbashi (theboatmaybedelayed). point), asyou’re likely onedayatTurk- tolose (ie fromTurkmenbashitotheFarab border timetocycleacrossthecountry,enough don’t countongetting one. regularly refuse applications,so transitvisa ticket outof Ashgabat. Turkmenembassies double-entry Uzbekistan anair oreven visa if youare dealingwithaKazakh routing,a are Transitvisas Kugitang). usuallynotvalid or thetwopoints(egNokhur ously between run intotroublegoinganywhere notobvi- (unchangeable) willbe,andyoutherefore butyourentry andexitpointon thevisa, the nextavailable atyourexpense. flight be taken backtoAshgabat anddeported on isUS$200,andyoumay atransitvisa staying You can only get a tourist visa by going You canonlyget bygoing atouristvisa Note thatthe five isnot daytransitvisa Your route willnormallynotbeindicated

439 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN If youare notflying don’tbotherwith the exchange receipt isfor buyingplanetickets. oracustomsfees. for ataxi borders justalittlecash when youmayneed anything; theyare especiallyhelpfularound will prove handywhenpayingforjustabout sorts of denominations. Ones,fives and tens bringing any.It’sbesttobringUSdollars inall are notaccepted anywhere sodon’tbother torelyill-advised onthem.Travellers cheques Ashgabat, butbyfew otherplaces;you’dbe Credit cardsare accepted byluxuryhotels in can bewired Western through Uniononly. existent. OutsideAshgabat emergency money able inAshgabat ( p408 ) andATMs are non- advancesoncreditCash cardsare onlyavail- so noexchange certificates are checked. ever ratethe official (excepttobuyairlinetickets) noless.Nooneexchangesdaylight moneyat itwithoutfear ofdoes thepolice,inbroad change moneyontheblackmarket, everyone you 75%less foryourmoney. they willexchange rate, attheofficial giving hotel exchange counters are bestavoided, as exchange rate. bureaux Official dechange and eigners, andtheonlyplaceyou’llget arealistic The blackmarket is easyandaccessibletofor- 438 S S1 5200 10,169 85 US$1 UK£1 3587 44 Rs1 6858 10 Uzbekistan USA NZ$1 4521 UK ¥1 Russia R1 4088 197 Pakistan sum 41.77 New Zealand €1 42 Manat Kyrgyzstan 1 C$1 1T Kazakhstan Japan A$1 Iran 100 euro zone Unit som 134 China Y1 664 Canada Australia Country rials 56 notes. counterfeit, andmaysubstitute smaller out; someclaimtheywanttocheck itfor Tell themwhatyouhave, butdon’tpullit in anopenpurse orwallet. Fold itupinapocket, toavoid fumbling calculations. Trade aroundamount,forquickmental alittledodgytoex- While itmayseem The only time you’ll ever need toshowan need The onlytimeyou’ll ever UKEITNDRCOY • ot TURKMENISTAN ••Post DIRECTORY The cities of Ashgabat, Mary, Turkme- Merv, permits for someof themost interesting areas. population lieson theperiphery,youneed country islargely andthe uninhabited desert of Given Turkmenistan. thatthecentre of the Permits are tovisittheborderregions needed TRAVEL PERMITS SIM cardsmaybeavailable forUS$100. have ahardtimegetting one. Blackmarket visitors may offices, although onatouristvisa Pre-pay SIM cardsare available fromtheir telegraf telegraph often station, referred toas faxesand send from mostbigtownsatthe tion. Youcancallinternationally, nationally one of themostsecure meansof communica- so keep conversations discreet. Fax provides eigners are likely tobemaylistened inon, Phone callsfromhotels oranywhere for- else TELEPHONE &FAX to beregistered. donotneed visas proving that youare there. staying Transit aletterYou mayalsoneed fromyourhotel three passport photosandyourentrycard. undoubtedly organise this.Make sure tobring pany. Thetourcompanythatinvited youwill via thelocalbureau of thestate tourismcom- Registration of Foreign Citizens(akaOVIR) forthe three workingdayswithState Service mustberegisteredor businessvisa within Anyone enteringonatourist Turkmenistan REGISTRATION package costsaroundUS$3.20. and a20gletter costsaroundUS$0.20.A3kg card anywhere intheworldcostsUS$0.10 apost- before Sending beingallowedthrough. bygovernmentany) tobescrutinised agents can expectyourpostcards(ifyoufind all Turkmenistan, post ismonitored andyou Like otherformof every communicationin POST neighbouring countries. the border–it’shardtoget ridof manatin is better thanwhatyou’llget onceyoucross change backtodollars. Anyrate, however, your tripyou’llget apoorrate ifyoutryto ifyouhavecause extramanatattheendof exchange receipts. rateofficial anddon’tworryabout collecting The major mobile phoneprovider isMTS. Finally, don’tchange toomuch moneybe- . lonelyplanet.com glavny surrounding villages. and Yangykala, Nokhur Gyzyletrek, Garrygala, Dekhistan, 10 days.TurkmenembassiesinEurope (op- and inextremely andeven rare seven cases, three sometimesforfive days,although days easy tocomeby,theyare normallyvalidfor travel fortouristsisthetransitvisa. Relatively thatallowsunaccompaniedThe onlyvisa Transit visas Turkmenistan. an entrycardthatwilllistyourexitpointin topayanadditionalUS$10fee for will need holder agent visa youtrust.Onentryevery aTurkmentravelall tipistoworkthrough islengthy.Anothergoodover-transit visas) for astheprocess(even to Turkmenistan, aheadofgetting atleastsixweeks entry avisa bassy toembassy.As ageneral rule,planon varyenormouslyfromem- Prices forvisas issued withoutaletter of (LOI). invitation are andtransitvisas menistan theonlyvisas All foreigners require a toentervisa Turk- VISAS TurkmenistanEastern Dargan-Ata,Gazachak. ing Konye-Urgench, Turkmenistan Northern TurkmenistanWestern tion isdefinitely notpossible: border zonesandentrywithoutdocumenta- well inadvance,see p405 . toputinarequestneed toyourtravel agent wanttovisitone,you’ll you thinkmight the publicunlessyouhave aspecialpermit.If they are toexitto. supposed main road,iftheycorrespond tothecountry transit theborderzonesalongrelevant there. Travellers canusually ontransit visas thusgiving youpermission togo on yourvisa, anywhere areas outsidethese shouldbelisted arenabat andBalkanabat notrestricted, but lonelyplanet.com case of illness.The penaltyforover-case serious ing timeof around10to14 days. inAshgabat,eign Affairs meaningaprocess- tobeforwardedthe Ministryofneed For- you applywithoutanLOI,theapplication will atanyTurkmen consulate, if tained although canbeob- to grantlonger Transitvisas visas. Asia orIran)are toCentral posed more likely Serkhetabat. Tagtabazar,adjoining areas, KugitangNature Reserve, Nature reserves areNature likewise reserves restricted to No transit visa isextendable, saveNo transit visa inthe The followingareas are termed ‘classone’ TURKMENISTAN ••Visas DIRECTORY Farab, plus Atamurat(Kerki) Bekdash, Turkmenbashi, Hazar, Entire Dashogusregion includ- of Foreign Citizens, which willdecidewhether fortheRegistration proved by theState Service before applying.TheLOIisap- you wanttosee and sotherefore todecide what it’sessential are theplacesthatwillbelisted onyourvisa, regions youare planningtovisit.Inturn,these LOI willbeissued withalistof all townsand an accreditedthrough agency themselves. The simplybygoing however, offer LOIservices, can issueLOIs.Many unaccredited agencies still with alicencefromtheTurkmengovernment a travelthrough agency. Only travel agencies prices. transport withtheguide,which dropsthe the guide. Butafew allowyoutoridepublic insist ontravelling inprivate transportwith rons unaccompanied.Mosttourcompanies to roamAshgabat andtheimmediate envi- checkpoints,through buttheywillallowyou Travelper night. agents are key togetting you local rate, usuallyequivalenttoUS$1orUS$2 very asTurkmencitizenspaya smallhowever, for theirmealsandhotels. Thelatter costis US$30 andUS$50),aswellsometimespay to payyourguideadailyrate (usuallybetween ously hascostimplications,asyouwillhave yourtrip.Thisobvi- with youthroughout youattheborderandremainwho willmeet accompaniment byanaccredited tourguide, try (uptothree asarule),theyrequire weeks spend adecentamountof timeinthecoun- Whiletheyallowthevisitortomenistan. areTourist visas amixed blessinginTurk- Tourist visas menbashi (theboatmaybedelayed). point), asyou’re likely onedayatTurk- tolose (ie fromTurkmenbashitotheFarab border timetocycleacrossthecountry,enough don’t countongetting one. regularly refuse applications,so transitvisa ticket outof Ashgabat. Turkmenembassies double-entry Uzbekistan anair oreven visa if youare dealingwithaKazakh routing,a are Transitvisas Kugitang). usuallynotvalid or thetwopoints(egNokhur ously between run intotroublegoinganywhere notobvi- (unchangeable) willbe,andyoutherefore butyourentry andexitpointon thevisa, the nextavailable atyourexpense. flight be taken backtoAshgabat anddeported on isUS$200,andyoumay atransitvisa staying You can only get a tourist visa by going You canonlyget bygoing atouristvisa Note thatthe five isnot daytransitvisa Your route willnormallynotbeindicated

439 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN people wait sopatienceisrequired. They don’t seemtomindmaking (US$20) inone week. Travel Pass. Withoutthisdocumentyouwill you asmallgreen travel document,theEntry be metbyyourguide for amaximumof 10days. willbeissuedthe relevant borderandthevisa theoriginalLOImustbetaken to In anycase toarrangeneeds fortheconsultobepresent. ofcase TurkmenbashiandFarab theagent arrangement withyourtravel agent. Inthe airport, TurkmenbashiandFarab byprior sibility of getting onarrivalatAshgabat avisa cannot enter earlierorleave anylater. While youmayleave before theexitdate, you entry andexit,which willbeputonthevisa. youwillbeaskedfor thevisa, forexactdates of forasurcharge.press Whenyouapply service most Turkmenembassiesoffer aone-dayex- processing timeisthree workingdays,but issued.Normal ity, oncetheLOIhasbeen ispurely itself the visa abureaucratic formal- Herat see (Afghanistan); p436 . Theissuingof it maybeatconsulates inMashhad (Iran)and although TheoriginalLOIisnotneeded, visa. take ittoanyTurkmenembassyget your emailed toyoubyyourtravel agent), youcan rejected fornoapparent reason. three Itisnotunusualforittobe orfourweeks. inaslittle10days,butusuallytakes processed or notyouare anundesirable. TheLOIcanbe 440 Azerbaijan Armenia Afghanistan see details, contact p436 fortravelinformation andvisas tothem.For consulates thatcan provide inTurkmenistan The followingcountrieshave embassies and Visas forOnwardTravel ofassistance yourtravel agent. inAshgabat,tourist visas again,onlywiththe what theycando. Itisoften possibletoextend to yourtravel agent orguide andtheycansee in Ashgabat. Todothisyouwillhave tospeak route there isthepossibility of changing this the travel ifyoualter permit,although your only exitthecountryatpointindicated on Youshould be deniedentrytoTurkmenistan. would becheaperandfaster togetavisaattheborder. from youremployer. visasforUS$90.Youneedtoshowaletter three-month Once theLOIisissued (usuallyfaxed or On arrival in Turkmenistan, youmustOn arrivalinTurkmenistan, Armed withanLOIthere isalsothepos- RNPR NTRMNSA • GtigTee&Aa INTURKMENISTANTRANSPORT There &Away ••Getting Can issue a tourist visainfivedaysforUS$57. It Canissueatourist Issues tourist visas(US$40)andtransit Issuestourist Can issue one-month visasfor US$60, Can issueone-month (geed) .. whowillbring of time means this is not an option for most tourists. of timemeansthisisnotanoptionformosttourists. Entering Turkmenistan ( p461). AsiaAsia theTransportinCentral chapter see For informationongetting to/fromCentral GETTING THERE&AWAY TURKMENISTAN TRANSPORT IN Uzbekistan Iran Georgia China 84 11) is stan The onlyinternational airportinTurkmeni- Air bases. airports, government buildings andmilitary withaflashcardfullofto becaught bridges, camera–thisisnotthetime on theirdigital ellers have asked been to showthepictures the originalaswell.Uponexitingsometrav- one,butbereadyfill outasecond toshow to that youkeep acopy.Onexityou’llneed with youandmake sure and itisstamped declaration –listanythingvaluable youhave the immigrationcard.There isalsoacustoms attention tothegreen EntryTravel Pass and be filledoutare timeconsuming;payclose ray machine. Thenumerousdocumentsto are rarely emptied–theyprefer anX- touse backpacks although bags willbesearched, On entering thecountry,it’slikely thatyour problem togettransitvisaswithinaweek. LOI required formostWesternnationals. visitinTurkmenistan.enough timefortravellersonashort need one. departure tax,norbylandor sea.departure Therein cashattheairport. isnodomestic flying withanyother airline,thisispayable the priceofTurkmenistan Airlinestickets. If ture taxofUS$25,whichisonlyincluded in lars forthis. There isaninternational depar- US$10 fee perperson.BringcashinUSdol- For entryintoTurkmenistan there isa ENTRY &DEPARTURE TAX Very andhelpfulembassy–usuallyno friendly in Ashgabat. of details Forthecontact Issues tourist visasin15daysforUS$50.Theamount Issues tourist VisasavailableforUS$30.UScitizenswon’t Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Airport Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Airport Can issue a visa in 10 days, which is often not Can issueavisain10days,whichisoften lonelyplanet.com ( % 37 a taxi (US$10toUS$15)forthe20kmride a taxi the KopetDagintoIran.FromAshgabat, take due southof Ashgabat andacorridorbetween The simplestexitpointisGaudan/Bajgiran, To/From Iran time of writing. ommended forindependenttravellers atthe Kerki butwasnotrec- byUNstaff, isused for you. an extraUS$4totheborderguarddothis of beabletopay theborder),oryoumight customs fee atabankintown(2kmsouth Torghundi. Here topayanUS$11 youneed from Herat (US$20inashared vehicle) to tocatch you’llneed arideTurkmenistan, ney onwardstoHerat. Ifyouare comingto jour-Torghundi andit’satwo-hourtaxi 1.5km walktothefirst village Afghan of there’s Turkmenistan, abat town.Leaving family asthere are nohotels intown. arrive late it’sOKtoovernight withalocal borderguards.Ifyou Turkmen andAfghan be prepared byboth searched tobethoroughly is nowafairlyhassle-free prospect,although Crossinghereborder townwithAfghanistan. (formerlyknownasGushgi) isthe Serkhetabat To/From Afghanistan BORDER CROSSINGS from 9amto6pmdaily. Alllandborders are open is notunheardof). threepoint inthecountry(although hours to twohours forcrossingtheborderatany at thepresent time. Youshould reckon atone toorfromTurkmenistan train orbusservices frequently There used. are nointernational borders withUzbekistan andIranare themost the from allborderingcountries,although Visitors canenter withvisas Turkmenistan Land see p415 . airlines thatflyinandoutof Turkmenistan, lonelyplanet.com (there isaMashhad–Saraghs train,butno to Mashhad. (US$20, 4hours)you canget ortaxis buses 20km of no-man’s-landtoBajgiran where (US$2.50)across some it’sataxi through, a marshrutka shuttle totheborder. Once your passportchecked, after which youtake to Yablonovka checkpoint. Here you’llhave The Saparmuratbordercrossingnear The borderpostis3kmsouthof Serkheta- There are alsoborders with IranatSaraghs

TRANSPORT INTURKMENISTAN TRANSPORT There &Away ••Getting to payaround US$10. expect than US$1. Fromtheborder toKhiva Dashogus tothe Uzbek borderisnotmore orUrgench.headed forKhiva from Ataxi where youcanchange toashared taxi. hire asfarUzbek ataxi Olot(orQarakul), or (US$8)toBukhara, the border,take ataxi inashared(or US$0.50foraseat From taxi). menabat shouldcostUS$4toUS$6 forataxi ridetoFarab The45-km taxi stan). fromTurk- (Uzbekistan) andTurkmenabat(Turkmeni- when youvisitisamatter of luck. to US$1.Whethertheyare operatingornot across; thecostof which ranges fromUS$0.50 are sometimesavailable toshuttle travellers 20 minutes acrossno-man’s-land.Shared taxis crossingrequiresEach awalkof about 10to There are three crossingsfromUzbekistan. To/From Uzbekistan tle patience. to Zhanaozen(US$50,twohours), withalit- be able toget aridefromtheKazakh border another rideontheKazakh side. Youshould to theborder,walkacrossandthenlookfor befasterget itmight toget through, alift together. to thanwaitforallthetaxis Rather der canoccurwhencaravans of traders appear Delaysatthebor-further transporttoAktau. to Zhanaozen(Novy Uzen), where there is menbashi totheKazakh borderandcontinue dirt track. a 40-minute drive totheborderonarough phate businessgonebellyup.Fromhere is remnants of aonceprofitable sodiumsul- surrounded bysurreal-looking lakes; salt the blocks gutted foranythingusable. Thecityis industrial city,filledwithvacantapartment is around60km. thebridge between andKarabogastance town andthe inlandgulf.Thedis- Sea the Caspian spans the5kmlongchannel which connects Enroutebogas Basin. youcrossabridge that andtheKara- lar viewsof Sea theCaspian withspectacu- Karabogas (formerlyBekdash), From Turkmenbashi there isagoodroadto To/From Kazakhstan only). Gudurolum (which isreachable bycarortaxi international and trainsintoTurkmenistan) The Dashoguscrossing isbestifyouare The Farab to Bukhara crossingisclosest Marshrutki (US$40percar)gofromTurk- Karabogas isanearlyabandoned Soviet

441 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN people wait sopatienceisrequired. They don’t seemtomindmaking (US$20) inone week. Azerbaijan Armenia Afghanistan see details, contact p436 fortravelinformation andvisas tothem.For consulates thatcan provide inTurkmenistan The followingcountrieshave embassies and Visas forOnwardTravel ofassistance yourtravel agent. inAshgabat,tourist visas again,onlywiththe what theycando. Itisoften possibletoextend to yourtravel agent orguide andtheycansee in Ashgabat. Todothisyouwillhave tospeak route there isthepossibility of changing this the travel ifyoualter permit,although your only exitthecountryatpointindicated on Youshould be deniedentrytoTurkmenistan. Travel Pass. Withoutthisdocumentyouwill you asmallgreen travel document,theEntry be metbyyourguide for amaximumof 10days. willbeissuedthe relevant borderandthevisa theoriginalLOImustbetaken to In anycase toarrangeneeds fortheconsultobepresent. ofcase TurkmenbashiandFarab theagent arrangement withyourtravel agent. Inthe airport, TurkmenbashiandFarab byprior sibility of getting onarrivalatAshgabat avisa cannot enter earlierorleave anylater. While youmayleave before theexitdate, you entry andexit,which willbeputonthevisa. youwillbeaskedfor thevisa, forexactdates of forasurcharge.press Whenyouapply service most Turkmenembassiesoffer aone-dayex- processing timeisthree workingdays,but issued.Normal ity, oncetheLOIhasbeen ispurely itself the visa abureaucratic formal- Herat see (Afghanistan); p436 . Theissuingof it maybeatconsulates inMashhad (Iran)and although TheoriginalLOIisnotneeded, visa. take ittoanyTurkmenembassyget your emailed toyoubyyourtravel agent), youcan rejected fornoapparent reason. three Itisnotunusualforittobe orfourweeks. inaslittle10days,butusuallytakes processed or notyouare anundesirable. TheLOIcanbe 440 would becheaperandfaster togetavisaattheborder. from youremployer. visasforUS$90.Youneedtoshowaletter three-month On arrival in Turkmenistan, youmustOn arrivalinTurkmenistan, Once theLOIisissued (usuallyfaxed or Armed withanLOIthere isalsothepos- RNPR NTRMNSA • GtigTee&Aa INTURKMENISTANTRANSPORT There &Away ••Getting Can issue a tourist visainfivedaysforUS$57. It Canissueatourist Issues tourist visas(US$40)andtransit Issuestourist Can issue one-month visasfor US$60, Can issueone-month (geed) .. whowillbring of time means this is not an option for most tourists. of timemeansthisisnotanoptionformosttourists. problem to get transit visas within a week. problem togettransitvisaswithinaweek. 84 11) is stan The onlyinternational airportinTurkmeni- Air bases. airports, government buildings andmilitary withaflashcardfullofto becaught bridges, camera–thisisnotthetime on theirdigital ellers have asked been to showthepictures the originalaswell.Uponexitingsometrav- one,butbereadyfill outasecond toshow to that youkeep acopy.Onexityou’llneed with youandmake sure and itisstamped declaration –listanythingvaluable youhave the immigrationcard.There isalsoacustoms attention tothegreen EntryTravel Pass and be filledoutare timeconsuming;payclose ray machine. Thenumerousdocumentsto are rarely emptied–theyprefer anX- touse backpacks although bags willbesearched, On entering thecountry,it’slikely thatyour Entering Turkmenistan ( p461). AsiaAsia theTransportinCentral chapter see For informationongetting to/fromCentral GETTING THERE&AWAY TURKMENISTAN TRANSPORT IN Uzbekistan Iran Georgia China need one. LOI required formostWesternnationals. visitinTurkmenistan.enough timefortravellersonashort departure tax,norbylandor sea.departure Therein cashattheairport. isnodomestic flying withanyother airline,thisispayable the priceofTurkmenistan Airlinestickets. If ture taxofUS$25,whichisonlyincluded in lars forthis. There isaninternational depar- US$10 fee perperson.BringcashinUSdol- For entryintoTurkmenistan there isa ENTRY &DEPARTURE TAX Very andhelpfulembassy–usuallyno friendly in Ashgabat. of details Forthecontact Issues tourist visasin15daysforUS$50.Theamount Issues tourist VisasavailableforUS$30.UScitizenswon’t Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Airport Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Airport Can issue a visa in 10 days, which is often not Can issueavisain10days,whichisoften lonelyplanet.com ( % 37 a taxi (US$10toUS$15)forthe20kmride a taxi the KopetDagintoIran.FromAshgabat, take due southof Ashgabat andacorridorbetween The simplestexitpointisGaudan/Bajgiran, To/From Iran time of writing. ommended forindependenttravellers atthe Kerki butwasnotrec- byUNstaff, isused for you. an extraUS$4totheborderguarddothis of beabletopay theborder),oryoumight customs fee atabankintown(2kmsouth Torghundi. Here topayanUS$11 youneed from Herat (US$20inashared vehicle) to tocatch you’llneed arideTurkmenistan, ney onwardstoHerat. Ifyouare comingto jour-Torghundi andit’satwo-hourtaxi 1.5km walktothefirst village Afghan of there’s Turkmenistan, abat town.Leaving family asthere are nohotels intown. arrive late it’sOKtoovernight withalocal borderguards.Ifyou Turkmen andAfghan be prepared byboth searched tobethoroughly is nowafairlyhassle-free prospect,although Crossinghereborder townwithAfghanistan. (formerlyknownasGushgi) isthe Serkhetabat To/From Afghanistan BORDER CROSSINGS from 9amto6pmdaily. Alllandborders are open is notunheardof). threepoint inthecountry(although hours to twohours forcrossingtheborderatany at thepresent time. Youshould reckon atone toorfromTurkmenistan train orbusservices frequently There used. are nointernational borders withUzbekistan andIranare themost the from allborderingcountries,although Visitors canenter withvisas Turkmenistan Land see p415 . airlines thatflyinandoutof Turkmenistan, lonelyplanet.com (there isaMashhad–Saraghs train,butno to Mashhad. (US$20, 4hours)you canget ortaxis buses 20km of no-man’s-landtoBajgiran where (US$2.50)across some it’sataxi through, a marshrutka shuttle totheborder. Once your passportchecked, after which youtake to Yablonovka checkpoint. Here you’llhave The Saparmuratbordercrossingnear The borderpostis3kmsouthof Serkheta- There are alsoborders with IranatSaraghs

441 TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN out weeks inadvance,you’llprobably haveout weeks you changed moneyattheofficialrate). (you’ll have toshowabankreceipt showing tickets usingtheofficialrate of 5200M=US$1 ists andnon-residents, mustpayfor however, withlocalresidency.and anyoneelse Tour- also applytoPeace Corps volunteers, diplomats US$1 toUS$2flyanywhere. prices These locals, ticket pricesare absurdly cheap, around DashogusandTurkmenbashi.For between the exceptionof flight afourtimesweekly goinandoutofhub, allflights Ashgabat, with of 717s.Aswith afleet newBoeing themain mostmaincities Airlinesserves Turkmenistan Air GETTING AROUND Azerbaijan. See p468 fordetails. You canenter byboatfrom Turkmenistan Sea For more Uzbek borderinfo,see p268 . allthewaytoNukus(US$7). (US$1) orataxi the border,take publictransporttoKhojeli Urgench totheborderisaroundUS$1.From Nukus inKarakalpakstan. fromKonye- Ataxi drive to Once acrosstheborderit’sahalf-hour minute ride(US$1)fromKonye-Urgench. taxi 442 Less used is the Khojeli crossing,a10- istheKhojeli used Less Because seats are demandandsell seats inhigh Because RNPR NTRMNSA • GtigAon INTURKMENISTANTRANSPORT Around ••Getting in reality. US$0.02 atthepumpstoaroundUS$1.50 thecostofeffectively raises petrol(gas)from cars anduptoUS$250forlarger vehicles. This country. Usually aroundUS$75for thistotals by thekilometre foryourroute the through Significantly, there’s calculated alsoaroadtax and US$10fordisinfection of yourvehicle. fee;US$2 bankfee; US$5documentation obligatory third-partyliability insurance; pay thefollowing:US$30transitfee; US$50 to you’llneed although carnet isnotneeded, possible, butexpensive andfullof hassles.A isperfectly Turkmenistan Driving through Car &Motorcycle choice buttopaytheinflated prices. minute, knowingsomeforeigners willhave no Agents will holdontotickets untilthelast to buyaticket fromatravel agent anyway. the desert. your vehicle isspotlessafter haulingitacross if youenter acitywithdirtycar;make sure Onelastwarning:finescanbeimposed tags. Ashgabateven drivers avoid cars withMary The drivers of Mary are notoriouslybad– green –youcandonothingbutadapt. lights anddragracingoff traffic criminately through freestyle sport,withdrivers weaving indis- Driving in Turkmenistan isaveritableDriving inTurkmenistan lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake

© LonelyPlanetPublications 443 TURKMENISTAN out weeks inadvance,you’llprobably haveout weeks you changed moneyattheofficialrate). (you’ll have toshowabankreceipt showing tickets usingtheofficialrate of 5200M=US$1 ists andnon-residents, mustpayfor however, withlocalresidency.and anyoneelse Tour- also applytoPeace Corps volunteers, diplomats US$1 toUS$2flyanywhere. prices These locals, ticket pricesare absurdly cheap, around DashogusandTurkmenbashi.For between the exceptionof flight afourtimesweekly goinandoutofhub, allflights Ashgabat, with of 717s.Aswith afleet newBoeing themain mostmaincities Airlinesserves Turkmenistan Air GETTING AROUND Azerbaijan. See p468 fordetails. You canenter byboatfrom Turkmenistan Sea For more Uzbek borderinfo,see p268 . allthewaytoNukus(US$7). (US$1) orataxi the border,take publictransporttoKhojeli Urgench totheborderisaroundUS$1.From Nukus inKarakalpakstan. fromKonye- Ataxi drive to Once acrosstheborderit’sahalf-hour minute ride(US$1)fromKonye-Urgench. taxi 442 Less used is the Khojeli crossing,a10- istheKhojeli used Less Because seats are demandandsell seats inhigh Because RNPR NTRMNSA • GtigAon INTURKMENISTANTRANSPORT Around ••Getting the desert. your vehicle isspotlessafter haulingitacross if youenter acitywithdirtycar;make sure Onelastwarning:finescanbeimposed tags. Ashgabateven drivers avoid cars withMary The drivers of Mary are notoriouslybad– green –youcandonothingbutadapt. lights anddragracingoff traffic criminately through freestyle sport,withdrivers weaving indis- in reality. US$0.02 atthepumpstoaroundUS$1.50 thecostofeffectively raises petrol(gas)from cars anduptoUS$250forlarger vehicles. This country. Usually aroundUS$75for thistotals by thekilometre foryourroute the through Significantly, there’s calculated alsoaroadtax and US$10fordisinfection of yourvehicle. fee;US$2 bankfee; US$5documentation obligatory third-partyliability insurance; pay thefollowing:US$30transitfee; US$50 to you’llneed although carnet isnotneeded, possible, butexpensive andfullof hassles.A isperfectly Turkmenistan Driving through Car &Motorcycle choice buttopaytheinflated prices. minute, knowingsomeforeigners willhave no Agents will holdontotickets untilthelast to buyaticket fromatravel agent anyway. Driving in Turkmenistan isaveritableDriving inTurkmenistan lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake