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TURKMENISTAN
Vacations and Sightseeing

Basic information
Official languageTurkmen
CapitalAshgabat
Area488.100 kmĀ²
Population6,186,360  (2021)
Currencymanat  (TMM)
Web.tm
Code.TKM
Tel.+993

Vacations and Sightseeing

Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan. Ashgabat is not yet overrun by mass tourism. There are marble monuments, large palaces and golden statues. The famous, 15-metre high Turkmenbashi statue is not to be missed. This golden statue turns around so that Turkmenbashi's face is always in the sun. The Tolkucha Bazaar is worth a visit, as there is really a lot to buy.

The carpet museum is a nice museum for anyone interested in the history of Turkmen carpet weaving. Among other things, you can see the largest hand-woven carpet in the world.

Turkmenistan has always been a part of the Silk Road. Merv is the oldest and best preserved oasis city along the Silk Road in Central Asia. The remains in this vast oasis reveal more than 4,000 years of human history. A number of monuments can still be admired, especially from the last two millennia. The historic city centre consists of a series of walled cities: Erk Kala, Gyaur Kala and the medieval Sultan Kala or Marv al-Shahijan. There are remains of a number of important structures: the central Beni Makhan mosque and cistern, the Buddhist stupa and monastery, and the "Oval Building", with a series of rooms around a courtyard on a raised platform.

The medieval Sultan Kala was walled up in the 11th century, with the Mausoleum of Sultan Ahmad Sanjar (1118-1157) originally part of a large religious complex. The fine details of the Mausoleum, such as the elegant masonry, the carved stucco, and the wall paintings, make it one of the most striking architectural relics of the Seljuk period.


Sources

Elmar Landeninformatie

CIA - World Factbook

BBC - Country Profiles

Last updated September 2024
Copyright: Team The World of Info