Travel Guides:

The capital, Ashgabat is a modern city was originally founded in 1881 (destroyed in 1948 by an earthquake), which has grown rapidly in recent years. Many of the major attractions are located at Svovoda prospectus. The Art Museum and the Folklore Museum is in a beautiful building with columns and oriental windows housed (Ulitsa Makhtumkhuli, both museums are currently being renovated). In addition to the carpet in the Ulitsa Kuragli (formerly Piervomeiskaja) there is a carpet museum. The glassworks are also worth a visit. In the botanical garden behind the college will find peace, it is rapid on the lively track (Hippodrome) on.
In the 10 km to the south of Ashgabat Turkmenbashi the famous stud farm located Akilteken horses are bred. Outside the city you see the ruins of ancient Nisa, the capital of the powerful Kingdom of Parthia (3rd century BC) to visit. The Firjusa gorge in the mountains south of Ashgabat is a popular destination in summer.

90 km west of Ashgabat is Kov-Ata, one fed by underground hot springs Mineralsee. There are no accommodation facilities, but the trip can be handled easily in a day.

The second largest city of Turkmenistan Mary lies near the ruins of ancient Merv once the second largest city of Islam, the 1221 was of Genghis Khan’s son Toloi razed to the ground. The ruins of Merv and all preceding and following towns are scattered over a wide area. Particularly noteworthy are the mausoleums of the rulers and saints, especially the imposing mausoleum completed in 1140 the Sultan Sanjar.


Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnovodsk) on the shores of the Caspian Sea is a Russian city’s foundation, which ends today in the Trans-Caspian railway. The Museum of History and Natural History is worth seeing.

In Kunya-Urgench on the edge of the Karakorum desert, 500 km north of Ashgabat, is located with the 62-meter high Kutluk Timur minaret (14th century), the tallest minaret in Central Asia.