Ashgabat

Ashgabat , known as Poltoratsk between 1919 and 1927, is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan in Central Asia, situated between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag mountain range. The 2001 census estimated a population of 695,300, while the 2009 census estimated a population of 1 million, primarily Turkmen people, with ethnic minorities of Russians, Armenians, and Azerbaijanis. The Karakum Canal runs through the city, carrying waters from the Amu Darya from east to west.

Merv

Merv, formerly Achaemenid Satrapy of Margiana, and later Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana, was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near todays Mary in Turkmenistan. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of culture and politics at a site of major strategic value. It is claimed that Merv was briefly the largest city in the world in the 12th century. The site of ancient Merv has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Darvaza Gas Crater

The Darvaza gas crater , known locally as the "Door to Hell" or ''Gates of Hell", is a natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan, that collapsed into an underground cavern, becoming a natural gas crater. Geologists set it on fire to prevent the spread of methane gas, and it has been burning continuously since 1971. The diameter of the crater is 69 metres (226 ft), and its depth is 30 metres (98 ft). The crater is a popular tourist attraction. Since 2009, 50,000 tourists have visited the site. The gas crater has a total area of 5,350 m2. The surrounding area is also popular for wild desert camping. The gas crater is located near the village of Derweze, also known as Darvaza. It is in the middle of the Karakum Desert, about 260 kilometres (160 mi) north of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. The gas reserve found here is one of the largest in the world. The name "Door to Hell" was given to the field by the locals, referring to the fire, boiling mud, and orange flames in the large crater, which has a diameter of 70 metres (230 ft). The hot spots range over an area with a width of 60 metres (200 ft) and to a depth of about 20 metres (66 ft). According to Turkmen geologist Anatoly Bushmakin, the site was identified by Soviet engineers in 1971. It was originally thought to be a substantial oil field site. The engineers set up a drilling rig and operations to assess the quantity of oil available at the site. Soon after the preliminary survey found a natural gas pocket, the ground beneath the drilling rig and camp collapsed into a wide crater and was buried. Expecting dangerous releases of poisonous gases from the cavern into nearby towns, the engineers thought it best to burn the gas off. It was estimated that the gas would burn out within a few weeks, but it has instead continued to burn for more than four decades. The years of the crater's history are uncertain: Local geologists say the collapse into a crater happened in the 1960s, and the gases weren't set on fire until the 1980s. There are however no records available for any version of the events. In April 2010, the president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, visited the site and ordered that the hole should be closed. In 2013, he declared the part of the Karakum Desert with the crater a nature reserve. The crater was featured in a Die Trying episode titled "Crater of Fire". Explorer George Kourounis became the first person to ever set foot at the bottom, gathering samples of extremophile microorganisms. The episode was broadcast on the National Geographic Channel on July 16, 2014. On President Berdimuhamedow's 2010 visit he recommended that measures be taken to limit the crater's influence on the development of other natural gas fields in the area. Turkmenistan plans to increase its production of natural gas, intending to increase its export of gas to many countries such as Pakistan, China, India, Iran, Russia, and Western Europe, from its present yearly production level to 225 billion cubic metres (7.9 trillion cubic feet) in the next 20 years.

Garabogazköl

The Garabogazköl Aylagy, alternatively the Kara-Bogaz-Gol strait lake) is a shallow inundated depression in the northwestern corner of Turkmenistan. It forms a lagoon of the Caspian Sea with a surface area of about 18,000 km2 . It is separated from the Caspian Sea proper, which lies immediately to the west, by a narrow, rocky ridge having a very narrow opening in the rock through which the Caspian waters flow, cascading down into Garabogazköl . The water volume of the bay fluctuates seasonally with the Caspian Sea; at times it becomes a large bay of the Caspian Sea, while at other times its water level drops drastically. The city of Garabogaz lies on the ridge, about 50 km north of the channel between the main Caspian basin and the Garabogazköl lagoon. The town has a population of about 10,000.

Karakum Canal

The Karakum Canal in Turkmenistan is one of the largest irrigation and water supply canals in the world. Started in 1954, and completed in 1988, it is navigable over much of its 1,445-kilometre length, and carries 13 cubic kilometres of water annually from the Amu-Darya River across the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. The canal opened up huge new tracts of land to agriculture, especially to cotton monoculture heavily promoted by the Soviet Union, and supplying Ashgabat with a major source of water. Unfortunately, the primitive construction of the canal allows almost 50 percent of the water to escape en route, creating lakes and ponds along the canal, and a rise in groundwater leading to widespread soil salinization problems. The canal is also a major factor leading to the Aral Sea environmental disaster.

Krasnowodsk

Türkmenbaşy (also spelled Turkmenbashi), formerly known as Krasnovodsk and Kyzyl-Su, is a city in Balkan Province in Turkmenistan, on the Krasnovodsk Gulf of the Caspian Sea. It sits at an elevation of 27 metres (89 feet). The population was 86,800, mostly ethnic Russian, Armenians and Azeri. As the terminus of the Trans-Caspian Railway, it was an important transportation center.

The main museum of Turkmenistan

The Main museum of Turkmenistan, also known as the Sparmurat Turkmenbashi Museum, is a museum in Turkmenistan. The museum was opened on 12 November 1998. . The museum has seven permanent galleries incorporating history, present day culture, and ethnography.

The State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan

The Main museum of Turkmenistan (Türkmenistanyň Milli muzeyi), also known as the Sparmurat Turkmenbashi Museum, is a museum in Turkmenistan. The museum was opened on 12 November 1998. . The museum has seven permanent galleries incorporating history, present day culture, and ethnography.

Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque

Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque or Gypjak Mosque is a mosque in the village of Gypjak about 7 kilometres west of the centre of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on the M37 highway.

Door to Hell

The Door to Hell is a natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan, that collapsed into an underground cavern in 1971, becoming a natural gas crater. Geologists set it on fire to prevent the spread of deadly methane gas, and it has been burning continuously since then. The diameter of the crater is 69 m, and its depth is 30 m. The crater is a popular tourist attraction. In the past five years 50,000 tourists have visited the site. The gas crater has a total area of 7003535000000000000♠5,350 m2, the size of an American football field. The surrounding area is also popular for wild desert camping.

Repetek Biosphere State Reserve

Repetek Biosphere State Reserve, often referred to as Repetek Nature or Desert Reserve, is a desert nature reserve of Turkmenistan, located in Lebap Province, East Karakum Desert, near Amu Darya. It is located approximately 70 km south from Türkmenabat and is known for its zemzen . Established in 1928 for the study and preservation of a sand-desert ecosystem, it covers an area of 346 km2 .

Monument to the Constitution

Monument to the Turkmenistan Constitution is a monument located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Its height of 185 meters makes it the second-tallest building in Turkmenistan. The monument is decorated with marble. Built to honor the 20th anniversary of the Constitution of Turkmenistan, it was constructed between 2008 and 2011 on the Archabil avenue, by the Turkish construction company Polimeks. Inside the complex is a museum, a conference room, a library, a gift shop and a cafeteria.

Neutrality Monument

Monument of Neutrality was a monument located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The three-legged arch, which became known locally as "The Tripod", was 75 metres tall and was built in 1998 on the orders of Turkmenistans President Saparmurat Niyazov to commemorate the countrys official position of neutrality. It cost $12 million to construct. The monument was topped by a 12-metre tall gold-plated statue of Niyazov which rotated to always face the sun. The arch was located in central Ashgabat where it dominated the skyline, being taller than the nearby Presidential Palace. The statue was illuminated at night. The arch featured a panoramic viewing platform which was a popular attraction for visitors.

Saparmurat Hajji Mosque

The Saparmurat Hajji Mosque is a mosque in Gökdepe, Turkmenistan. It was built from 1994 to 1995, during the rule of Saparmurat Turkmenbashi. Erected in memory of the soldiers, defenders of the fortress Geokdepe. It is a prominent landmark in Gökdepe with its four minarets.

Sarygamysh Lake

The Sarygamysh Lake, also Sarykamysh or Sary-Kamysh, Turkmen for "Yellow Depression", is a lake situated in central north Turkmenistan. It is geographically located approximately midway between the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. Approximately the northwest quarter of the lake belongs to the country of Uzbekistan, while the rest belongs to Turkmenistan. Lake Sarygamysh was fed, up to the 17th century, by the Uzboy River, a distributary of the Amu Darya River, which continued on to the Caspian Sea. Today, it is largely fed by the run-off water from surrounding irrigated lands, containing high levels of pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals. The name of the lake comes from Turkmen sarykamysh reed.

Hanhowuz Reservoir

Hanhowuz, also known as Khauz-Khan is a reservoir in Mary Province of southeastern Turkmenistan. It is located at 37°13′56″N 61°14′37″E. The M37 highway passes nearby and the village of Hanhowuz stands on the northwestern shore, with the city of Tejen not too far away in that direction. Hanhowuz Reservoir is a component of the Kara Kum Canal system and it was created to attempt to control the erratic Tejen River. It plays an important role in agriculture in the region. The reservoir was named after Oguz Han. Hanhowuz Reservoir was constructed in a natural depression to capture winter runoff and overflow from the canal for use later during the driest periods of summer. Phytoplankton thrive in the warm waters, as do many commercial fish—including Aral barbel, asp and catfish. In the satellite image, Garagum Canal is the brown ribbon dropping down from the upper right corner and heading south and east from the reservoir. A portion of the canal is diverted, and you can see the brown sediment-laden water entering the reservoir from the east and dropping its load of suspended sediments. The water that leaves is turquoise and travels west to irrigate the Tedjen Oasis. Roughly rectilinear farmlands appear on either side of that section of the canal.

Badhyz State Nature Reserve

Bathyz Nature Reserve is a nature reserve of Turkmenistan. The reserve which covers 877 km2 of the Bathyz Plateau ecosystem, was established in Mary Province, between the Kushka River and Tejen River in 1941. Its landscape comprises solitary or groups of foothills, ranging in height from 20 to 200 m. The average annual precipitation of the reserve is about 280 mm, with a maximum of 420 mm and a minimum of 130 mm. Its short spring is followed by a long hot summer with 4–5 months of hot weather and little cooling winds. It also incorporates three sanctuaries: Çemenebit Sanctuary established in 1956. Gyzyljar Sanctuary established in 1956. Pulhatyn Sanctuary established in 1956.

Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Olympic Stadium

Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, that stood on the site now occupied by the New Olympic Stadium, which is being built in 2016. It was used mostly for football matches, but also for musical performances by Turkmen pop stars such as Maral Ibragimova.

Archabil Hotel Ashgabat

Arçabil Hotel is a five star hotel located in the Ashgabat, Turkmenistan along the Archabil Freeway on 18 km far from Ashgabat Airport and 12 km far from Ashgabat Railway Station. Ultra modern President Hotel was built in 2004 in the south part of the capital, 10 km from the center of the city. Hotel is located in the beautiful park zone. The building of the Hotel is buried in verdure. There are two cascades of the fountains around Hotel, pool with the beach, two tennis courts and guarded parking. Arçabil Hotel is meant first of all for native and foreign delegations, but is always ready to accept Turkmenistan residents and foreign guests, traveling by themselves. Hotel offers 152 rooms equipped with furniture from the best Europe trade houses. Prices include breakfast. Hotel offers also conference halls for 120 places, banquet hall for 250 places, lobby-bar, fitness-club, pool, sauna, VIP-restaurant for 102 places.

Köneürgench

Konye-Urgench also known as Kunya-Urgench, Old Urgench or Urganj, is a municipality of about 30,000 inhabitants in north-eastern Turkmenistan, just south from its border with Uzbekistan. It is the site of the ancient town of Ürgenç, which contains the ruins of the capital of Khwarezm, a part of the Achaemenid Empire. Its inhabitants deserted the town three and a half centuries ago in order to develop a new settlement, and Kunya-Urgench has remained undisturbed ever since. In 2005, the ruins of Old Urgench have been inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites.

Wedding Palace

The Wedding Palace is a civil registry building in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. It was constructed by Turkish company Polimeks. It was built in 2011, commissioned by the Government of Turkmenistan.

Amudarya State Nature Reserve

Amyderýa Nature Reserve is a nature reserve of north-eastern Turkmenistan. Established in 1982 to protect part of the Amu Darya River, it is located in the north-east of Lebap Province and covers an area of 495 km². It also incorporates one sanctuary: Kelif Sanctuary established in 1970.

Köýtendag Nature Reserve

Köýtendag Nature Reserve, formerly Kugitang Nature Reserve, is a nature reserve in the extreme east of Turkmenistan. Established in 1986, it is located in the Köýtendag Range of Lebap Province and covers an area of 271.4 km². The reserve is home for the rare Heptner's markhor . It also incorporates four sanctuaries: Garlyk Sanctuary established in 1986. Hojapil Sanctuary established in 1986. Hojaburjybelent Sanctuary established in 1986. Hojagarawul Sanctuary established in 1999.

Sünt-Hasardag Nature Reserve

Sünt-Hasardag Nature Reserve is a nature reserve of Turkmenistan. Established in 1977 for the protection of indigenous flora and fauna, it is located in south-western part of the Kopetdag Range in Balkan Province, covering an area of 303 km². It also incorporates one sanctuary: Sünt-Hasardag Sanctuary established in 1990.

Ashgabat Cable Car

Ashgabat Cable Car is a 4 km cableway between Ashgabat and the foothills of the Kopetdag. The first and single in Turkmenistan. Construction was finished on 18 October 2006.

Bereket

Bereket, formerly Gazandjyk or Kazandzhik , is a city in Balkan Province in western Turkmenistan. Bereket is the administrative centre of the Bereket District. The city is located in an oasis in the foothills of the Kopetdag Mountains on the edge of the Karakum Desert. Bereket is an important strategic railway intersection of the Trans-Caspian Railway and North-South Transnational Railway west of the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat and 340 km east of the Caspian Sea port of Turkmenbashi. The largest cities nearby are Balkanabat 120 km to the west, and Serdar 90 km to the east. The estimated population of the city is 23,200 as of 2013.

Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex

Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex is a memorial complex to the honor of those killed in battle Geok Tepe, World War II, and the commemoration of the victims of the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake. It is located in the southwestern part of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Independence Monument, Ashgabat

The "Independence Monument" is a monument located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The design of this building was inspired by traditional Turkmen tents and the traditional headgear worn by Turkmen girls. Elements of the building commemorate the independence date of Turkmenistan, 27 October 1991. These elements include a 91-meter reinforced concrete tower with a 27-metre high golden gilt steel construction on top of the tower, along with an observation terrace with a diameter of 10 metres. Within the building, there are exhibition halls where important works of art representing Turkmenistan history are displayed. The Monument of Independence sits on a total area of 84,500 m², surrounded by green landscaping that encompasses a cascaded pool and the statues of 27 historical heroes of the Turkmens that guided Turkmenistan history.

Serakhs

Serakhs (also written Saraghs, Serahs, Sarakhs or Saragt) is an oasis city in Ahal Province of Turkmenistan. It is located at latitude 36°31' North; longitude 61°12' East and an altitude of 285m above sea level. It is one of the oases of the ancient Silk Road lying between Merv to the east and Mashhad to the west. In 1989 the city had a population of 9,585.

Tejen

Tejen is an oasis city in the Karakum Desert, in Ahal Province of Turkmenistan. It is located at latitude 37.3786 North; longitude 60.4961 East at an altitude of 161 meters. It has a population of approximately 52,000. The Hari River passes near Tejen, and is therefore known in Turkmenistan as the Tejen River.

Altyn Asyr bazaar

Oriental bazaar Altyn Asyr is largest market in Turkmenistan, and fifth-largest in Central Asia. Located in the outskirts of Ashgabat, in the residential area Choganly, it was built to resemble the shape a Turkmen carpet ornament of Ahal Province. The market covers a vast territory of 154 hectares. At the heart of the bazaar is a tall clock tower, its main landmark. There are 2,155 shops in the market. It was built in place of the demolished Tolkuchka bazaar, is a noted extensive market sprawled across the desert suburbs of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, a few kilometres from the centre. It is the largest open air market in Central Asia. It is noted in particular for its sale of large red Turkmen rugs. The market thrives on a Sunday and sells a massive range of goods sale, from Turkmen carpets, handicrafts and silks, jewelry and jeans to laundry soap, plastic bags to bales of rice. It also has a notable camel market.

Golden Age Lake

Golden Age Lake known as Altyn Asyr locally, is the name of a man made lake under construction in the Karashor depression in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan. Upon completion, the lake will span 770 square miles with a maximum depth of 230 feet, and hold more than 130 cubic kilometers of water. Filling the lake could take 15 years and cost up to $4.5 billion. According to government plans, it is intended to be filled by a 2,650-kilometer network of tributary canals. The 432 kilometre long Dashoguz Collector follows for about half its length the bed of the ancient Uzboy River. The Great Turkmen Collector starts in the Lebap Province and is 720 kilometre long. They are used for pumping run-off water from irrigated cotton fields towards the lake.

Turkmenistan Tower

The Turkmenistan tower is a communications and observation tower in Ashgabat Turkmenistan. It was completed in 2011. At 211 meters, the tower is the tallest structure in Turkmenistan.

Abiward

Abiward or Abi-ward, was an ancient Sassanid city in modern-day Turkmenistan. Archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Abiward have been made in the last century to about 8 km west of the Kahka station in an area of 12,000 m2. The central tell is 60 feet high and 700 feet round.

Tomb of Ahmed Sanjar

The Tomb of Ahmad Sanjar was built in Merv in 1157, following the death of Ahmad Sanjar, sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire. It is reported that his tomb was the site of pilgrimages.

Mount Arlan

Mount Arlan is an 1,880-metre peak in the western plains of Turkmenistan in Balkan Province. Mount Arlan stands about 2,000 metres above the shore of the below-sea level Caspian Sea. It is the highest point of the Balkan Daglary range. The town of Balkanabat, the capital of Balkan Province, lies 25 km to the southwest.

Tuyamuyun Hydro Complex

The Tuyamuyun Hydro Complex is a system of four interconnected reservoirs and a series of canals on the lower Amu Darya River, bordering Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Its primary purpose is to provide water for irrigation in Xorazm, Karakalpakstan and Daşoguz regions of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and as far north as Kazakhstan. The complex is located about 74 km southeast of Urgench in Xorazm Region, Uzbekistan and about 2 km north of Gazojak in Lebap Region, Turkmenistan. It was constructed between 1969 and 1983. Aside from irrigation, the complex also provides water for industrial and municipal uses. A 150 MW power station on the main dam contains six 25 MW hydroelectric turbine-generators. The main dam is located on the Amu Darya, straddling the border of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. It is the center-piece of the complex. The main dam is a 141 m long and 25 m long gravity dam. It creates the Channel Reservoir which has a storage capacity of about 2,300,000,000 m3 and length of 102 km . Water from the Channel Reservoir can be fed into the adjacent Kaparas and Sultansanjar Reservoirs for later use. The Sultansanjar Reservoir is connected via a canal to the Koshbulak Reservoir which lies just east. When first completed, all four reservoirs had a capacity of about 7,800,000,000 m3 but due to silt build-up, this had been reduced to about 6,700,000,000 m3 by 2001. A system of canals off the main dam supply a network of irrigation canals to the various regions for irrigation.

Dashhowuz

Daşoguz , formerly known as Tashauz and Dashkhovuz , is a city in northern Turkmenistan and the capital of Daşoguz Province.

Nisa

Nisa was an ancient city, located near modern-day Bagir village, 18 km southwest of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Nisa is described by some as the first seat of central government of the Parthians. It is traditionally assumed to be founded by Arsaces I and was reputedly the royal necropolis of the Parthian kings, although it has not been established that the fortress at Nisa was either a royal residence or a mausoleum.

Uly Balkan

The Uly Balkan, also known as the Great Balkan Range is a mountain range in Turkmenistan. The highest summit is Mount Arlan at 1,880 metres .

Hazar

Hazar is a city located on the Cheleken Peninsula of the Caspian Sea. It is part of the Balkan Province of western Turkmenistan

Nebitdag