City of white marble

[Aamir Butt]

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Rising from Central Asia’s Karakum Desert is Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital city – an eerily empty metropolis made almost entirely of white marble.

A modern desert metropolis

Rising from the edge of the Karakum Desert is Turkmenistan's capital city, Ashgabat, a modern metropolis that sparkles and shimmers with a kind of glamour that seems unfitting in time-warped Central Asia. Over-the-top white marble buildings flank wide and empty boulevards, while psychedelic government edifices loom over perfectly manicured gardens. The city is a jumble of lavish golden-domed palaces, Bellagio fountains, neon-lit monuments and Stalinist ministry buildings. From the surface, the city rivals Abu Dhabi or Dubai in terms of opulence and wealth. (Nellie Huang)

A city built from scratch

In 1948, a major earthquake almost wiped out the entire city of Ashgabat, killing an estimated 110,000 people. The government then rebuilt Ashgabat in the standard Soviet style, with grey brick masonry buildings and art deco flair. In 1991, after the Soviet Union collapsed, Saparmurat Niyazov became the first president of the now independent state and immediately put into place major construction plans to usher in “the golden era of Turkmenistan”, erecting residential buildings and monuments such as the Arch of Neutrality and Independence Park. The result is a city that looks brand new, but feels sterile and oddly empty. (Nellie Huang)

Boulevards of white marble

Ashgabat was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2013 for having the highest concentration of white marble buildings in the world. In a city of just 22sqkm, there are 543 buildings covered with 4.5 million cubic metres of imported Italian white marble. Pictured above is the Alem Entertainment Center, named the world’s largest covered Ferris wheel by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2012. It cost the government more than 315 million Turkmen manat to build. (Nellie Huang)

The Wedding Palace by night

By night, the stark white buildings of Ashgabat are lit up in different shades of neon colours and its boulevards are illuminated with powerful lights. The Wedding Palace, pictured, changes colours from red to green to blue every other minute, like a disco ball overlooking the city. (Nellie Huang)

An eccentric dictator’s legacy

Often overshadowed by Ashgabat’s glitz and glamour, the city also lays claim to a number of odd laws and customs first enforced by president Niyazov. The eccentric dictator named himself Turkmenbashi, or “leader of the Turkmen people”, and ruled the country under an obscure dictatorship – he banned men from wearing long hair or beards, outlawed opera, banished dogs from the city and renamed months of the year after his family members. Photography of official buildings like the presidential palace is forbidden. Foreign media criticised him as one of the world's most totalitarian and repressive dictators. (Olivier Matthys /Getty)

A monument to neutrality

In 1995, the government of Turkmenistan declared permanent neutrality and its foreign policy was recognised by the United Nations General Assembly. To commemorate this, the president erected the Monument to Neutrality, a landmark that offers visitors 360-degree views of the city. Turkmenistan’s Council of Elders has declared 2015 the Year of Neutrality and Peace, to mark the 20th anniversary of its permanent neutrality. (Nellie Huang)

A revival of Turkmen culture

As part of the country’s development plans, president Niyazov also made the revival of Turkmen culture one of his top priorities. He wrote the book, Ruhnama (Book of Soul), which is taught in all schools to guide the people of Turkmenistan with his spiritual and moral ideas. The book also contains many poems from famous Turkmen poets. The city’s Independence Park pays homage to this aspect of the Turkmen culture with a massive Ruhnama monument, surrounded by statues of famous Turkmen heroes and poets. (Nellie Huang)

Turkmen fare at the Russian bazaar

Like everywhere in Central Asia, bazaars are an important part of the Turkmen culture. One of the largest and oldest bazaars in Turkmenistan is Ashgabat’s Russian bazaar, called Gulistan. Found in the centre of the city Gulistan is an excellent place to interact with locals and get a taste of Turkmen food. Rows upon rows of spices are stacked sky high, with fresh-from-the-oven naan bread piled in heaps and small eateries serving up steamy laghman noodles. There is more than food too – everything from electronics to clothing and souvenirs can be purchased here. (Nellie Huang)

A famous mosque’s carbon copy

Found in the city’s old town, next to the Russian bazaar, the Ertugrul Ghazi Mosque (also known as the Azadi Mosque) is an exact replica of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. Named after the father of Osman I, who founded the Ottoman Empire, this mosque represents the friendly ties between Turkey and Turkmenistan. The interior of the mosque is covered with exquisite carvings and hand-woven Kilim rugs, similar to those found in the original Blue Mosque. (Nellie Huang)

A forbidden land no more

According to the World Tourism Organization, Turkmenistan is the seventh least visited country in the world, receiving just 7,000 visitors per year. Many travellers are deterred by the strict visa rules: tourist visas are only issued to those on guided tours; independent travellers are only given three-day transit visas. But things look set to change with Turkmenistan's current president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, taking steps to open up the isolated country. Since taking office in 2007 he has unified the country's dual currency exchange rate and channelled a reported $1.5 billion into building a world-class tourism zone on the Caspian Sea. “We are very proud of our country, and what it’s become in such a short time,” said our [Oasis Overland] (http://www.oasisoverland.co.uk/) guide, Kseniya Mikhailova. “Hopefully more people can come and visit.” (Nellie Huang)

The door to hell

About 70% of the total area of Turkmenistan is occupied by desert, and beneath the sand lies the fourth largest gas reserve in the world. This huge resource has allowed Turkmenistan to prosper tremendously, although the average monthly salary is estimated at a low 943 Turkmen manat. One of the best places to see Turkmenistan’s abundant gas reserves is the Darvaza Crater, located approximately 260km north of Ashgabat. In the 1970s, the Soviet government was exploring the area for gas when the ground collapsed to form this 70m-wide, 50m-deep hole. To avoid poisonous gas leaking to the villages nearby, scientists set the methane ablaze, with the idea that it would burn out in a few days’ time. Four decades later, the fire continues to burn bright and the roaring flames can still be seen from hundreds of kilometres away. It is no wonder locals named it darvaza, or “the door to hell”. (Nellie Huang)

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Best Regards,

 

Aamir