Ashgabat

"Ashkhabad" redirects here. For the Turkmen folklore band, see Ashkhabad (band). For the Second World War merchant ship, see SS Ashkhabad.
For the cities in Iran, see Eshqabad (disambiguation).

Ashgabat
Aşgabat
Capital city
Bitarap Turkmenistan Avenue
Independence Monument
Wedding Palace
Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque
Ashgabat Olympic Stadium
Official seal of Ashgabat
Seal
Official logo of Ashgabat
Logo
Nickname: 
White Marble City [1]
Ashgabat is located in Turkmenistan
Ashgabat
Ashgabat
Location in Turkmenistan
Coordinates: 37°56′15″N 58°22′48″E / 37.93750°N 58.38000°E / 37.93750; 58.38000
Country Turkmenistan
Founded1881
Districts4 districts[2]
Government
 • TypePresidential[3]
 • MayorRahym Nurgeldiyewic Gandymow (since 9 June 2021) [4]
Area
 • Total470 km2 (180 sq mi)
Elevation
273 m (896 ft)
Population
 (2022 census)[5]
 • Total1,030,063
 • Density2,200/km2 (5,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+05:00 (Turkmenistan Time)
 • Summer (DST)(Not Observed)
Postal code
744000–744040
Area code(+993) 12
Vehicle registrationAG
International AirportsAshgabat International Airport
Rapid transit systemAshgabat Monorail
Websiteashgabat.gov.tm
Satellite view of Ashgabat

Ashgabat (Turkmen: Aşgabat)[a][b] is the capital and largest city of Turkmenistan.[8] It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km (30 mi) away from the Iran-Turkmenistan border. The city has a population of 1,030,063 (2022 census).

The city was founded in 1881 on the basis of an Ahal Teke tribal village, and made the capital of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924 when it was known as Poltoratsk.[c] Much of the city was destroyed by the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, but has since been extensively rebuilt under the rule of Saparmurat Niyazov's "White City" urban renewal project,[9] resulting in monumental projects sheathed in costly white marble.[10] The Soviet-era Karakum Canal runs through the city, carrying waters from the Amu Darya from east to west.[11]

Today, as the capital of an independent Turkmenistan, Ashgabat retains a multiethnic population, with ethnic Turkmen as the majority. In 2021, it celebrated 140 years of its written history.[12]

  1. ^ "Ashgabat celebrates the City Day". turkmenistan.gov.tm. May 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "General information". www.mfa.gov.tm.
  3. ^ "Türkmenistanyň Halk Maslahatynyň Çözgüdi HM-6 14 December 1992" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Türkmenistanyň Prezidentiniň gol çeken resminamalary". TDH. Turkmenistan State News Agency (TDH) - Turkmenistan Today. July 9, 2021. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  5. ^ "Turkmenistan: Regions, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de.
  6. ^ "Ashgabat". CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  7. ^ "Ashgabat | Definition of Ashgabat in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  8. ^ "ЗАКОН ТУРКМЕНИСТАНА О статусе столицы Туркменистана". turkmenistan.gov.tm. April 12, 2016.
  9. ^ Pannier, Bruce (July 21, 2004). "Turkmenistan: Government Orders People Out Of Their Homes In Name Of 'Urban Renewal'". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  10. ^ Scott, Noel (October 28, 2010). Tourism in the Muslim World. Emerald Group Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84950-920-6.
  11. ^ "Brief Note on Turkmenistan". Embassy of India, Ashgabat. Archived from the original on February 18, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  12. ^ "Ашхабад-140 лет: воплощение достижений независимости". turkmenistan.gov.tm. April 19, 2021.


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