| Walk of Health | |
|---|---|
.jpg) View of the Walk of Health, 2008 | |
| Length | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Location | Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |
| Established | 2 January 2000 |
| Began construction | 1999 |
| Completed | mid-2000 |
| Use | Hiking |
| Highest point | 1,293 m (4,242 ft) |
| Lowest point | 228 m (748 ft) |
| Surface | Concrete |
| Maintained by | Government of Turkmenistan |
The Walk of Health (Turkmen: Saglyk ýoly, lit. 'health trail')[1] is a 36-kilometre (22 mi)[2][a] long concrete walkway that runs alongside the Kopet Dag mountain range in south Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, near the Iran–Turkmenistan border.[4] The first 8 km (5.0 mi) of the path was constructed in 1999 by dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, with the intent of encouraging citizens to be healthy. It officially opened on 2 January 2000.[5] Until Niyazov's death, he required his ministers to walk the walkway once every year.[3]
- ^ Esenow, Annageldi (2003). Saparmurat Türkmenbaşynyň beýik döwri arhitekturasy [Architecture of Saparmurat Turkmenbashi the Great epoch] (in Turkmen). Ruh. p. 501. Archived from the original on 2022-04-09. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ "13-ю годовщину избрания президента в Туркменистане ознаменовали массовым восхождением в горы" [13th anniversary of the election of the Turkmenistan President was marked by a mass climb in the mountains]. Turkmenistan.ru (in Russian). 20 June 2005. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ a b Morton, Ella (6 February 2014). "Golden Statues and Mother Bread: The Bizarre Legacy of Turkmenistan's Former Dictator". Slate. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Lonely Planet Blue List: The Best in Travel 2007. Lonely Planet Publications. 2006. p. 197. ISBN 9781741047356. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
1:was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).