Last October I travelled through Turkmenistan and spent a handful of days in the bizarre city of Ashgabat.
Turkmenistan is the seventh least visited country in the world and it’s capital, Ashgabat, is a truly strange city. In fact it’s the weirdest city I’ve ever visited in all my travels!
So what makes the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, such a bizarre place.
From huge gleaming white marble buildings, manicured gardens, lots of fountains, big wide boulevards devoid of people, monuments with gold statutes on top, to an enclosed ferris wheel and more weird and wonderful monuments.
So join me on a photo journey of the bizarre city of Ashgabat.
Palace of Turkmenbashi
A local schoolgirl in the centre of Ashgabat
Independence Square
A typical scene from the centre of Ashgabat
Over the top monuments and fountains are the norm in Ashgabat
As are gold statues!
Yep, the buildings in Ashgabat are a little different!
Another fancy monument with fountains
Wide, empty boulevards of Ashgabat
View across to Alem Entertainment Centre which houses an enclosed ferris wheel!
The Alem Entertainment Centre houses an enclosed ferris wheel
View from the Alem Entertainment Centre across to the centre of Ashgabat
Monument to the Independence of Turkmenistan, also known as the ‘plunger’
Back out on the boulevards of Ashgabat
Yes, this building is topped with a huge globe!!
The Arch of Neutrality once the centre piece of Niyazov’s Ashgabat and topped with a 12m gold statue of Niyazov which revolved to follow the sun throughout the day is now on the outskirts of the capital.
Local schoolgirls in Independence Square for Independence Day practice
Independence Day practice
Friendly, local schoolgirls
More schoolgirls who were extremely shy but also extremely curious
The president!
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