Turkmenistan, washed from the West by the waters of the Caspian Sea, bordering Iran and Afghanistan in the south, and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the north, has a long and glorious history. The country has huge tourism potential, as there are many wonderful natural places on the territory of the state, as well as preserved ancient settlements. To learn the new facets of this country, we will consider the main attractions of Turkmenistan, as well as amazing natural monuments.
1
Karakum desert
The largest and most famous landmark of the country is, of course, the sands of Karakum, which occupy most of this Central Asian country.
A real kingdom of endless sand and drought, in which the difference in off-season temperatures is about 90 ° C. The fauna of the desert surprises with its diversity, rare species of plants grow here.
Despite the harsh natural conditions, man adapted to live among these desert landscapes, and numerous settlements spread out in the desert.
2
Turkmenbashi Ruhi Mosque
The majestic mosque in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, is the largest single-domed mosque in the world, and it was erected at the beginning of the XXI century and was inaugurated in 2004.
The internal halls of the religious building can accommodate up to 10 thousand believers, and the building impresses tourists with the monumentality and beauty of the design.
Nearby is the monumental Mausoleum of Turkmenbashi, and around the mosque and the mausoleum there is a beautiful park with fountains and manicured flower beds.
3
Darvaza
There is an unusual gas crater in the country, which locals call the door to the underworld, and it is located near the village of the same name.
The diameter of the crater is 60 m, and the depth, as experts determined is more than 20 m. The crater was formed in 1971, when, during drilling, geologists stumbled upon a void into which all the equipment of the researchers collapsed. It was decided to set fire to the gas coming out of the failure, as it was a danger to people and livestock. It was assumed that the gas would burn quickly, but this torch has not been extinguished for more than 40 years.
The “Gates of Hell” in Turkmenistan attract tourists from all over the world, although it is unsafe to be near an unusual natural and geological object. Scientists have discovered at the bottom of the crater a previously unknown species of bacteria that feel quite fine in such extreme conditions.
4
Nisa
The presented photos and a description of the most beautiful places in Turkmenistan will be incomplete without the ancient city of Nisa, leading its history from the III century BC.
The ancient city founded at the foot of Kopetdag was the capital of the Parthian state, and in the Middle Ages it was an important trading center on the Silk Road. The history of the city ended at the beginning of the XIX century.
Archaeologists have discovered here the remains of religious buildings, shrines, residential and artisan quarters. Unique painted statues, household items and jewelry were found.
5
Yangi Kala Canyon
In the middle of the vast desert is a unique canyon, whose name translates as "Fiery Fortress".
In ancient times, there was a sea that dried up, exposing a raised bottom of red and white mineral rocks. Then the winds intervened in the formation of the landscape, carving bizarre gorges and hills.
The amazing natural and architectural structure has become a popular place among tourists who are not afraid of difficulties to see the bizarre shape of the canyon.
6
Repetek Nature Reserve
In the South-East Karakum in 1927, a reserve was founded, the base for which was a research station that had been operating in the desert since 1912.
In 1979, the reserve received biosphere status, and received its name from the nearby Repetek station. It is noteworthy that here is the hottest place in Turkmenistan, in which the air temperature reaches 50 ° C in summer days.
In 1983, a temperature record was recorded in the USSR when the thermometer showed 51.8 ° С.
7
Dinosaur Plateau
Among the mountain ranges near the border with Uzbekistan, near the city of Gaurdak, there is a small village of Khojapil, and next to it is an amazing plate on which paleontologists found footprints of dinosaurs.
On a small plate there are more than 3 thousand prints of dinosaurs that live on the planet in the Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago. On the stove there are traces of both large specimens - megalosaurs, and smaller individuals.
Once there was a swamp, which over time was petrified, leaving such an unusual paleontological monument.
8
Jebel Cave
The administrative unit in the west of the country - the Balkan province - is rich in numerous monuments of archeology, among which the Jebel Cave is of particular interest to archaeologists.
A multilayer archeological monument was discovered and explored in the 40-50s of the XX century by Alexei Okladnikov. In the halls of the cave were found tools of the Mesolithic era, products of the Neolithic era.
In addition to flint products, bronze age ceramics were found, as well as jewelry of a later period. The cave, like other objects of the Greater Balkhan, is now of interest to geologists and archaeologists.
And about other mysterious and mysterious caves of the planet read on our site most-beauty.ru.
9
Dehistan
The beautiful valley, which is often called the Martian due to unusual landscapes, spreads in the west of Turkmenistan.
Today it is here lifeless steppes with sparse vegetation, and once agriculture was born here in the vast expanses of Central Asia.
Archaeologists have discovered within the valley the sites of a Stone Age man. The ruins of the ancient city of Missirian and the Mashat cemetery with mausoleums of the 10th century, sacred to local residents, are also located here.
10
Cougitangtau
At a distance of 100 km from the Amu Darya Valley to the Sherabat River Gorge, a majestic mountain range stretches. It also passes through the territory of Turkmenistan, including the city of Turkmenabad.
The uniqueness of mountain formation is that here you can observe lunar landscapes, and beautiful valleys with relict plants of semi-deserts and mountain subtropical steppes.
The maximum height is 3,139 m, and the ridge has formed mainly from sedimentary rocks.
11
Mausoleum of Tyurabek Khanum
In the city of Kunya-Urgench there is a beautiful monument of medieval architecture, which became the tomb of the rulers of the Sufi dynasty.
Initially, the daughter of the khan of the Golden Horde of Uzbek and the wife of his deputy in the Khorezm kingdom was buried here. In honor of this woman, the mausoleum was named Turabek Khanum. Later, men were also buried here.
The interior of the mausoleum is impressive, the dome vault of which is decorated with beautiful mosaics. Many tourists specially come to the city to see the beauty of the ancient mausoleum.
12
Baharden Cave
Under the influence of hot groundwater, a unique cave has formed, which has become the object of scientific research by cavers, as well as attracting thousands of climbers.
This cavity extends in the rocks to a distance of 250 meters, and the width and height of its arches does not exceed 25 m. Inside, a magnificent lake has formed, the waters of which, due to mineral deposits, have healing properties.
The inside is very humid and the air is saturated with hydrogen sulfide, but the temperature outside always remains the same.
13
Mausoleum of Astana-Baba
Just 10 km from the city of Kerki is a unique monument of medieval architecture of the East, which includes a whole range of architectural structures under the general name "Astana Baba".
In the mausoleum there are five tombs belonging to the period of the XI-XII centuries. It is noteworthy that time has erased from memory and historical documents who actually was this Astana-Baba, in whose honor the mausoleum was named.
But the researchers managed to establish exactly who is buried in the tombs of an architectural monument of the Middle Ages.
14
Abiverd
Near the Turkmen town of Kaka, which was called Kaahka until the end of the 20th century, there is a unique monument of archeology - a city of the Sassanid era with the romantic name Abiverd.
Ancient Abiverd was part of the borderline of Iranian cities, which restrained the penetration of barbarian tribes into the borders of Inner Asia.
Excavations showed that fierce battles took place near its walls. In historical sources, the city is referred to as a rural settlement with a militant population, which was due to its border position.
15
Minaret of Kutlug-Timur
In the heart of Kunya-Urgench stands a monumental minaret, erected in 1320–1330, and reaching a height of 60 meters.
They built it on the personal order of the governor Khan Uzbek Kutlug-Timur, and therefore he went down in history under that name. The tall tower tapers noticeably to the top.
The uniqueness of the structure lies in the fact that modern engineers have discovered a certain inclination of the minaret. The reasons for this phenomenon could be either an earthquake, or a strong fire.
16
Gonur Depe
In the south-east of Turkmenistan in 1974, archaeological research began on the unique Bronze Age urban settlement of Gonur-Depe.
During the excavations, amazing structures were discovered, and later historians unearthed majestic temples and a large city palace. All this indicates that the city was a major metropolitan center, the inhabitants of which professed Zoroastrianism.
The city actively traded with the states of the East, and within it were found seals from Mesopotamia, clay vessels of local production and luxurious jewelry.
17
Koytendag Reserve
In 1987, in order to protect the unique natural landscapes, flora and fauna, a reserve was founded, with a total area of 27,140 ha.
More than 150 species of plants grow on the territory, many of which can be found only in this part of the planet. In addition, 21 species of mammals inhabit the unique reserve and more than 143 bird species nest.
Not only natural beauties and wildlife are protected by the state, but also unique caves, archaeological and paleontological objects.
18
Ruhyet Palace
You can read more about the sights of Ashgabat in a separate article, but we will present another beautiful monument of the Turkmen capital, erected in 1999.
The palace became a real decoration of the eastern city with a beautiful facade and luxurious interior decoration. The building is equipped with everything necessary for events of various levels.
It hosts international meetings, meetings and major national events of national importance.
19
Merv
On the world map, the oldest city in Central Asia appeared at the turn of the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC, back in the era of Moorish civilization.
The city is of particular interest to archaeologists, since cultural layers of various historical epochs have been preserved on its territory from the Bronze Age to the late Middle Ages.
After the Arab conquest, Merv became an important cultural and educational center of Central Asia, within which 10 libraries worked, where books were stored and written.
20
Caspian Sea
We started from a natural site and ended with the Caspian Sea, located at the very junction of Europe and Asia.
In its geographical essence, the Caspian is a large drainage lake that was formed during the Pleistocene. The natural and animal world of the unique sea is full of diverse, including rare, protected species. And in economic terms, it is one of the richest regions in oil production.
The Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea is a wonderful tourist area with many medical resorts, among which Avaza stands out.
Summarize
Traveling to Turkmenistan, for whatever period you would like to visit this country, will leave a lot of vivid impressions, and will help to get to know the amazing state and its people living in the heart of Central Asia.
Posted by Valery Skiba