Ashgabat
Turkmenistan
- Safety rating
- 7.5/10
- Best time to visit
- April–May and September–October are most comfortable, as summers are scorching in the surrounding Karakum desert.
- Population
- 1.0M
Overview
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan's surreal capital, holds a world record for its concentration of white-marble buildings, gilded monuments, and grand fountains. Rebuilt extravagantly with gas wealth, it feels like a vast, gleaming, and eerily quiet showcase city.
Top attractions
See the Independence Monument, the Neutrality Arch, the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque, and the nearby ruins of Nisa.
Getting around
Official taxis and arranged transport are the norm; buses exist but the city is spread out and tightly controlled.