Culture of Ashgabat. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Ashgabat is also the country's leader in the number of architectural and historical attractions. Many sightseeing tours of the city start with the Turkmenbashi Ruhi Mosque, the largest single-domed mosque in the world. The mosque got its name in honor of the country's first president and was built relatively recently, in 2004. The building covering an area of 18,000 square meters is striking in its size. The mosque has two separate halls for men and women, which can accommodate up to 10,000 people at a time. The halls feature very beautiful decoration. White marble served as the main building material during the mosque's construction. In the immediate vicinity of the mosque, there is a mausoleum in which the first president of Turkmenistan and members of his family are buried.

The main national museum of Turkmenistan is also located in Ashgabat. The country's largest museum opened in 1998 and more than 115,000 unique exhibits are kept within its walls today. It has halls containing archaeological finds discovered during the exploration of various regions of Turkmenistan. Of great interest is the collection of ancient carpets, as well as incredibly beautiful national costumes and ancient weapons. One of the favorite halls of many visitors is the one storing ancient jewelry that belonged to local rulers. A whole day would hardly be enough to inspect the museum's extensive exposition. Temporary exhibitions are regularly held here throughout the year.

A very important symbol for Ashgabat residents is the Turkmenistan Independence Monument, which was officially opened in 2001. This is a beautiful white column painted with gold. The height of the monument is 118 meters and there is a small building in its lower part. The latter houses an interesting thematic museum that contains historical exhibits related to the period of the struggle for independence. Next to the monument there is a beautiful alley where you can see more than 20 sculptures. Among them are the statues of national heroes who gave the country tremendous support during the period of establishing the national sovereignty. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In the city center, you will find one of the most amazing cultural centers in the region - the National Museum of Turkmen Carpet. This museum was established in 1993 and is now the only museum of its kind in the world. It is dedicated to the art of crafting Turkmen carpets - the central exhibits of the museum are handmade carpets. Each of them is unique, there are also very valuable antique ones among those presented.

The carpets are decorated with incredible elaborate ornaments. In total, the museum numbers about 2,000 carpets. You'll have a chance to see very small rugs that were once used for offering the keys, as well as incredibly large ones. The largest carpet covers an area of is 301 square meters. It was made by local craftsmen in 2001 and thus entered the Guinness Book of Records. The museum often hosts interesting thematic events and is a great place to visit with a family.

Be sure to visit the Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex located in the western part of the city. A beautiful park and numerous monuments dedicated to the victims of the Second World War were founded in this place. The length of the architectural complex is 916 meters, and the width is 626 meters. Besides the beautiful monuments, huge flower beds and fountains, as well as a small themed museum, are found on the territory of the historical complex. For the convenience of visitors, the complex has many comfortable recreation areas with benches. The memorial is spectacularly illuminated at night.

Among the outstanding architectural monuments of Ashgabat is the Oguzhan Palace Complex. It was erected in 2011 to replace the old presidential residence. Today, the palace is used to host the most significant political meetings and cultural events. The palace itself is a large and incredibly beautiful building of white marble, which is crowned with a large golden dome. It was built in keeping with the most beautiful oriental traditions. There are days when it is open to visitors.

If you like walking around historical sites, take your chance to explore the archaeological areas located near Ashgabat. The ruins of the ancient city of Nisa were discovered in the vicinity of the city. Archaeological finds collected there are currently presented in the main city museum. The archaeological area with the ruins of ancient buildings is now available for tours.