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Ashgabat
Capital and largest city of Turkmenistan

Ashgabat

Ashgabat is the capital and largest city of Turkmenistan.

Plan a trip to Ashgabat→From Daşoguz

It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Köpetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km (30 mi) away from the Iran-Turkmenistan border. The city has a population of 1,030,063.

Get in

Getting to Ashgabat

  1. 01
    Ashgabat International Airport
See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    National Museum

    Archabil sayoli 30 (in front of the Kopet Dag),.

  2. 02
    Museum of Fine Arts

    The Central Hall has a large picture of President Niyazov Abundance of the Harvest.

  3. 03
    Turkmen Carpet Museum

    The museum houses antique carpets of the 18th and 19th centuries and modern carpets from all parts of the country.

  4. 04
    Museum of Turkmen National Values

    In the first floor, the museum houses displays of silver jewellery for women and horses, and replicas of the golden bull- and wolf-head sculptures from Altyn Depe.

  5. 05
    Oguzhan Palace

    It was the site of Saparmurat Niyazov's home prior to his death and then a new palace was built.

  6. 06
    Turkmenistan Independence Monument
Do

Things to do

Mollanepes Drama Theatre, Magtymguly sayoli 79,. Wed-Sat 19:00. US$0.25. Magtymguly Theatre, Shevchenko köcesi,. Fri-Sun 19:00. Turkmen musical performances Pushkin Russian Theatre, Magtymguly sayoli 142,. Sat Sun 19:00. US$0.25.

  1. 01
    World of Turkmenbashi Tales

    An amusement park centered around Turkmenbashi lore, with a magic carpet ride featuring Turkomen carpets.

  2. 02
    Alem Center

    Alem meaning universe, the site boasts another record-setter for the city, as it supposedly holds the world's tallest Ferris wheel in an enclosed space.

  3. 03
    Ashgabat Botanical Garden
  4. 04
    Aşgabat Golf

    A golf course that the 2nd president of Turkmenistan summoned Jack Nicklaus to build for his enjoyment in spite of economic hardship in the city.

  5. 05
    Asghabat Zoo

    Includes some interesting animals like camels and donkeys suited to life in the Karakum Desert and the Turkomen dog.

Eat

Where to eat

  1. 01
    Hezzet Restaurant

    Authentic Turkmen food that you can eat seated on the ground in a yurt, or at a table, stuff like shashlik.

  2. 02
    AlpEt Steakhouse

    Rd of 9th Km (next to Hotel Ashgabat),.

How locals move

Getting around Ashgabat the local way

  • Get around"Taxi", by which everyone means hitchhiking is probably the best way to get around Ashgabat.
  • Get aroundHitchhiking is an entirely safe mode of transport in Turkmenistan—everyone uses it.
  • Go nextThe trip requires going off-road and is probably best not left to you average Lada.

From Wikivoyage: Ashgabat, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.