Ashgabat

Capital of Turkmenistan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Ashgabat or Asgabat (Turkmen: Aşgabat, [ɑʃʁɑˈbɑt];[3] Persian: عشق‌آباد, romanized: Ešqābād, formerly named Poltoratsk (Russian: Полтора́цк, IPA: [pəltɐˈratsk]) between 1919 and 1927, is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, near the Iran-Turkmenistan border.

Quick facts: Ashgabat Aşgabat, Country, Founded, Gover...
Ashgabat
Aşgabat
Independence_Square%2C_Ashgabat.jpg
Ashgabat_mosque_IMG_5756_%2826111145635%29.jpg
Ashgabat_from_Sofitel_IMG_5360_%2825508536483%29.jpg
Ashgabat%2C_new_avenue_-_panoramio.jpg
Neutrality-Road-Ashgabat-2015.JPG
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Neutrality Road, Gypjak Mosque, Abadanchylyk Square, Independence Park, Suburbs, Urban highways
Official seal of Ashgabat
Official logo of Ashgabat
Map
Location of Ashgabat within Turkmenistan
Coordinates: 37°56′15″N 58°22′48″E
CountryFlag_of_Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan
Founded1881
Government
  TypePresidential[1]
  MayorRahym Nurgeldiyewic Gandymow (since 9 June 2021) [2]
Area
  Total917.6 km2 (354.3 sq mi)
Elevation
273 m (896 ft)
Population
 (2019[citation needed])
  Total1,031,992
  Density1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+05:00
  Summer (DST)UTC+05:00 (not observed)
Postal code
744000–744040
Area code(+993) 12
Vehicle registrationAG
Websiteashgabat.gov.tm
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Ashgabat%2C_Turkmenistan_Astronaut_Imagery.JPG
Satellite view of Ashgabat

The city was founded in 1881 on the basis of an Ahal Teke tribal village, and made the capital of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924. Much of the city was destroyed by the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, but has since been extensively rebuilt under the rule of Saparmurat Niyazov's "White City" urban renewal project,[4] resulting in monumental projects sheathed in costly white marble.[5] The Soviet-era Karakum Canal runs through the city, carrying waters from the Amu Darya from east to west.[6] Since 2019, the city has been recognized as having one of the highest costs of living in the world largely due to Turkmenistan's inflation and import issues.[7][8][9]