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All Turkmenistan Ashgabat

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Ashgabat

7 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Updated June 3, 2019

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Unusual Attractions in Ashgabat

The Wedding Palace.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Wedding Palace

If you want to get married in the White Marble City of Ashgabat, you should do it in this surreal disco ball building.
Turkmenbashi’s Land of Fairy Tales

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Turkmenbashi's Land of Fairy Tales

An eccentric dictator's take on a Turkmen version of Disneyland.
A view of the 22-mile Walk of Health in the Kopet Dag mountains.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The Walk of Health

This harsh mountain path was built as a strange attempt to improve the health of Turkmen citizens.
Arch of Neutrality.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Arch of Neutrality

A dictator's gold statue once rotated to face the sun on a 75-meter high marble tower.
The dome and its attached tower (Flickr/Fraser Lewry)

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Independence Monument of Turkmenistan

Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.
Fountain and giant Ruhnama at Independence Park in Ashgabat.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Giant Ruhnama

A huge monument to a bizarre book written by Turkmenistan’s longstanding dictator.
Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque

The controversial final resting place of the equally controversial first president of Turkmenistan.
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Epic city structures, desert landscapes & local tea at nomadic settlements.

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Monuments 4
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