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Ashgabat
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The Arch of Neutrality
 This
monument has become an urban symbol which serves as a
powerful reference point in the city. The inspiration
for the Arch of Neutrality was the traditional Turkmen
trivet - a stable tripod, used for holding a boiler, under
which a fire is kind-led. In the project the trivet was
transformed into three widely curved pylons connected
by disks and rings of different diameters and thickness.
These are the viewing sites, located on different levels,
where a perfect panorama of Ashgabat opens up. Visitors
are transported to the first level by funiculars.
 There,
at a height of 21.5 m there is a circular cafe-bar with
a panoramic view. The transparent lift takes visitors
to 50 meters, where the upper viewing platform is situated.
At 63 meters, there is a 12 m sculpture of Saparmurat
Turkmenbasi on a background of a fluttering flag. This
part of the monument rotates slowly.
 The
Arch of Neutrality reaches a total of 75 meters, making
it the highest construction in Turkmenistan, above the
600 year old Kutlug Timur minaret. The Arch of Neutrality
is decorated with white marble, with bronze relief compositions
from Turkmen history on the sides of Pylons. Vertical
sections of the pylons between the upper and lower survey
sites are combined with five identical bronze rings, each
featuring relief lattices with images of ghels-basic carpet
elements from the various Turkmen tribes.
National Museum of History and
Ethnography
 The
Museum was opened in November 1998. The museum has s rich
collection of ancient artifacts from Turkmenistan. More
than 500,000 exhibits are displayed here. It has 9 halls,
each dedicated to a certain period or theme. The museum
reveals the variety of Turkmenistan's landscape: its flora
and fauna, fossils and rare geological finds. The Hall
of Independence, illustrating the modern development of
the country, along with a range of costly presents given
to Saparmurad Turkmenbashi, and donated by him to the
museum. The Hall of Ancient History presents a collection
of flint tools from the Mesolithic era(50 000 years B.C.),
used by primitive people in Western Turkmenistan, along
with Neolithic ceramics and ornaments from the first human
settlements along the northern slopes of Kopet-Dag. There
are objects made of clay and metal, semi-precious stones,
witnessing tile high level of development of the early
agricultural civilizations of Jeitun, Altyn Depe, Namzga-Depe,
Anau Depe etc. The place of honor in this hall is occupied
by Margians, a unique Bronze Age civilization discovered
by the archeologists in the Kara-Kum desert to the north
of the modern town of Bairam Ali, wilich was a fertile
delta of the Murgab river about 3000 years ago. One highlight
in the museum is a remar-kable collection of ivory rythons,
discovered during the excavations at the Old Nisa - residence
of Parthian kings from the Arshakid Dynasty. Marble statues,
silver items from this fortress are outstanding examples
of art closely connected with the Hellenistic tradition.
The Hall of the Middle Ages tells about the Sasan instruments.
Turkmenistan's famous hand made carpets of dyed sheep's
wool are the finest masterpieces of the national art of
the Turkmen people. But another important place in Turkmen
national art belongs to female dress, and primarily bridal
costumes. The brightest examples of this tradition are
embroidered fabrics, and gilded silver jewelry featuring
precious stones, stamping and engraving. Special silver
ornaments were also made for the famous Akhal Teke horses,
which played a major role not only in the nation's history,
but as the focus of cult. The museum is open daily, except
Tuesday, from 10 AM till 5 PM. Museum has a souvenir shop.
Museum of Fine Arts
It was founded in 1927 by the initiative of Russian sculptor
A.A Karelin. However only in 1939 it got the status of
the Museum of the Fine Arts. The museum has an eclectic
collection of artwork. More than 6,000 exhibits include
paintings, sculpture, and graphics by Turkmen, Russian
and foreign artists. Among the local painters there are
the beginners of Turkmen fine art: A.Hagiev, I. Ilisli,
Klycheva, Bairamova, S.Babicova . The collection of West-European
paintings includes the works of Italian, Dutch,Flemish,
German and Enghsh niasters.The most valuable are the sections
of Italian and Dutch paintings. Among them there are the
works of Geinpetrino, Raphael Santy.Jan van Goeyn and
several paintings.
Carpet Museum
The museum was opened on the 24th of October 1994. This
museum has a large, impressive collection of antique carpets,
carpet articles/ chuvals, khurjuns, torba etc./ and also
two first biggest carpets, made in Turkmenistan/ 18m by
11,5 m/total area 192 square m. and 20 m by 13 m/266 square
m. The first biggest carpet weighs a little bit less than
one tone and the second biggest carpet weighs one tone.
The art of carpet making goes back into antiquity. It
has not been established yet what came first - painted
ceramics or carpets. During archeological excavations
at Namazga-Depe/ 3d millenium BC/ painted ceramics was
found. Some designs of this ceramics are very similar
to the carpet symbols. In the 12c the Italian traveler
Marco Polo found the Turkmen carpets as the most beautiful
and thinnest in the world. In the 14th century two Italian
Renaissance painters, Lippo Mernmo and Nicolo Buonarocso
depicted the Turkmen carpets at their paintings. It is
very interesting that German, Flemish and Italian painters
were familiar with Turkmen carpets. The visitors could
visit a small carpet work shop. The museum also has a
carpet shop where the visitors can buy new carpets. The
museum is open daily, except Sunday, from 10.00 AM till
5.00 PM.
Bagyr village - Mausoleum of Shikh
Alov Mausoleum and Khalimberdy Ishan and Namazga Mosque
23 km from Ashgabat to the south west. Shikh Alou - the
mausoleum of the local sheikh Abu Ali Dakkak. It was constructed
at the 12 century in honor of Ali Abu Dakkak -Shih Alov,
who was originally from Iran. There are a lot of legends
about this legendary person. One of which tells when Shikh
Alov was only 7 years old, he helped Mukhammed Hazret
Ali to spread up in the south Turkmenistan Islam. Later
Shikh Alov became the follow of the School of Suffism.
The word "Shikh Alov" translation "Flaming Sheikh". Close
to the mausoleum one can see the sacred water spring and
wish tree. At the foot of the Kopet Dag mountains there
is another historical monument, Mosque Namazga. Namazga
is a specific mosque usually built in the outskirts that
serve for assemblies of town dwellers twice a year, on
the days the main Muslim holidays. The Namazga of Bagir/Nisa
had been built probably in the end of XIII- beginning
of XIV century and represented a domed chamber open to
outside. The big mosque of Khalimberdi Ishan (the end
of XIX - beginning of the XX c.c.) is very interesting
The most attractive thing there is mikhrab/ altar niche,
in the decoration of which the motifs of typical Islamic
floral ornament and Parthian architecture with its Hellenic
traditions interlaced.
 Tolkuchka
Bazaar
Tolkuchka (from the Russian verb 'tolkat' - to push).
The market is located at the northern outskirts of Ashgabat.
The total area is 40 hectares. It is divided into several
sections.
 The
traditional Turkmen handicrafts sector has a big choice
of modern and ancient carpets laid out in a large sandy
compound or draped over racks and walls, carpet items
such as chuval, torba, khurdjun, felts, traditional hand
made silk, jewelry, traditional fur hats "Telpek", made
of sheep skin, traditional modern and ancient Turkmen
costumes.
The bazaar is in full swing every Sunday from 7.00 AM
till 2.00 PM and on a slightly smaller scale, on Thursday
and Saturday.
Hippodrome
The Ashgabat hippodrome is located on the city's eastern
outskirts. The Akhal Tekin oasis has long been famous
for breeding horses. Experts say that nowhere in the world
man's efforts succeeded in breeding such a beautiful,
tireless, intelligent and noble animal as the Akhal Tekin
horse. Horse breeding has been an ancient tradition in
Turkmenistan since the time of Parthia /the 3d c. BC till
the 3d c. AD. This breed was developed over more than
three thousand years and influenced the development of
horse breeding throughout the world. This ancient breed
served as a genetic fund for other breeds. The visitors
can observe horse racing at the Ashgabat hippodrome. ars
were placed in a broad rabat.
Ashgabat Mosques
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