HOLIDAY IN TURKMENISTAN   >   ASIA


Administrative Divisions [ welayatlar ]: Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat),  Balkan Welayaty (Nebitdag),  Dashhowuz Welayaty (formerly Tashauz),  Lebap Welayaty (Charjew),  Mary Welayaty

Capital City of Turkmenistan: Ashgabat / Ashkhabad


car rental, hotels & inns, tour operators - turkmenistan tours, travel guides, travel to turkmenistan

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Car Rental

  Holiday Autos   -   
Holiday Autos offers the best fully inclusive car hire prices. Get cheap car hire quickly and securely online with holidayautos.co.uk, the experts in online car rental.

Hotels in Turkmenistan



Travel Agents / Tour Operators

   

 



  Bestway Tours & Safaris   -   Cultural Tours to Turkmenistan
  Stantours
Turkmenistan remains by far the most unexplored country along the Silk Road. In the rainbow of colours that characterise this vast strip of land stretching between China and Persia, the Turkmen culture has preserved some of the most nomadic and Shaman traditions. Linking Afghan, Persian and the sophisticated settled cultures of the Central Khanates, many items and periods associated with Silk Road cultures have emerged from largely nomadic Turcoman societies.

Travel Guides Turkmenistan / Destination Guide

Turkmenistan (Bradt Travel Guides S.)  -   Paul Brummell
Turkmenistan is one of the few countries of any size left on the globe which is not the subject of a dedicated travel guide in English. Yet, lying as it does at the heart of the Silk Road route, it is a historically and culturally rich land; and travellers can gain insight into the heritage with the clear itineraries supplied of the major archaeological sites of Merv and Konye Urgench and coverage of Turkmen pilgrimage shrines. For travellers looking to explore further afield, this guide spans the whole country comprehensively, including little-known sites such as the Yangakala canyon and the flaming crater at Darvaza. Turkmenistan is currently one of the safest countries in the Central Asia region, particularly where personal safety is concerned.
Paperback: 264 pages; Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 1 edition (21 Nov 2005); ISBN-10: 1841621447; ISBN-13: 978-1841621449.

Transport / How do I travel to Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan has borders with Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and has a coastline on the Caspian Sea.

International connections to London and Birmingham [ about 7 hours ]
Ashgabat is also served by Lufthansa from Frankfurt/Main.

  Ashgabat Airport [ASB], about 13km (8 miles) northwest of the city.

 
Book cheap flights to Turkmensitan at ebookers and benefit from discounted airfares.

  Airline Tickets /  Bargain Flights  
Flight tickets Turkmenistan / Price comparison possible

  Turkmenistan Airlines
Regular flights between Ashgabat, Mary, Turkmenabat, Turkmenbashi, Dashoguz and Chardzhou.

  Trans-Caspian Railway
Connects Turkmenistan with the rest of the Central Asian republics and thence to Moscow and the rest of the CIS. The terminus is in Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea, from where it runs through Ashgabat before it crosses into Uzbekistan near the city of Chardzhou.

  Ferries to Turkmenbashi [ formerly Krasnovodsk ] from Baku in Azerbaijan

  Bus services are available within all the major towns. Modern and comfortable long-distance buses also operate to Dashgouz, Turkmenabashi, Turkmenabat and Mary from Ashgabat.

  Map Turkmenistan  [ Uni Texas   -   Perry-Castañeda Bibliothek   -   Map Collection ]


Links 

  State Committee of Turkmenistan for Tourism and Sport
17 Pushkin Street, 744000 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

  Ashkhabad   -   Capital City of Turkmenistan

  Ahal Welayaty [ Ashgabat ]
  Balkan Welayaty [ Nebitdag ]
  Dashhowuz Welayaty   -   formerly Tashauz
  Lebap Welayaty [ Charjew ]
  Mary Welayaty [ Mary ]

  Atamyrat
  Chardzhou
  Charjew
  Dashoguz
  Gisilarbat
  Kuschka [ border Afghanistan ]
  Mary
  Ancient Merv  [ about one hour by car from the city of Mary ]
For many centuries, Merv was regarded as one of the richest, most highly cultured centers of the Ancient East. Merv comprises a group of sites of ancient towns which arose and perished. Along with Baghdad, Cairo and Damascus, Merv was one of the most inportant capitals of Islam. Its greatest period of glory was during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, when it served as the Eastern capital of the Great Seljuks.
  Nebitdag
  Taschaus [ Border with Uzbekistan ]
  Turkmenabat
  Turkmenbaschi [ Caspian Sea ]

  Annau
The historical site Annau, 12 km to the south-east of Ashgabat, is widely acknowledged as a stopping point along the famous ancient Silk Road. The Great Annau Mosque was built in 1446-1456, and was destroyed by earthquake in 1948. The mosque was unique with its blue mosaic (majoilc) on the facade, which depicted dragons.
  Kunya-urgench
Kunya-Urgench (120 km. from Dashoguz) is the heart of ancient Khorezm. Fortunately, several outstanding architectural monuments have been preserved in Kunya-Urgench (Old Urgench). Visit the mausoleums of Fahrad-din Razi (13th century), Tekesh Khorezmshakh (13th century), Turabek-khanum Kala (14th century), the fortress Ak-Kala & the minaret of the mosque (62m height). It is a brilliant testament of the extraordinary skill of the Urgench school of architecture and construction.
  Nissa
The ruins of Old Nissa are situated near the Bagir Village, about 15 km west of Ashgabat. Old Nissa was the capital of the Parthian Empire, one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Nissa is mentioned in the Zend – Avesta – sacred book of Zoroastrianism. Old Nissa is located on the territory that constitutes the core of the Parthian Empire. It was the land where the Parthian kings started their conquests and turned small Parthia into a huge empire of the ancient world that stretched from the Indus to the Euphrates.
  Sarakhs  -  Akhal Velayat, village of Sarakhs 
The mausoleum of the religious leader Abul-Fazla (1024 A.D.) is located here. This mausoleum is one of the most complete architectural works of art still standing in Turkmenistan.

  High Plains of Krasnowodsk
  Kopet-Dag Mountains
  Sarakamisch Lake [ Border with Uzbekistan
  Wüste Karakum   -   sowohl Sand- als auch Geröllwüstengebiete

  Botanical Garden Aschgabat   -   Collection regional and exotic Gewächse

  Neytralniy Turkmenistan   -   newspaper in Russian

Cuisine



History of Turkmenistan

Independence: 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

  Turkmenistan's History   -   Wikipedia
The territory of Turkmenistan has been populated since ancient times, as armies from one empire to another decamped on their way to more prosperous territories.
Alexander the Great conquered the territory in the 4th century BC. on his way to India. One hundred fifty years later the Parthian Kingdom took control of Turkmenistan, establishing its capital in Nisa, an area now located in the suburbs of the modern-day capital of Ashgabat.
In the 7th century A.D. Arabs conquered this region, bringing with them the Islamic religion and incorporating the Turkmen into Middle Eastern culture. It was around this time that the famous "Silk Road" was established as a major trading route between Asia and Europe...

Historical Dictionary of Turkmenistan  -   Rafis Abazov
Historical Dictionary of Turkmenistan provides a concise overview of the historical development of Turkmenistan. The introduction and chronology provide an overview of the Turkmen history, focusing on the history of the country in the 20th century, political and economic development, ethnic policies, and nation building. This is the first comprehensive reference book on Turkmenistan published in English that provides comprehensive up-to-date details about the contemporary history, economy, and culture. The dictionary consists of approximately 300 entries and is cross-referenced to make sure that it is easy to use by international consultants, NGO activists, policy makers, experienced scholars, or young students interested in a history of Turkmens and Turkmen land. The substantial bibliography helps readers to find materials and resources in specialized subject areas.
Hardcover 344 pages (February 28, 2005);  Publisher: Scarecrow Press;  Language: English;  ISBN: 0810853620

Music, Arts & Culture Turkmenistan, Events

Turkmenistan is the most ethnically homogeneous former Soviet republic in Central Asia. Turkmens, or Turkomans, a Turkic-speaking people with a Sunni Muslim religious heritage, account for 73 per cent of the population. Russians account for about 10 per cent and Uzbeks constitute the third largest ethnic group with 9 per cent. Other ethnic groups include Kazakhs, Tatars, Ukrainians, Azeris, and Armenians.

  Music of Turkmenistan
Important musical traditions in Turkmen music include traveling singers and shamans called bakshy, who act as healers and magicians and sing either a cappella or with instruments such as the two-stringed lute called dutar.

  Culture of Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan: The Music of the Bakhshy  -  Various Artists
Audio CD (December 12, 1995);  Label: Gallo;  ASIN: B00005YH4U


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