Location: Ashgabat
Top Things to do in Ashgabat
Top 5 Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Ashgabat, Ahal Province
Nestled between the Kopet Dag range and the Kara Kum desert, Ashgabat is a flat, sometimes dusty city twinkling with unique architecture. As a marker of Turkmenistan's official neutrality, the city's most recognizable monument, the Neutrality Arch, rotates during the daylight hours, facing the sun throughout the entire day. The city is home to many mosques and markets, as well as important museums, including one memorializing the 1948 earthquake that decimated the population.
Restaurants in Ashgabat
1. Ertugrul Gazi Mosque
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 48 reviews
Reviewed By 576RobertC576 - Redlands, United States
Our guide took us here after spending a good deal of time in the eerily empty White City. Here we found some normalcy. People coming for prayers. The mosque is beautiful. The striped columns are reminiscent of the mosque Cordoba, Spain and it does look much like the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. This was my favorite spot in Ashgabat.
2. Turkmen Carpet Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 89 reviews
Reviewed By 741marshaa - Vienna, United States
Turkmenistan is known for its amazing carpets and a tour of the museum shows you why. The carpets are beautiful. I suggest taking the tour as the guide explains the different styles and how the carpets are made. According to Guinness book of world records, the largest carpet in the world is hanging in the museum. The guide was really knowledgeable and after the tour showed me how to wear the married ladies hat and scarf. She did do because I expressed an interest and it was fun. Photos are allowed only in certain areas of the museum.
3. Turkmen Museum of Fine Arts
4. Geokdepe
5. Ashgabat National Museum of History
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 114 reviews
Reviewed By kiwinagaz - Canberra, Australia
We thoroughly recommend a trip to this museum for anyone spending some time in Ashgabat. The building itself features an impressive interior, but also has a well presented run down of Turkmenistan’s history (from Stone Age through to the current day). These are broken down into easily digested sections. It also has a small collection of carpets on display. The English guides are good, and we went through the collection over an hour or two at a comfortable pace. Be warned, photography is prohibited unless you pay a comparatively steep camera ticket.
