Thursday, April 24th.
Given the glitz of the Sports Hotel the breakfast buffet was very disappointing. Today, we embarked on a comprehensive journey through the heart of the city Ashgabat, immersing ourselves in the city's rich history, culture, and architectural marvels. Our day began with a visit to the monument to the victims of the 7.3 earthquake that struck the city on October 6, 1948 in the middle of the night and leveled the city killing up to 100,000 people, two thirds of the citizens. Right beside that was the Monument to the victims of WWII. We got there just as they were changing the two guards who stand in the sun and heat (50+ during summer) in two hour shifts honouring the dead. Next we drove out of the city to the ancient site of the Parthian capital Nissa. This UNESCO World Heritage site offers a glimpse into the region's rich history, with ruins of palaces, temples, and fortifications. Because they were made mostly of mud and mudbrick the site today mainly consists of the foundations and a few walls. Our guide Elias helped to bring to life the history and vibrancy of the ancient civilizations that once thrived in this region. For example he explained how the Parthians were the eastern neighbours of the Romans and defeated them in battle as the Roman legions were attacked by the nomadic Parthians on horseback, which were obviously much more mobile and difficult to attack. From this site we could see the Health Way, an 8km hike that the president dictated all his government men needed to hike once a month while in government service. He also mandated that all government members need to cycle the longest road in Ashgabat on the last day of May each year. He also made it illegal to smoke anywhere. He also dictated that the roofs of the homes of ordinary people should be green if they are loyal citizens of Turkmenistan; green is the colour of their flag. Next, we visited the Spiritual Mosque of the Turkmenbashi. It is a grand Islamic complex dedicated to the memory of the country’s first president, Saparmyrat Niyazov. It was built between 2002 and 2004 by a French company. The mosque's impressive architecture, combined with its serene atmosphere, offers a peaceful respite from the bustling city. Beside the mosque is the beautiful Mausoleum of the first President and his family; he lost two brothers and his mother in the earthquake when he was only 8, his father died young too. Then we delved into the world of Turkmen textile artistry at the Carpet Museum. We had a guided tour which revealed the incredible craftsmanship and intricate designs of traditional Turkmen carpets. From the bold geometric patterns to the delicate floral motifs, these carpets are a testament to the country's rich cultural heritage. Our guide told us that the carpets tell a story and if you know what to look for you can ‘read’ the carpet. They are truly works of art. There we saw the carpet that the Guiness Book of Records recognizes as the largest carpet at 300 square metres with a weight of two tons, and which took 38 women 6 months to create in 2000. There were carpets of different ages, styles and colours. She explained the spinning of the wool, the development of the dying process and the evolution of the styles over the decades. We saw a carpet with over 1.2 million knots per square metre, which makes it virtually waterproof. Ashgabat is the White City. The president has dictated that all buildings are to be white and covered in white Italian marble. All cars are to be white and are mostly late models of Toyota, Hyundai and a locally built Chevrolet. The only people allowed to have coloured cars are foreign diplomats. Only people who were born in Ashgabat are allowed to live in Ashgabat and licences on cars tell what region of the country you are from. Our guide Elias is not allowed to drive his Opel into the city because it’s not white and he lives in Merv. We went on an orientation tour of the capital to have a better look at the architectural beauty of Ashgabat. We were amazed at the city's wide boulevards, modern skyscrapers, and historic landmarks. From the towering Independence Monument to the elegant government buildings, Ashgabat's architecture showcases a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary styles, but curiously there are few people around and not much traffic either. For lunch we visited the Russian Bazaar. It is a bustling marketplace where we found a diverse range of goods, from local handicrafts to fresh produce. As we wandered through the colourful stalls, we had the opportunity to interact with friendly vendors and Elias arranged for us to be given a sample of black caviar. We ate in a local fast food restaurant there. Then we went to the National Museum of History and Ethnography. This is a large four storey building. We were the only people there. We were given a guided tour by a young woman who walked us through the history of people migrating out of Africa and into central Asia using many displays and artifacts and the history of the various tribes and religions that evolved over time. She spoke English well but her favourite expression was ‘pay attention to’ whichever display she was talking about. Just before we were about to leave the museum we saw a group of locals dressed in traditional clothing and carrying the local traditional two stringed guitar. We stood and listened as one young woman played a long piece for us on the instrument and sang. She had a great voice. The song apparently was about the angst a young wife has when the husband she loves decides to take a second wife. Then we went out of the city to a horse farm where we were introduced to the famed Akhal-Teke horses, which are golden coloured, have long legs which often have black stockings. They are a breed that has long been a source of pride for the Turkmen people. We watched as they led several out for us to see including a mare with a three week old colt. They had several that were long distance racing champions. Then it was back to the hotel to take an hour long break. John and I decided to make use of the pool. As we only had one keycard and we couldn’t charge our phones if we took the card out of the light switch, so we deliberately locked ourselves out of the room. The pool was nice and refreshing after a day in the hot sun. Then we went back and told reception that we were locked out, he said he’d send someone up but they didn’t come, so I went back down again and then he gave me a second key card. Finally we went to a restaurant on the 12th floor of another hotel to watch the sunset, which didn’t materialize because it was too cloudy and there was too much dust in the air, but we had dinner and watched the city lights come on turning the White City into Ash-Vegas (as Jordan calls it). We had salads, soup, and a large meat and veggie platter. Elias had bought some caviar at the market and brought some ‘firewater’ vodka, both of which he encouraged us to try. The food was pretty good and I finally felt okay eating, although I’m not crazy about eating so late, 9pm.
What a comprehensive report, Joe. I'm impressed. That picture of the domed building is just stunning and now I'm not surprised that the city is called the "White City." Sounds like the kind of power the Turkmenistan's president has is the kind that would make Donald Trump jealous.
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