Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a mysterious country with a romantic atmosphere and bustling nightlife. For hundreds of years, it served as the playground of empires and kings, and it is a window onto historical periods starting from Alexander the Great through Genghis Khan and the Russian Empire, due to the country’s important role as a passage area in Central Asia.
Turkmenistan is the second largest country in Central Asia. Most of its territory is the Karakum – the Black Desert, a vast desert containing caves, oases, ancient remnants, and hundreds of thousands of years of culture, as well as nomads living in harsh climate conditions which change drastically from day to night, and from summer to winter,
Turkmenistan is home to the Kugitant Nature Reserve, with the country’s highest peak – Air Baba. In Kugitant you can hike through the canyons, forests, and caves, and see remnants of a Megalosaurus dinosaur’s footsteps, which remain fossilized in the bottom of a dried lake.
Ashgabat
Ashgabat is the white ivory city of Turkmenistan. Legend has it that the origin of the city’s name are the word "Ashg”, meaning “love”,
Best season to visit:
Turkmenistan is the hottest country in Central Asia.
The best time to visit Turkmenistan is in spring – between April to June, or in autumn – from September to the beginning of November. We recommend avoiding a visit during July and August, when the temperatures reach 50 degrees Celsius, as well as between December to March – since winters are harsh in the north and even harsher in the south.
Independence: Turkmenistan was previously part of the Soviet Union until it won its independence on October 27, 1991
Capital: Ashgabat
Currency: Manat
Coordinated universal time: UTC + 5
International dialing code: +993
Neighboring countries:
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the north
Tajikistan to the east
Afghanistan and Iran to the south
The Caspian Sea – to the west
Major languages:
Turkmen
Russian
Uzbek
Religions:
Sunni Islam: 89%
Orthodox Christianity: 9%
Other religions: 3%