Ashgabat
Ashgabat or Asgabat (/ˌɑːʃɡəˈbɑːt/ AHSH-gə-BAHT or /ˈɑːʃɡəbæt/ AHSH-gə-bat; Turkmen: Aşgabat, [ɑʃɢɑˈbɑt]; Persian: عشقآباد, romanized: Ešqābād), formerly named Poltoratsk (Russian: Полтора́цк, IPA: [pəltɐˈratsk]) between 1919 and 1927, is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, near the Iran-Turkmenistan border. The city has a population of 1,030,063 (2022 census).
Ashgabat
Aşgabat | |
|---|---|
Neutrality Road, Gypjak Mosque, Abadanchylyk Square, Independence Park, Suburbs, Urban highways | |
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Seal Logo | |
| Coordinates: 37°56′15″N 58°22′48″E | |
| Country | Turkmenistan |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Presidential |
| • Mayor | Rahym Nurgeldiyewic Gandymow (since 9 June 2021) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 470 km2 (180 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 273 m (896 ft) |
| Population (2022 census) | |
| • Total | 1,030,063 |
| • Density | 2,200/km2 (5,700/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+05:00 (not observed) |
| Postal code | 744000–744040 |
| Area code | (+993) 12 |
| Vehicle registration | AG |
| Website | ashgabat.gov.tm |
The city was founded in 1881 on the basis of an Ahal Teke tribal village, and made the capital of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924. Much of the city was destroyed by the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, but has since been extensively rebuilt under the rule of Saparmurat Niyazov's "White City" urban renewal project, resulting in monumental projects sheathed in costly white marble. The Soviet-era Karakum Canal runs through the city, carrying waters from the Amu Darya from east to west. Since 2019, the city has been recognized as having one of the highest costs of living in the world largely due to Turkmenistan's inflation and import issues.