Ashgabat, the otherworldly capital of Turkmenistan
Bordering Iran to the west and Uzbekistan to the east is Turkmenistan, one of the least visited and most secretive countries in the world. Obtaining a visa is a notoriously lengthy and unpredictable process to so I felt fortunate to finally get one in advance of my Silk Road journey. After crossing the border from Iran, I arrived in the city of Mary, known in ancient times as Merv. Here I rested a few days before heading to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s otherworldly capital, with my government appointed guide. It is certainly one of the most surreal places I have visited.
As we drove into the city, I was first struck by how bright and clean it was. Almost every building is clad in white marble. The city is blinding in the sunlight. The roads are pristine and the gardens manicured. Vast statues, futuristic monuments, and enormous fountains adorn the city but there is barely a soul there to see them. Guards stand silently to attention but there is no one there to protect the monuments from.
Outside the huge government ministry buildings, not even a smoker is in sight. I look for a trace of life on the balconies of the gleaming monolithic apartment buildings - drying laundry or a plant - but find none. I visit the National Museum for a tour, I am the only visitor.
The country’s symbol of an eight pointed star appears everywhere; elevators, railings, windows, street furniture, paving stones, and billboards. Even some monuments are constructed in the shape of this symbol. It ubiquity borders on the cultish.
We drive along vast eight lane Soviet styled boulevards, often we are the only car on them. Policemen in starched white shirts and pressed green trousers lie in wait for anyone that goes above the 40 kmph speed limit.
At about 4pm the city’s automatic sprinkler system comes on to water the grass. As we drive over ever-so-slightly wet tarmac, my guide slows his car to about 5 kmph . If he doesn’t, he says, he’ll “probably get pulled over for having a dirty car”. I tell him I don't understand. “Yeah, the police will probably stop me to ask why - after the government has paid so much to keep the city clean - is my car dirty…” Perplexed, I leave it there.
