ACityIndependent states
Ashgabat
The capital of Turkmenistan, a "white marble city" between the Karakum desert and the Kopet Dag, with about a million people.
Ashgabat was founded in 1881 on the site of an Akhal-Teke Turkmen village and became capital of the Turkmen SSR in 1924. The 2022 census counted 1,030,063 inhabitants, and the city lies only 50 km from the Iranian border.
The terrible 1948 earthquake destroyed almost the whole city. After independence it was rebuilt with white-marble-clad buildings, broad avenues and fountains, and in 2013 entered Guinness World Records for the highest density of white marble buildings.
The Karakum Canal, carrying Amu Darya water west, runs through the city; the Independence Monument, the Carpet Museum and the nearby ruins of ancient Nisa are among its sights.
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Updated: October 3, 2026