Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

[Karachi]

whats with the buildings in this city? are they really rich?

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan - YouTube

[Tjanaparh]

The country is rich, but people are treated badly. The presidents made idols of themselves, the first president was madee up to a kind of deity. He even called days of the week with names of his relatives. It became a quiet closed country.

[Karachi]

^ you are right, just look at the google images of the statues: https://www.google.ca/search?q=turkm...w=1440&bih=728


makes you wonder why are these so called muslim leaders so far away from real Islam, what makes them do this? it's only their ego and status they worship

[Tjanaparh]

I have a bit of knowledge on Turkmenistans past years, as I have been related in different way to that country and met some of important people of that country. It is for sure not a country very related to Islam, more was the presidents approach to glorify Turkmens people past in a crazy way. I am for instance for that that people respect and learn their histoty, but not in such a false way. He kept away russian influence in every way, still he is the only who remained a kind of soviet creature. For sure the life in Turkmenistan is economically better than in neighbouring countries, but calculate on which price? and how could life be there without expenses on leader cult, without destroying water ecology of central aisia and without building hotels for rich Arabs, who come to Turkmenistan to have fun.
What makes them do this?

In my opinion two things:
1) Leader cult, unfortunately very spread among different Turkic nations of central asia and not only.
2) Remains of materialism and social structure of communist era.


You should know that the first turkmen president was also turkmen leader during soviet time!

[Tjanaparh]

But Turkmens are quiet simple people generally, so they simply were used. Also to many foreign interests do not let Turkmenistan change. Who even talks today about that country?

[Kushan Prince]

I always wanted to go to Samarkand in Uzbekistan. It has a lot of rich history and I hear the people are really nice to foreigners.

[Tjanaparh]

I always wanted to go to Samarkand in Uzbekistan. It has a lot of rich history and I hear the people are really nice to foreigners.

I think every of those countries is worth to be seen. In Tajikistan nice to is is all the Pamir region and historic sites like Panjikend. In Turkmenistan there is Marv and Nisa, Badhyz reserve. In uzbekistan you have pearls like Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. In Kyrghyzstan Osh and Issyk Kul lake. And in Kazakhstan there is faboulous nature...

[Kushan Prince]

I think every of those countries is worth to be seen. In Tajikistan nice to is is all the Pamir region and historic sites like Panjikend. In Turkmenistan there is Marv and Nisa, Badhyz reserve. In uzbekistan you have pearls like Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. In Kyrghyzstan Osh and Issyk Kul lake. And in Kazakhstan there is faboulous nature...

True. All countries share their own space of history and have something worth of visiting. It is good to travel and learn about other countries and their culture.

[ufo973]

Central Asia has very beautiful and historic countries with most hospitable people on earth. But unfortunately they have been slaves of foreign politics for a very long time. Other wise there should have been close social, economical ties between these countries with a very regular tourism between nationals of these countries. we share lots of things in common.

[randolph85]

it is a potentially very rich country if it can continue to find life lines for its natural gas. this is all politics that is played outside of turkmenistan, its a chess game between regional and world powers.

these former soviet republics turned to ethnic nationalism after the fall of the soviet union to compensate for the loss of a unified communist identity and turkmenistan took it to an extreme. their large and expensive masjids are probably empty and were only built out of prestige.