The most surreal country on Earth — Ashgabat's all-white marble city with a golden rotating statue of the president, ancient Merv's Silk Road ruins, and the Darvaza Gas Crater burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.
- Capital
- Ashgabat
- Population
- 7,057,841
- Area
- 488,100 km²
- Languages
- Russian, Turkmen
- Currency
- Turkmenistan New Manat (TMT)
- GDP
- $89,054M
Good to know
Driving side
Right
National dish
Palaw
Annual visitors
380,000 (1998)
Safety
Low (1.01/100k)
Avg temp
16.7°C
Religion
Islam
Coast
Landlocked
☎ Police 02 · Ambulance 03 · Fire 01
Travel guide
Turkmenistan (Turkmen: Türkmenistan) is one of the most isolated countries in the world and is dubbed as the "motherland of neutrality". Formerly a part of the Soviet Union, it is situated in Central Asia and is surrounded by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. The country has been a thoroughfare for several empires and cultures; many of Turkmenistan's cities were main points of trade on the Silk Road, linking Eastern and Western civilizations. Three of its cities are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Modern Turkmenistan is dominated and run by a very strict, controlling, and totalitarian government that maintains a very tight grip over its people. Turkmenistan's past and current presidents have imposed their eccentricities and bizarre beliefs – for instance, banning dogs from the capital city, banning black cars because they are "bad luck", closing hospitals outside the capital city, and so on – upon the country and are usually treated, at least publicly, as "gods" in Turkmen culture. Tourists may only travel to Turkmenistan as part of a guided tour. About 10,000 to 20,000 people visit this mysterious, isolated nation annually.
© Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)
Explore Turkmenistan
Best time to visit
April–June and September–October are the best periods. Summer in the Karakum Desert reaches 50°C. The Darvaza Gas Crater is most dramatic in cold, dark nights — visit October–March for the best effect.
Visa
Turkmenistan has one of the world's most restrictive visa policies. Most nationalities require a Letter of Invitation from a registered Turkmen tour operator before a visa is issued. Independent travel is essentially impossible.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (5)
Book your trip to Turkmenistan
We may earn a commission when you book through these links.