 Road sign for Ashgabat Airport and the City Center |
 Impressive fountain at the airport roundabout gives first time visitors a glimpse of what is to come |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Try not to get killed crossing the busy street |
 Turkmenistan flag, Airport Roundabout |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 No labels identifying the historical figures |
 Central mounted figure of the Airport Roundabout |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Archer, Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Archer, Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Ashgabat Airport Roundabout Fountain |
 Grand Turkmen Hotel, Ashgabat |
 Grand Turkmen Hotel, Ashgabat |
 The pool of the Grand Turkmen Hotel |
 Central Ashgabat from the Grand Turkmen Hotel |
 Central Ashgabat from the Grand Turkmen Hotel |
 Central Ashgabat from the Grand Turkmen Hotel |
 Panoramic view from my balcony at the Grand Turkmen Hotel |
 Three gold domes of the Presidential Administration of Turkmenistan |
 Blue domes of Ruyıet Palace, Ashgabat |
 Presidential Palace of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat |
 Billboard with the statues from the Airport Roundabout in front of the historic sites of Turkmenistan |
 No golden statues of the 2nd President, but lots of portraits |
 Türkmenbaşy şayoli, Aşgabat |
 Soviet War Memorial, Victory Square |
 Neutrality Square, Ashgabat |
 Hotel Nissa (Nusaı Myhmanhanasy) Neutrality Square, Ashgabat |
 Türkmenistanyň Goranmak Ministrligi, Neutrality Square, Aşgabat |
 Statue in front of the Ministry of Defence |
 "Ruhnama" Orta Mekdebi - shaped like an open book |
 On the other side of the street from the Ruhnama Center |
 Yimpaş Shopping Center, Ashgabat - Turkish mall with supposedly good internet access |
 Saparmurat Turkmenbashy Olympic Stadium of Turkmenistan |
 Grand plans for the new sports city in the center of Ashgabat |
 Ruhuňyz Belent Bolsun! - a round building in Ashgabat |
 Garagum Bank, Ashgabat |
 Most of the new buildings are covered in marble |
 Marble-clad apartment along the west side of Independence Park |
 Independence Park West, Ashgabat |
 Nice on the outside at least |
 Upscale residential apartments overlooking Independence Park |
 Upscale residential apartments overlooking Independence Park |
 Upscale residential apartments overlooking Independence Park |
 Highway sign in Ashgabat |
 Building at the southwest corner of Indepndence Park |
 Building at the southwest corner of Indepndence Park |
 We'll drive to Mary tomorrow |
 The Ministry of Health |
 Türkmenistanyň Döwlet Lukmançylyk Uniweritet |
 Oncology Center, Ashgabat - Onkologiıa Merkezi |
 Archabil Freeway through the Berzengi District, Ashgabat |
 Gara Altyn Hotel - one of many small hotels along the main road through the new Berzengi district |
 Ahal Hotel, another hotel along the Berzengi strip - opposite US Embassy |
 Turkish Embassy, Ashgabat |
 Flag of Turkmenistan |
 Another row of new apartment buildings along a wide boulevard |
 Boulevard leading from the National Museum to the Presidential Palace |
 On an Ashgabat apartment - Ruhnama Bitewillik Kitabydyr |
 Ashgabat - Gülle Diıar |
 Ashgabat - the White City |
 Ashgabat |
 Crossing the new "river" of Ashgabat |
 Türkmen Döwlet Gurjak Teatry - Turkmen State Puppet Theater |
 Türkmenhaly |
 Dokma Senagaty Ministrligi - Ministry of Carpets |
 Türkmen Atlary |
 Türkmen Atlary - Ministry of Horses |
 The Ministry of Horses, Ashgabat |
 Oguzkent Hotel, Ashgabat |
 Oguzkent Hotel, Ashgabat |
 Oguzkent Oteli - the best hotel in Ashgabat |
 Oguzkent Hotel, Ashgabat |
 Ministry of Telecommunications |
 Turkmenistan Ministry of Telecommunications, Ashgabat |
 Daıhan Bank, Ashgabat |
 Ten Years of Independence Monument - i.e. Ten-Horses Square |
 The 10 Horses represent 10 Years of Independence for Turkmenistan |
 Ten Years of Independence Monument |
 Ahal Teke Atlary - the horse of Turkmenistan |
 Ten-Horses Square, Ashgabat |
 Ten Years of Independence Monument |
 New apartments of the White City |
 Ten Years of Independence Monument |
 Ten Years of Independence Monument |
 Monument to the Ahal Teke horses |
 Majestic Ahal Teke horse, Turkmenistan |
 Ten Years of Independence Monument |
 Fountain at 10-Horses-Square |
 The First and Second Presidents of Turkmenistan face off |
 Golden statue of Turkmenbashy |
 Turkmenbashy statue at the Ten Years of Independence Monument |
 President-for-Life Niyazov |
 Ten Years of Independence Monument |
 Türkmenistanyň Döwlet Gurjak Teatry - National Puppet Theater |
 Türkmenistanyň Baş Döwlet Salgyt Gullugy |
 Marble apartment building, Ashgabat |
 Heading back towards the National Museum |
 Türkmenistanyň Söwda Toplumy - Chamber of Commerce |
 Hotel - Prezident Myhmanhanasy |
 Turnoff for Ashgabat Airport |
 The Arch of Neutrality under reconstruction in a new location on the far edge of Ashgabat |
 Türkmenistanyň Aragatnaşk Ministrligi |
 The Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan |
 The Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan |
 The Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan with the new TV Towe |
 Globe atop the Foreign Ministry in Ashgabat |
 The Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan |
 The location of Turkmenistan highlighted in gold |
 The impressive Wedding Palace, Ashgabat |
 Ashgabat's next great monument under construction |
 Aşgabat Şäherinde Medeni Dynç - Alyş Merkezi |
 Distances from Ashgabat to cities in western Turkmenistan |
 Iranian Mosque, Görogly köçesi |
 Archabil Freeway, Ashgabat |
 Returning along the Archabil Freeway past the Foreign Ministry |
 Türkmenistanyň Aragatnaşk Ministrligi |
 The Arch of Neutrality under reconstruction |
 The Arch of Neutrality banished from the city center |
 Ministry of Health, Ashgabat |
 Türkmenistanyň Döwlet Lukmançylyk Uniweritet |
 The National Library at the Turkmenbashy Cultural Center |
 Independence Park West |
 Soviet-era apartment building, Ashgabat |
 Soviet-era apartment blocks, Ashgabat |
 Soviet-era buildings with mosaics getting a cleanup |
 Soviet-era Ashgabat |
 Mosaic on a building in central Ashgabat |
 Soviet-era mosaic on a building in central Ashgabat |
 Passing through Neutrality Square again |
 Monument at Neutrality Square |
 Turkmenistan State University, Ashgabat |
 Magtymguly Adynkady Türkmen Döwlet Uniwersiteti |
 Turkmenistan State University - Faculty of Physics and Mathematics |
 Türkmenistanyň Ylymlar Akademiıasynyň Arheologiıa We Etnografiıa Instituty |
 Miras Bookshop with offerings on Turkmenistan |
 Picture book with the Second President at the state bookstore, Ashgabat |
 Old Town Ashgabat |
 Old Town Ashgabat |
 Wokzal - Ashgabat Railway Station |
 Türkmenistan National Drama Theatre, Aşgabat |
 Lenin perched atop a dias made in the style of Turkmen carpets |
 Lenin Square, Ashgabat |
 Lenin Square, Ashgabat |
 The only remaining statue of Lenin in Ashgabat |
 Lenin Square is tucked away behind the Magtymguly Dramatic Theater |
 Lenin Square, Ashgabat |
 V.I. Lenin 1870-1924 |
 Tiles in the style of Turkmen carpets - Lenin Square |
 Lenin Square, Ashgabat |
 The leader of the workers and farmers of Turkmenistan |
 Leninism - the path towards the emancipation of the peoples of the East |
 Mekan Palace, early 1970's Soviet architecture |
 Türkmenistanyň Syıasy Resminamalarynyň Merkezi Döwlet Arhiwi |
 Mekan Palace - Central State Archives of Turkmenistan in a |
 Reliefs by Ernst Neisvestniy |
 Mekan Palace, Ashgabat |
 Work of Russian sculptor Ernst Neisvestniy, Mekan Palace, Ashgabat |
 Work of Russian sculptor Ernst Neisvestniy in the 1970s |
 Lenin Statue, Ashgabat |
 Lenin Statue, Ashgabat |
 Türkmenistanyň Beıik Saramyrat Türkmenbaşy Adyndaky Baş Drama Teatry |
 Turkmenbasy Drama Theater, Ashgabat |
 Türkmenistanyň Döwlet Serhet Gullugy |
 Fly Turkmenistan Airlines from Europe to Amritsar via Ashgabat |
 Ashgabat - the White City |
 Medium-rise architecture, Ashgabat |
 Topiary jet on airport road, Ashgabat |
 Kamaz, Ashgabat |
 Halk We Prezident Bitewidir |
 Soviet-era mosaics, Ashgabat |
 Cinema - Aşgabat Kinokeatry |
 Turkmenistan license plate (yellow) |
 I didn't plan on buying a carpet so early in the trip, but Ashgabat is a great place to do so |