Kipchak Grand Mosque - Türkmenbaşyň Ruhy Metjidi

The Kipchak Grand Mosque, on a flat open plain west of Ashgabat	The Kipchak Grand Mosque is also known as the Türkmenbaşyň Ruhy Metjidi	The mosque was built on the site where President Niyazov's mother was killed during the devastating earthquake of 1948	The Kipchak Grand Mosque was completed in 2001
Workers on the roof polishing the dome of the Kipchak Grand Mosque	...not real gold apparently...	The four minarets are each 91m tall - Turkmenistan achieved independence in 1991	Square in front of the Turkmenbashy Ruhy Metjidi
Kipchak Grand Mosque	Fountains in front of the Turkmenbashy Ruhy Metjidi	Fountains in front of the Turkmenbashy Ruhy Metjidi	Approaching the Türkmenbashi Ruhy Metjidi
Octagonal dome and minaret	Turkmenbashy Ruhy Metjidi - Allanyň Öŭi Her Bir Türkmen Bendesine Açykdyr	Ruhnama Mukaddes Kitapdyr - Gurhan Allanyň Kitaby	Rathern than Koranic inscriptions, quotes from the Ruhnama
Gallery surrounding the 8-sided mosque	Inscription at the Kipchak Grand Mosque	Gate and minaret, Kipchak Grand Mosque	All over the inside and outside of the mosque are quotes from President Niyazov's book, the Ruhnama, rather than the Koran
Entrance to the Prayer Hall	Unfortunately no photos inside	Detail of the door	Arcade around the main prayer hall, Kipchak Grand Mosque
Kipchak Grand Mosque	Another door to the 8-sided prayer hall	Detail of the door to the Kipchak Grand Mosque	One of the four 91m minarets
"The Ruhnama is a Holy Book. The Koran is Allah's Book"	Quotes from the Ruhnama - surely sacrilege	Marble-clad minaret with quotes from the Ruhnama	The Mausoleum of Türkmenbashy through one of the archways of the Grand Mosque
The guards annoying prevented me, the only visitor, from circling around to the other side of the mosque for better lighting	The Mausoleum of Türkmenbashy	President Niyzov is buried next to Kipchak Mosque with his mother and brothers who were killed in the 1948 earthquake	Türkmenbashy died in December 2006
Surprisingly, Türkmenbashy didn't have himself encased in glass in the style of his role model Kim Il Sung	See Inside the Mausoleum	Wedding party on the move	Car decorated for a Turkmen wedding
Golden statue of President Niyazov	Turkmenbashy statue in a park near the Kipchak Mosque	In the tradition of wedding parties all over the former USSR, newlyweds travel around the city for photos at the monuments	Amazing thickly veiled Turkmen bridal dress
Turkmenistan wedding party	A second bride and groom arrive for photos	Turkmenistan wedding photo	President Niyazov aka Türkmenbashy, the Leader of all Türkmen