Ashgabat - Night

Sunset from the Paytagt Tower, Ashgabat	Sunset from the Paytagt Tower, Ashgabat	The lights of Ashgabat start to come on	Independence Park and Andaliba Street at dusk
Ashgabat's Independence Park at night	Five-Legged Fountain at the north end of Independence Park	The northern end of Independence Park at night	New district of Ashgabat at night
The Peytagt Shopping Center's changing colored lights	Peytagt Tower and Shopping Center in red	Peytagt Tower and Shopping Center, Ashgabat	Prestigious address - Andiliba Avenue along the eastern edge of Independence Park
Turkmenistan flag adorning an Ashgabat bus stop	Five-Legged Fountain at night, Independence Park	Colorful fountains surround nearly the entire perimeter of Independence Park	Independence Park is a good place for an evening stroll
Dancing fountain, Independence Park	Dancing blue fountain	Independence Park fountain bathed in blue	A golden bust of Turkmenbashy, Independence Park
A golden bust of Turkmenbashy, Independence Park	Independence Park fountain bathed in blue	The colors of the fountains in Independence Park change	Here, from green to red
Independence Park at night	The southeast corner of Independence Park, Ashgabat	The southeast corner of Independence Park, Ashgabat	Turkmenistan Independence Monument at night
The Great Turkmenbashy Cultural Center at night	The Great Turkmenbashy Cultural Center at night	The Great Turkmenbashy Cultural Center at night	Gateway to the Turkmenistan Cultural Center at night
UZTM11 2805.jpg	Marble-clad apartment blocks along Independence Park	The Independence Monument also changes colors	Ashgabat Independence Monument
Ashgabat Independence Monument at night	Ashgabat Independence Monument	It's worth visiting the Independence Monument by day and night	Muhammet Togrulbeg Türkmen (993-1063)
Muhammet Togrulbeg Türkmen (993-1063)	Gara İusup Beg Türkmen (15th C.)	Gara İusup Beg Türkmen (15th C.)	Gorkut Ata Türkmen (6th C.)
The Turkmenistan Independence Monument at night	Colorful fountains around the Independence Monument	The Turkmenistan Independence Monument at night	Ärtogrul Gazy Türkmen (1191-1281)
They really should sell miniatures of these statues in the shops	Ärtogrul Gazy Türkmen (1191-1281)	Alp Arslan Türkmen (r. 1063-1072) and Mälik Şa Türkmen (1072-1092)	Soltan Sanjar Türkmen (1086-1157)
Soltan Sanjar Türkmen (1086-1157)	Oguz Han Türkmen	The bored guards have nothing better to do than say that you can't pass and have to go back the way you came	I much prefer these sentries to the guards policing the monument
Turkmenistan Independence Monument	Turkmenistan Independence Monument at night	Marble-clad apartment blocks lit up at night behind the dark central portion of Independence Park	Ashgabat apartments at night
Ashgabat apartments at night	Turkmen spearman statue	The guards made me walk all around the edge of the park to get from the plunger to T'bashy...score one for them...wow, the power	Türkmenbashy statue with the Independence Monument
The North Koreans would not be amused	President Niyazov decided Ashgabat needed a river so he had one built	Ruhnama Monument at night, Ashgabat	Relief with the now relocated Arch of Neutrality
Relief of the sights of Ashgabat at the base of the Ruhnama Monument	Relief of the sights of Ashgabat at the base of the Ruhnama Monument	Apartments on the west side of Independence Park	I missed the 8 pm performance where the book opens and a passage is read out
Ruhnama Monument	Independence Park at night, Ashgabat	Ruhnama - The Book of the Soul - was published in 2001	I managed to catch a bus from the park to Turkmenistan State University in the older part of Ashgabat
Soviet War Memorial, Victory Square	Soviet War Memorial, Victory Square - Ashgabat	Gold dome in central Ashgabat at night	The Earthquake Memorial commemorating the 1948 tremor
The Earthquake Monument - under renovation	The Presidential Palace of Turkmenistan	Building near the former site of the Arch of Neutrality	Golden bust of President Niyazov
Grand Turkmen Hotel	Grand Night Club at the Grand Turkmen Hotel	Window shopping for carpets along Sheychenko köçesi	Cinema - Watan Kinokonsert Merkezi
View from the Grand Turkmen Hotel at night, Ashgabat	Three gold domes of the Turkmenistan Presidential Administration