Fun things to do in Turkmenistan

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Salyr (Salor).

Many of the Salyr (Salyrth) people from the are of central asia around Samarkand and Bukara is moved eastward , eventually settling in Western China. I know all this central Asian people and their movement are very confusing. Their language has an Oghuz Turkic base and in China these folks are the Salor. But they make some wonderful carpets and are such nice folks.

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Teke (Tekke) style Gul

The Teke were the dominant southern Turkmen tribe when the Russians came into this part of central Asia and are still the folks the VTer runs into visiting Ancient Merv or Mary south east of Ashgabat. Very proud People with their name forever associated with the famous Akhal-Teke a horse that is thought to have descended from an ancient Scythian type. The Tekes of Turkmenistan were a nomadic people who are direct descendent of the ancient Scythians People.

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The Five type of carpet patters from the five areas.

The Yomut (Yomud) in this picture made by the people just like the man in the intro. This Yomud is typical for the group. It has fantastic all vegetable dyes of very individualistic hues. The background is a rich light red plum color. I got this one from a small village marget and was told that a Turkmen girl produce one as a dowry weavings for her marriage. It was sold to me by the grand dauther of the maker

This Carpet in the national museum is from 400 BC and is the oldest Turkmen -- beautiful would you not say.

Carpet Museum

This museum has a large, impressive collection of antique carpets and also the largest Turkmen carpet in the world. The director: Tuvakbibi Kurbanovna Durdyeva is very helpful in explaining all about carpets.

This 12th century Mausoleum is one of the most beautiful structures around Merv, the best restored anyway.

Not only the building but also it's surroundings are really attractive. Mystical bush and trees where camels wander around.

The caretaker is a very frienly old mullah who's living there in a mystical cave like room.

Turkmenbashi City (former Krasnovodsk), is beautifully situated on the Caspian Sea shore, but, although the atmosphere is relaxed, there's nothing of much interest to a traveller besides being the port to/from Azerbaijan.

After I arrived from Ashgabat by plane (which cost me $1,80/1 hour), I decided to go for the most pleasant thing to do -according to LP- and tried to hike up the mountains behind town for spectacular views over town and the Caspian. Scrambling on the scree slopes I encountered 4 agressive dogs and while I tried to hit one of them I fell and hurt my lower arm badly. the wounds were so dirty and bleeding so badly that I had to go down.

I decided to relax a bit on the beach for the rest of the day but there was no shade and the sun burned intensely. I ended up sleeping on a kind of covered stage at a deserted playground.

The most memorable was that evening when Mr. President himself showed up at a festivity amidst of thousand schoolchildren waving with his portrait and the Turkmen flag. But he actually didn't come out of he car in public so I couldn't question him ;-).

After a sleepless night in the filthiest -insectwise- and noisiest hotel (*) I had been so far, the only thing I wanted was to leave, so I booked a ticket on the train to Mary (which cost me $1,10/28 hours) later that day, close to the ancient town of Merv -that I wanted to visit.

(*) Hotel Turkmenbashi ($3/night).
Tip: I met a traveler who managed to bargain down the luxurious sea shore Hotel Tolkun from $80, - to $9 a night!

In Ashgabat we found the Psychiatric Institute mentioned in the LP for possibly cheap accommodation ($5/bed) and were friendly welcomed with melon and tea.

Besides some patients also some friendly Iranian traders were guest here with their families. Unfortunately I got a bad fever that evening, which lasted for 3 horrible days while my friends had already left for Iran.

I visited the Arch of Neutrality, the 75m high tripod with the 12m high rotating golden statue of President Mr. Niyazov on top. Boots creep up one leg to a cheap bar and from there elevators bring you to the top for grand views over Ashgabat, including the golden domes of Mr. Nyazov's palace.

Then there's the -reputedly- world's biggest fountain, and that in a country that is 90% desert!! A extravagant 5-star hotel strip waits already half a decade for the wealthy oil barons to come.

I went to Ayan Travel to do have my police registration done and found internet connection at the friendly American Institute.

With one of the students of the Institute I walked around town to see some monuments, palaces and bazaars, but there was not much in the city that really attracted me. Walking around is the highlight itself.

Ashgabat is one of the strangest capitals I've ever visited and maybe that's it's main attraction...

After 28 sweaty hours in the train I arrived in early evening in Mary, close the ancient cities of Merv..

It took an hour before I found a room -terribly overpriced ($12) and again one plagued by insects- and when I wanted to eat there was nothing else to find than a watermelon. That evening I watched TV with the servant, browsing through the 3 channels. The president starred in each of them. We chose the one in which some girls were dancing nicely for him.

Anyway, next day I hired a Lada taxi for the morning (about $10/4 hrs.) and set off for Merv, that used to be the 2nd most important centre of the Islamic world after Baghdad in the 12th century. We asked around but apparently we asked something strange, nobody seemed to know where it was.

After an hour of driving through sandy steppes with grazing camels, the driver stopped the car and told me "this is it". We stepped out of the car and I saw a big, earthen and ruined circular wall, a bit overgrown. We scrambled over it and we found here and there some pieces of stone, including some fortress like structures. Nice, but...is this all, I wondered?