Travel Tuesday Office Travels: Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: An Introduction
I have always had a fascination for the “-stan” countries. Everyone always loves to talk about Russia, since the country as a whole resembles a day-time soap opera as to the level of petty political drama, but everyone seems to forget about these incredibly beautifully and culturally rich countries that were once a part of it all. These countries are now just trying to make it on their own and are trying to explore their own autonomy without their crazy neighbor to the north all up in their business. They are trying to rediscover their own identity after decades of being Russian, which has made many of the “-stan” countries some of the most interesting and inspiring places for off-the-beaten-path travel. Turkmenistan is one of those countries.
Nestled between Eastern Europe and Asia, Turkmenistan has for centuries been quite literally torn between the two continents. The present-day location was once home to one of the great cities of the Islamic world, Merv, which was an important stop along the Silk Road. It has been influenced by its Islamic neighbors, its Russian past, and a crazy totalitarian dictator who ruled the country from the disillusion of the USSR in 1990 until his death in 2006. I’m not going to lie, Turkmenistan seems to be a crazy place, but if you want “off-the-beaten-path,” this might be a place for you!
The Basics
Name: Turkmenistan
Location: Central Asia
Languages: Turkmen
How to get there
There is only one international airport in Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Airport in the capital city of Ashgabat. However, if you have a visa already you can also enter from all of the bordering countries, including Iran (most commonly used), Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, or by sea as well from Azerbaijan.
Other travel details:
- All foreigners must have a visa that requires a letter of invitation
- The process can take at least 6 weeks to obtain a visa
- Anyone with a tourist visa is required to hire a guide or travel using an accredited tour group
- You can only get a tourist visa through a travel agency
- Transit visas are only valid for three days, although sometimes you can get that extended to 5 days. They are not extendable.
For a list of accredited tour companies, check out the official Turkmenistan Embassy website here!
The Turkmen Regime
Clearly, the Turkmen government has a pretty tight grasp on all of the tourism in Turkmenistan, and unfortunately, xenophobia runs deep in this culture, resulting in so many rules and regulations for tourists. Understanding the government is essential to understanding the culture, as well as understanding how exactly one should travel in this country.
Turkmenistan’s former president, Saparmutat Niyazov, was an all-powerful “President for Life” who named himself the “Father of All Turkmen”, or Turkmenbashi. He ruled for nearly two decades, and is considered to be one of the world’s most totalitarian and repressive dictators the world has ever seen. Although he died in 2006, the lasting effect of his rule has had a lasting impact on the culture. For two decades, this guy ruled with an iron fist, controlled everything in the daily lives of regular Turkmen, changed the name of cities and even changed everyday words. Keep in mind that this was following years of control by the Kremlin.
Although the current president has made moves to curb the cult-like worship of his predecessor, the country is still very young and has a long way to go in rediscovering its autonomy.
Things to do![door-to-hell7[2]](https://travelingkelsey.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/door-to-hell72.jpg?w=300&h=201)
![door-to-hell7[2]](https://travelingkelsey.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/door-to-hell72.jpg)
To see:
Darvaza Gas Craters: Also known as the Gateway to Hell, this site is located where a soviet oil rig accidently struck a large source of natural gas, which ended up collapsing the rig and greating a large crater filled with fire. It was thought that the fire would burn out, but it still is burning, and is both creepy and totally amazing!
Walk through history:
Ancient Merv: It is said that the ancient city of Merv stood alongside Damascus, Baghdad, and Cairo as one of the great centres of Islam. There, you can still find a number ruins that show the role that the city once served on the Silk Road, although most of the city has been destroyed.
Ashgabat: This capital city is home to a number of the best sites to see in Turkmenistan, including the Palace of Turkmenbashi, the National Museum, and Nissa, an archaeological site of an ancient city that was once home to the Parthian kings.
Other Fun Facts
- Turkmenistan is the second wealthiest country in Central Asia thanks to its oil and gas reserves.
- The former president renamed the month of April and the word for “bread” to Gurbansoltan Eje, which was the name of his mother.
- He also banned the following random things during his reign: lip synching, long hair, video games, and golden tooth caps.
- It’s 100% forbidden to smoke in a public place, but inside is totally cool. The locals always use snuff instead.
Am I hopping on a plane now?
Although I’d love to say, “Hell Yeah!”, with all of the red tape required to get a visa, and the requirement of hiring a guide while in the country, I’m not sure I will be going to Turkmenistan any time soon. With a neighbor like Uzbekistan, one of the destinations I would like to visit before I turn 30, I think that Turkmenistan will have to be put on the back burner for now until I have the cash and the time to wait for a visa and to pay for a guided tour. The country and its people have a long way to go, and being the optimist that I am, I believe it is in the right direction!
Traveling Kelsey 
Great blog – I would never have thought to add this onto my list of places to go. It now is! Thanks!
Doesn’t it seem great?? I’m hoping to get there too someday!
The Global Recipe Project is seeking an authentic recipe from Turkmenistan for inclusion in a fundraising cookbook to benefit global food self-sufficiency programs. I hope you’ll consider submitting a recipe! Details at http://crowdedearthkitchen.com/global-recipe-project/. Feel free to contact me with any questions. 🙂