Central Asia Travel Destinations Turkmenistan

T his largely arid country        the nomadic lifestyle of the       lies to the south of            people, carpets were               Uzbekistan, dominated by                                           the Kara Kum desert in its center     For tourists, Turkmenistan is      with mountains in the west and        garden of archaeological           east. The country contains some       delights. Remnants of              of the world’s largest natural        civilizations that have been       gas and oil reserves and is a         swallowed by the centuries are     major cotton producer.                everywhere to be found. In                                               mountain foothills, in dry         Historically, Turkmenistan has        riverbeds, in caves across the     seen conquerors from Alexander        country you can find tools,        the Great to Islamic Arabs to         domestic utensils and artworks of  Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, but       bone, stone, ceramics and metals.  maintained its nomadic, equine        Ruins of earthen houses and        identity until Soviet-era             mountain fortresses remain from    domination. In the post communist     as long as 50 centuries ago.       years, Turkmen language and                                              culture have made a strong            A visit to Turkmenistan must       revival.                              include a stay in the ancient                                            Silk Road city of Merv. It is an   The Turkmen people are legendary      archaeological wonderland, being   horsemen and their tall, powerful     actually 4 cities built during     horses were prized by the Chinese     different periods, a testimony to  in ancient times. The national        the oasis’ staying power as a      handicraft is carpet making and       major center along the Silk Road   Turkmen carpets are prized            from the times of Alexander. It    throughout the world for their        remained a commercial and          beautiful patterns and superb         cultural power for centuries       craftsmanship. An extension of        before Mongol armies destroyed     the town in 1221. One of its most     culturally significant             imposing features today is the        antiquities, and the Turkmen       mausoleum of Sanjar the Great,        Carpet Museum contains many fine   the dome of which could be seen       examples of world-renowned         by caravans a full day’s journey      Turkmen carpet making skills,      away.                                 including one that covers a                                              massive 294 square meters.         A day trip from Merv to the                                              archaeological dig at Margush,        In the west near the Uzbekistan    where remnants of a Bronze Age        border, lies another stop along    civilization lived 3500 years         the Silk Road, Kunya-Urgench,      ago. A palace, intricate fire         site of the large State            temple and necropolis have been       Historical and Cultural            excavated and local museums           Museum-Preserve. The famous        contain numerous artifacts of         Kulug-Timur Minaret is thought to  gold and semi-precious stones.        be the tallest in Central Asia,                                          towering nearly 200 feet. Another  Turkmenistan’s capital is the         must-see is the Turabeg Khanym     city of Ashgabat, rebuilt using       Mausoleum, with its double cupola  modern principles of city             and perfectly preserved interior   planning after being destroyed by     tile work is considered one of     an massive earthquake in 1948.        Asia’s most outstanding            Lush parks and hundreds of            constructions.                     fountains create a pleasant                                              microclimate that shields the         Of Turkmenistan’s natural          city from the desert heat. All        wonders, the Caspian Sea provides  public buildings and apartments       recreational facilities for        are clad in white marble, giving      boaters and water sports           the city a unified beauty. The        enthusiasts.                       National Museum houses many            About the Author Julia Feydman, has always been fascinated by the rich history of Central Asia. Over time, her passion as well as many memorable trips to the area have grown into a successful, U.S. based travel agency - East Site, Inc. Turkmenistan travel is one of the major routes her company specializes in. Visit her Central Asia travel website today and discover many more ancient jewels of the Great Silk Road! Published At: www.Isnare.com