Turkmenistan-Ashgabat: Wide Empty Boulevards Part 4

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Ashgabat wide empty boulevards:
The capital city of Turkmenistan is over-the-top and outlandish, with white marble buildings flanking wide and empty boulevards, psychedelic government edifices looming over perfectly manicured gardens. Through the last decade, the country has prospered tremendously from their vast natural gas and oil resources. The government has since poured their wealth into reforming their capital city.
Lonely Planet describes Ashgabat as a cross between Las Vegas and Pyongyang — it’s easy to see how accurate this description is once you’re here. With the glitzy marble facades and bright neon lights, Ashgabat resembles Las Vegas especially by night. On the other hand, the artificially clean and new look, and the Stalinist-like regime that governs the country reminds me of North Korea. Coming to Ashgabat is like stepping into the future and yet knowing fully well that you’re stuck in the past. Turkmenistan is a relatively wealthy country but its people are still living in a controlled regime imposed by the government.
How did it get so bizarre?
A major earthquake in 1948 wiped out the entire city of Ashgabat, killing almost 110,000 people even though Stalin refused to admit that and reported only 14,000 deaths. Ashgabat was then rebuilt in the Soviet style. In 1991, Turkmenistan finally gained independence. It’s leader Turkmenbashi (an eccentric dictator of sorts who named himself the ‘leader of the Turkmen’) immediately carried out major construction plans to welcome in “the golden era of Turkmenistan”. The result is a brand new city with a jumble of lavish golden-domed palaces, Bellagio fountains, neon-lit monuments and Stalinist ministries of state.
Is it worth visiting?
Turkmenistan is the seventh least visited country in the world, receiving only 3,000 visitors per year. Many travelers choose to skip Turkmenistan due to the strict visa rules. You can only get a tourist visa if you join a guided tour and that means added cost and limited freedom (you can also get a transit visa but that’ll only give you three to five days in the country). I would definitely recommend a visit, especially if you are a curious traveler keen on places that are unconventional and under-theradar.