Jump to content

Ashgabat

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 67.49.14.143 (talk) at 00:08, 21 June 2010. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ashgabat
Aşgabat, Ашхабад
Ashkhabad
Poltoratsk (1919-1927)
File:PresidentialPalaceAshgabat.jpg
Satellite view
Satellite view
Country Turkmenistan
ProvinceAhal Province
founded1818
Government
 • MayorAzat Bilishov
Population
 (2009)
 • Total909,000
Time zoneUTC+5
 • Summer (DST)UTC+5 (not observed)
Area code12

Ashgabat (Turkmen: Aşgabat, Persian: عشق آباد, Russian: Ашхабад, also Ashkhabad in transliteration from Russian (literally, Persian meaning: "City of Love") or formerly Poltoratsk between 1919–1927) is the capital and largest city of Turkmenistan, a country in Central Asia. It has a population of 695,300 (2001 census estimate), 2009 estimates around 1 million people in Ashgabat, and is situated between the Kara Kum desert and the Kopet Dag mountain range. Ashgabat has a primarily Turkmen population, with ethnic minorities of Russians, Armenians, and Azeris. It is 250 km from the second largest city in Iran, Mashhad.

Names

Ashgabat is Aşgabat in Turkmen, Ашхабад (Ashkhabad) in Russian, and عشق‌آباد (UniPers: Ešq-âbâd) in Persian. From 1919 until 1927, the city was renamed Poltoratsk after a local revolutionary. Before 1991, the city was usually spelled Ashkhabad in English, a transliteration of the Russian form, which was itself from the original Persian form. It has also been variously spelled Ashkhabat and Ashgabad.

Ashgabat derives from the a folk etymology suggests that the name is a dialect version of the Persian word of عشق (eshq meaning "love") and Persian آباد (ābād meaning "inhabited place" or "city", etymologically "abode"), and hence loosely translates as "the city of love" or "the city that love built".[1]

History

Ashgabat is a relatively young city, growing out of a village of the same name established by Russians in 1818. It is not far from the site of Nisa, the ancient capital of the Parthian Empire, and it grew on the ruins of the Silk Road city of Konjikala, which was first mentioned as a wine-producing village in 2nd century BCE and was leveled by an earthquake in 1st century BCE (a precursor of the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake). Konjikala was rebuilt because of its advantageous location on the Silk Road and it flourished until its destruction by Mongols in the 13th century CE. After that it survived as a small village until the Russians took over in the 19th century.[2][3]

In 1869, Russian soldiers built a fortress on a hill near the village, and this added security soon attracted merchants and craftsmen to the area. Ashgabat remained a part of Persia until 1881, when it was ceded to Tsarist Russia under the terms of Akhal Treaty. Russia chose to develop Ashgabat as a regional center due to its proximity to the border of British-influenced Persia. It was regarded as a pleasant town with European style buildings, shops and hotels. In 1908, the first Bahá'í House of Worship was built in Ashgabat. It was badly damaged in the 1948 earthquake and finally demolished in 1963.[4]

File:Ertugrul Gazi Mosque in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.jpg
The Ertugrul Gazi Mosque in Ashgabat named after Ertuğrul, the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
File:A Monument dedicated to 8th year of Independence of Turkmenistan.jpg
Independence and Peace monument

Soviet rule was established in Ashgabat in December 1917. However in July 1918 a coalition of Mensheviks, Social Revolutionaries and Tsarist former officers of the Imperial Russian Army revolted against the Bolshevik rule emanating from Tashkent and established the Ashkhabad Executive Committee. After receiving some support (but even more promises) from General Malleson, the British withdrew in April 1919, and the Tashkent Soviet resumed control of the city and in July 1919, when the city was renamed Poltoratsk (Полторацк) after a local revolutionary.[5] The name Ashgabat was restored in 1927 after the establishment of Turkmen SSR as a Soviet republic, though it was usually known by the Russian form Ashkhabad (Russian: Ашхабад). From this period onward, the city experienced rapid growth and industrialisation, although this was severely disrupted by a major earthquake on October 6, 1948. An estimated 7.3 on the Richter scale, the earthquake killed 110-176,000[6][7][8] (2/3 of the population of the city), although the official number announced by Soviet news was only 40,000.[9]

Ashgabat milestones:[10]

  • 1882-1918 – administrative center of Russia's Transcaspian Region
  • 1918-1925 – administrative center of the Turkmen Oblast in Turkestan ASSR
  • since February 1925 – capital of Turkmen SSR
  • since October 1991 – capital of independent Turkmenistan

Economy

File:Ashgabat museum 1.jpg
Ashgabat National Museum of History

Ashgabat is primarily a government and administrative center. The principal industries are cotton textiles and metal working. It is a major stop on the Trans-Caspian railway. Every Sunday, the Tolkuchka Bazaar in the suburbs thrives, selling a massive range of commodities.

Transport

The city is served by Ashgabat Airport. Turkmenistan Airlines has its headquarters in the city.[11]

Climate

Ashgabat
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
22
 
 
7
−2
 
 
27
 
 
10
0
 
 
39
 
 
16
5
 
 
44
 
 
24
11
 
 
28
 
 
30
16
 
 
4
 
 
36
21
 
 
3
 
 
38
23
 
 
1
 
 
37
21
 
 
4
 
 
32
15
 
 
14
 
 
23
9
 
 
20
 
 
17
5
 
 
21
 
 
10
1
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: WMO [12]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
0.9
 
 
45
29
 
 
1.1
 
 
49
32
 
 
1.5
 
 
60
41
 
 
1.7
 
 
75
52
 
 
1.1
 
 
86
61
 
 
0.2
 
 
96
69
 
 
0.1
 
 
101
74
 
 
0
 
 
98
69
 
 
0.2
 
 
89
60
 
 
0.6
 
 
74
48
 
 
0.8
 
 
62
40
 
 
0.8
 
 
50
33
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

The Kopet-Dag mountain range is about 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the south, and Ashgabat's northern boundary touches the Kara-Kum desert. Because of this location, Ashgabat has an arid climate with hot and dry summers and mild and short winters. The average high temperature in July is 38.2 °C (101 °F) for long periods of time. The highest temperature on record is 45 °C (113 °F). Nighttime temperatures in the summer are warm, with an average minimum temperature in July of 23.1 °C (74 °F). Average winter high temperatures range from 7.4 to 9.8 °C (45 to 50 °F), and average lows in the winter of −1.6 to 0.7 °C (29.1 to 33.3 °F); temperatures as low as −16 °C (3 °F) have been recorded in December. Snow is rare. Annual precipitation is only 227 millimetres (8.94 in); March and April are the wettest months.[13]

Climate data for Ashgabat
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source 1: World Meteorological Organisation [12]
Source 2: HKO [14]

Notable buildings

Museums include the Turkmen Fine Arts Museum and Turkmen Carpet Museum, noted for their impressive collection of woven carpets as well as a Turkmen history museum and the Ashgabat National Museum of History, which displays artifacts dating back to the Parthian and Persian civilizations. The Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan is an important institute of higher learning. Large mosques include the Azadi Mosque (which resembles the Blue Mosque in Istanbul), the Khezrety Omar Mosque, and the futuristic Iranian Mosque. Ashgabat is also home to the Arch of Neutrality, which is a large tripod on which there is a golden statue of former President Saparmurat Niyazov (also known as Turkmenbashi, or leader of all Turkmen). This statue rotates in order to always face the sun during daylight hours. It is said to be made of pure gold.

Notable universities include the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute.

Religion

First Bahá'í House of Worship
See also Bahá'í Faith in Turkmenistan.

The first Bahá'í House of Worship was built in the city of 'Ishqábád, then ruled by Russia and now the capital of Turkmenistan. It was started in 1902 and completed in 1908. The design was prepared by Ostad Ali-Akbar Banna, and the construction was supervised by Vakílu'd-Dawlih, later named one of the nineteen Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh.[15][16]

Islam is the largest religion, followed by Christianity.

Sister cities

References

  1. ^ Folk etymology of the name Ashgabat, Iraj Bashiri, 1999.
  2. ^ Konjikala: the Silk Road precursor of Ashgabat
  3. ^ Konjikala, in: MaryLee Knowlton, Turkmenistan, Marshall Cavendish, 2006, pp. 40-41, ISBN 0761420142, ISBN 9780761420149 (viewable on Google Books).
  4. ^ Baha’i House of Worship in Ashgabat
  5. ^ Ashgabat on Big Soviet Encyclopedia Online Template:Ru icon
  6. ^ US Geological Survey
  7. ^ Britannica Online
  8. ^ State News Agency of Turkmenistan
  9. ^ Ashkhabad earthquake on BBC Russian.com, 6 October 2003 Template:Ru icon
  10. ^ Independent Neutral Turkmenistan: 10 Glorious Years of the Epoch of Turkmenbashi the Great, Ashgabat, 2001, pp. 39-40 Template:Ru icon
  11. ^ "Directory: World Airlines." Flight International. 30 March-5 April 2004. [1].
  12. ^ a b "World Weather Information Service - Ashgabat". World Meteorological Organisation (UN). Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  13. ^ Historical Weather for Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. weatherbase.com, Last accessed December 18, 2008.
  14. ^ "Climatological Normals of Ashgabat". Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  15. ^ Rafati, V. (1989). "Bahai temples". Encyclopædia Iranica. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Baha'i House of Worship - Ashkabad, Central Asia". The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aşgabat.

[[Category:

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ashgabat&oldid=369263587"