Turkmenabad

Turkmenabad is the main city in Western Turkmenistan situated on the left bank of the Amu-Darya River. It is also the centre of the Lebap province (velayat). This is the second biggest city in Turkmenistan. The population here is around 230 thousand people.

The first name of the city is mentioned as Amul. Amul was situated on the Great Silk Road. It is also known that the river Amudarya got its name because of this city, as Amudarya means “the river of Amu”. It was known as Chardzhou for a long period from medieval times. Chardzhou is translated into four channels. Chardzhou was a fortress that guarded the Amudarya against the attacks of the nomadic tribes. After that, it became a military and then a civil settlement. It was renamed Turkmenabat in 1999. It is translated as “created by Turkmens”.

The main attraction which brings people to this city is the Kugitang Nature Reserve situated to the southeast from the city. The city is a good stopover for the travels to Kugitang Nature Reserve, Mary or Merv, Dashogus.

The main attractions of the city include the Amul-Chardzui settlement, which is the site where the ruins of the ancient Turkmenabad are situated. They are preserved from the 10^th century built by the ruler of Amul.

The museum-city of Atamurat is located next to Turkmenabad, so it’s also worth visiting. Here you can see the famous mausoleum of Allamberder. The building is characterized by its huge size and amazing design of the façade. Another interesting touristic place is the Astana-Baba complex, where the impressive mausoleums of Astana-baba, Zeyd-Ali and Zuweid-Ali are located.