15 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Turkmenistan - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Turkmenistan

The Gates of Hell

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.

Gokdepe, Turkmenistan

Köw Ata Underground Lake

This cavernous swimming spot doubles as a home to the largest known colony of bats in Central Asia.

Nokhur, Turkmenistan

Nokhur Cemetery

A cemetery with goat-horn bedecked gravestones.

Merv, Turkmenistan

Ancient Merv

This famed Silk Road oasis was one of the largest cities in the world before it was destroyed by a Mongol horde.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Wedding Palace

If you want to get married in the White Marble City of Ashgabat, you should do it in this surreal disco ball building.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Turkmenbashi's Land of Fairy Tales

An eccentric dictator's take on a Turkmen version of Disneyland.

Koytendag, Turkmenistan

Kyrk Gyz Cave

A cave covered with bizarre stalactites of cloth.

Balkanabat, Turkmenistan

Yangykala Canyon

Few people have ever heard of, let alone visited, one of Turkmenistan’s most impressive natural attractions.

See All 15 Things to Do in Turkmenistan See All 15 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Turkmenistan

Kurt

These cheese balls have fueled Central Asian nomads for centuries.

Kumis

Infants and Genghis Khan enjoyed this fermented mare's milk.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell

On this sweeping, eclectic adventure through Turkmenistan, marvel at the towering white-marble structures of Ashgabat, roam through barren deserts and a world-class canyon, and spend the night camped out beside the flaming Gates of Hell.

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