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All Turkmenistan

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Turkmenistan

15 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Turkmenistan

Updated March 3, 2023

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The Wedding Palace.
Ashgabat
The entrance to Köw Ata underground lake in Turkmenistan.
Gokdepe
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Unusual Attractions in Turkmenistan

The Gates of Hell.

Turkmenistan

The Gates of Hell

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.
The entrance to Köw Ata underground lake in Turkmenistan.

Gokdepe, Turkmenistan

Köw Ata Underground Lake

This cavernous swimming spot doubles as a home to the largest known colony of bats in Central Asia.
Ruins of Great Kyz Kala fortress at Merv.

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.
Nokhur Cemetery

Nokhur, Turkmenistan

Nokhur Cemetery

A cemetery with goat-horn bedecked gravestones.
The Wedding Palace.

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.
Yangykala Canyon

Balkanabat, Turkmenistan

Yangykala Canyon

Few people have ever heard of, let alone visited, one of Turkmenistan’s most impressive natural attractions.
Turkmenbashi's Land of Fairy Tales

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Turkmenbashi's Land of Fairy Tales

An eccentric dictator's take on a Turkmen version of Disneyland.
A view of the 22-mile Walk of Health in the Kopet Dag mountains.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The Walk of Health

This harsh mountain path was built as a strange attempt to improve the health of Turkmen citizens.
See All 15 Things To Do in Turkmenistan
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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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Explore Turkmenistan

Monuments 4
Ecosystems 3
Sacred Spaces 3
Mosques 3
Natural Wonders 2
Rites And Rituals 2
Architectural Oddities 2
Silk Road 2
Archaeology 2
Books 2
Ruins 2
Religion 2

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Stories About Turkmenistan

The Black Sea at Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria.

The Paratethys Sea Was the Largest Lake in Earth’s History

The Black, Caspian, and Aral Seas are the last surviving fragments of a body of water that stretched from Austria to Turkmenistan.
by Frank Jacobs, Big Think
March 3, 2023
Turkmenistan's fiery pit, the Gates of Hell, may be extinguished after burning for decades.

Will the Gates of Hell Be Closed Forever?

Turkmenistan’s Darvaza gas crater has been on fire for decades. The inferno may finally be extinguished.
by Sarah Durn
January 19, 2022

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