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.

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, Turkmenistan

Nokhur Cemetery

A cemetery with goat-horn bedecked gravestones.

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.

Balkanabat, Turkmenistan

Yangykala Canyon

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

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The Walk of Health

This harsh mountain path was built as a strange attempt to improve the health of Turkmen citizens.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Turkmenbashi's Land of Fairy Tales

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

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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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Stories About Turkmenistan

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.

January 19, 2022

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