Turkmenistan's capital is Ashgabat. It is famed for its massive national monuments and white marble buildings. The enormous Ruhy Mosque, to the northwest, with a massive gilded dome. The Artogrul Gazi Mosque in the center is styled after Istanbul's Blue Mosque. The Turkmen Carpet Museum has examples of traditional weaving on display. The Wedding Palace is made up of a number of star-shaped layers that are crowned by a massive golden globe.

It is one of the most fascinating destinations to visit! Did you know that Ashgabat has the Guinness World Record for the largest concentration of white marble-clad buildings? The city also holds the record for the most fountain pools in a public location, as well as a slew of other oddities. A day trip from Ashgabat could include a visit to the ancient ruins of Old Nisa or a visit to a horse farm where the famous Akhal Teke Horses can be seen.

Location: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
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This blazing gas crater, Darvaza, often known as the "Gate of Hell," is one of the world's most unique tourist attractions. The flames from the gigantic crater in the middle of the desert stir the imagination of both tourists and locals, and Darvaza means Gate in Turkmen. The origins of this strange crater are surprisingly simple since Soviet geologists were drilling for gas at the site of a cavern in 1971. The gas was released as the cavern collapsed. Nobody was hurt, however, the gas was lit on fire on purpose to avoid being poisoned.

Although there are no reliable records of the occurrence, the fact remains that the gas cavern has been burning ever since. The crater has a diameter of 69 meters and a depth of 30 meters. You can go around it, and since 2018, a barrier has been constructed for the safety of travelers. This spectacular landmark in the Karakum desert may be seen, and it is even more impressive to stay overnight and see it at night. In 2013, the first guy to reach the bottom of the gas crater achieved a new Guinness World Record. This was part of the National Geographic Channel series Die Trying, however you should not try to go down unless you also want to set a World Record, as the title of the episode suggests.

Location: Ahal, Turkmenistan
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Best time to visit: April to October
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Yangykala Canyon is a windblown panorama of multicolored gorges and unusual structures that runs 15 kilometers over the desert to the Garabogazköl Basin, is a natural attraction that few Turkmen have ever seen.

Yangykala was originally submerged, the seabed of a long-dead ocean that existed millions of years ago. When the ocean dried up, it left behind a rocky environment that was slowly eroded by wind and rain, carving up cliffs and canyons whose walls are now ribbed like odd stranded sea creatures' carcasses. Then there is the color palette: pinks and oranges, reds and yellows, a rainbow of coral colors that give Yangykala Canyon its particular appearance.

Yangykala's magnificent canyons originated 5.5 million years ago, and these amazing limestone landscapes were carved by the Karakum desert's rivers and winds. This area was a coastline zone of the ancient Paratethys ocean/sea around 15 million years ago. It is one of the country's attractions, but few people visit, so if you decide to visit certain regions of the country, you will almost certainly have the place to yourself. You may get there from either Balkanabat or Turkmenbashi, as the distance between the two cities is roughly 160 kilometers.

Location: Balkan Region, Turkmenistan
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Best time to visit: mornings and evenings
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Merv has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999, with ruins dating back 4000 years. It was one of the most prominent learning centers in the Islamic world until the 11th century. It was the capital of the Great Seljuk Empire in the 11th and 12th centuries. It had a population of about 500,000 people in the 13th century, making it one of the world's largest cities at the time.

The Mongol Empire destroyed it in 1221, and it has been partially rebuilt several times since then, but it has never regained its previous magnificence. You may now take a stroll through the ruins of historic strongholds, medieval streets, and even the mausoleum of Seljuk monarch Sultan Sanjar. The site's territory is 353 hectares, plus an 883-hectare buffer zone. Walking through these massive mud-brick ruins, it is difficult to believe this was once a major Silk Road metropolis.

Location: Merv, Turkmenistan
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Best time to visit:

• March-April
• October-November

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This is a fascinating archeological location 60 kilometers from old Merv. The location is a 2400-1600 BCE early Bronze Age village. Viktor Sarianidi, a Greek-Russian archaeologist, found the site in the 1950s and explored it in the 1970s. Sarianidi discovered a palace, a walled mud-brick enclosure, and temples with fire altars that he identified as Zoroastrians.

There was a center in the town's center with numerous large rooms encircled by sturdy, thick walls and a few square towers. It was most likely where the major priest lived. Temple buildings on all four corners of the palace were united by a single wall. The wall was strengthened with square towers in the corners, but they were not as large as those on the palace's external wall. A swimming pool, 180x80m in size and 2m deep, was located beyond the walls on the southern side. Other pools could be found in the temple complex's northern and western areas, but they were lesser in size.

All of these structures were encircled by a medium-sized, rather thin wall with pilasters on the inside. Scientists believe that this wall was built as a metaphor for a barrier separating the holy area from the rest of the world, rather than for defensive grounds.

Address: 627Q+H4Q, Yakeper, Turkmenistan
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