Turkmenistan Krasnovodsk today. Armenian Apostolic Church
The city of Krasnovodsk owes its appearance to Russian sailors, namely the Russian expedition, led by Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai Grigoryevich Stoletov. It happened in 1869, as a result of the journey of Russian sailors, the purpose of which was to choose a place on the shore of the Caspian Sea for the future city. However, due to a strong storm that scattered all three ships that were part of the expedition over the sea, the time of their arrival in the bay of the future city was significantly different. Thus, the first vessel landed on 31 October and the last on 6 November. In this regard, disputes arise as to when exactly the city of Krasnovodsk Turkmenistan was founded. And, despite the fact that in 1993 the city was renamed Turkmenbashi, for many it has always remained Krasnovodsk.
Ashgabat admires the large number of parks that are found there. Therefore, you agree that your exploration in this city will be multifaceted! These are very well maintained sites with elevated green spaces. You will highlight the Independence Park, which will make you experience intense moments of the struggle for autonomy. Explore the Botanical Garden, the Turkey-Turkmenistan Friendship Party, the World of Turkmenbashi fairy tales. There are also small areas in the gardens. Walk along the small Pushkin Square, where you will see the oldest statue in the city.
The choice of the city's founding site
The choice of the territory on which the city was built was not accidental, since the bay was the most comfortable for people's lives. This was due, first of all, to the fact that the water in it did not freeze even in the winter season, and besides, it was protected from the winds. Therefore, it was the wild coast of the bay that became the site for the construction of the Factoria fortress and the fortified fort. 
Today there is a local museum on the site of the fort. This place was explored back in the time of Peter I, and meanwhile, Krasnovodsk is far from the only capital of the Central Asian states, which was founded by the Russians, who occupied the territories in those days.
You will make a wonderful visit! Religious buildings also have an important place in the cultural development of this city. Explore the Ertugrul Ghazi, Omar Hezreti or Azadi Mosques and marvel at the beauty of their architecture. First of all, mark your presence in these holy places with a prayer, and this will benefit you. Apart from the mosques, there are plenty of places to distract you. A trip to Makhtumguli Square, Gueroli Square or Dauphine: you will not fail to enjoy it. Also a pleasant place is the ark of neutrality to the golden statue of President Saparmurad Niyazov.
So, after the Russian sailors landed on the shore, they systematically extended their influence on the development of trade with local residents, as well as the culture of relations with them. In addition, they undertook the rebuilding of settlements, which today, among the many new buildings of Turkmenbashi, attract the attention of tourists.
Modern Turkmenbashi
Unfortunately, very few architectural structures founded in the distant past have survived to this day. The reason for this may be the devastating effects of the wars that also affected this glorious city, or insufficient attention from the people who inhabit it - it is difficult to judge. However, despite the fact that time has made its own adjustments to the architecture of the city, it still remains interesting from a historical and cultural point of view. In addition, due to the fact that Turkmenbashi has every chance to become a tourist center of this country, the relevance of its future is coming to the fore. Of course, the absolute truth is the rule regarding the interconnectedness of the past and the future, as well as the dependence of the future on the past. In the context of this rule, it is important to remember history and respect its monuments. And there are plenty of them in this city. According to rather ambitious forecasts, Turkmenbashi can reach the status of Antalya, and perhaps even surpass it.
Do not leave this city without shopping, without taking home a product that you will keep as a souvenir of the country. Make a trip to Yimbach and you will be impressed. You will spend trading moments in a special place. The center is impressive and contains many things. You will find clothing and beauty accessories, which are just some of its products. You will find beautiful little restaurants. Taste some local dishes such as Pilaf, a condiment of rice and vegetables accompanied by meat.
Have lunch at the hotel and overnight in Khivva. The inner city of Ichan-Kala is a real open-air museum. The city is famous for its wonderful Art Museum of Karakalpakstan, which houses an interesting collection of Khvorezm archeology, a beautiful ethnographic collection and especially the Savitsky collection. It contains more than a thousand works, including Russian and Soviet avant-garde artists taken from Moscow by Savitsky, which avoids the destruction of Stalin for the inconsistency of Soviet realism.
Despite the fact that many historical monuments are of great interest to tourists, their number is gradually decreasing. Alas, this is how the world works, and it is quite natural that, as a tribute to the times, the territories of the capital of Turkmenistan, where the ruins of the old city were located until recently, are being built up with modern buildings and institutions that meet the requirements of the new time. And in this regard, there will definitely be supporters of leaving the historical places of the city inviolable and ensuring their integrity as a cultural heritage of the country. At the same time, many will certainly support the government's initiatives aimed at updating the city's infrastructure and raising its level of comfort to a modern one.
In the afternoon, excursion to the archaeological site of Mizdakhan. Visit the ruins of the city and especially the necropolis, the Gyaur-Kala fortress and the mausoleum of the holy man Mazlum Khan Su. Crossing the border and road to Konya-Urgench, ancient Gurganj, a flourishing stage on the Silk Road at the beginning of our era, which was destroyed by the Mongols and then by Tamerlane. Surviving evidence is strong enough for the site to be classified as a World Heritage Site. From there, the path passes through the old city, winding between several mausoleums and dominating at a height of 59 meters the Gutlug Timur minaret, the remnant of the old Great Mosque.
Transport links of Turkmenbashi
A prerequisite for the development of any city is the availability of a transport support system. 
In this matter, Turkmenbashi is a well-to-do city, since there is a railway station, an airport, and a sea trade port on its territory. The architecture of the station deserves special attention, which is executed in the Moorish style and is one of the most outstanding in the country. The favorable geographical location of the city contributed to the development of the Sea Trade Port of Turkmenbashi. Today the port has more than 10 marinas. The administrative department of the port "Turkmendenizderyayollary", which is designed in the form of a ship, has recently become a new decoration of the city. The variety of routes of Turkmen ships has increased significantly recently, now they go to the sea gates of Gibraltar. Also, a very thorough reconstruction touched the port itself. The growing popularity of transportation by sea has forced the port authorities to upgrade the port equipment, and first of all, the cranes used for loading. The following equipment is in the arsenal of the port:
Dine in the hotel restaurant or in the restaurant. After lunch, go to the pass of the Karakum desert, which occupies the entire center of the country. In spring, migratory birds may stop at the crater to take advantage of the air. Picnic and overnight in a tent in Darvaza.
At the foot of the cliff, in a mausoleum, is the tomb of the Sufi saint, Gozli Ata, who has always been worshipped, if local signs of undisguised devotion to pre-Islamic practice are to be believed. Picnic lunch in the desert. The region prospered under the Sassanids and then under the Seljuks before being ravaged by the Mongol armies and then by the Tamerlanes who destroyed the irrigation networks. Stop at the village of Mashat-Ata, where the remains of mausoleums, including Chir-Kabir, and the mosque, whose remains are still visible, can imagine past beauty.
- German Liebherr truck crane, the control of this crane is fully computerized, and its lifting capacity is 500 tons;
- autocars "Komatsu";
- trucks "Mazmany";
- Kalmar forklifts
It is expected that after the construction of the new port, which will meet the highest international standards, it will open its doors to numerous foreign ships, tourist cruise liners, yachts and other vessels.
We will be especially interested in the final stage of the city of Dehistan, which will retain some excellent evidence of Seljuk architecture and decorations. Visit and picnic lunch. In the afternoon again from the desert with road and road. Arrived in Serdar at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight at Serdar hostel.
In addition to the legend, the view of Kopet Dag and the desert is amazing. The inhabitants live there relatively to the break of the tribes of the plains and retain, despite superficial Islamization and decades of Sovietism, some pre-Islamic and shamanistic practices. In the afternoon we drive along the Kopet-Dag pier to Geok-Depe, where an interesting modern mosque stands today, which marked the victory of the Turkmen people against the Russians.
Also, it should be noted that the captured Japanese were involved in the construction of a huge complex (the Palace of Culture of Oil Workers) in 1951.
Undoubtedly, the main asset of the city of Krasnovodsk Turkmenistan is the sea, which attracts numerous armies of tourists. Turkmenistan Krasnovodsk has been gaining popularity lately in many respects thanks to it. And in the event that there is a question of choosing where to spend a vacation with your family, you should consider visiting this famous city that will impress even sophisticated tourists.
The city, protected by high walls and located in the middle of the Mediterranean and the Chinese West, became one of the main Parthian shopping centers, as evidenced by the important collections of ostraca found here. The excavations have also uncovered buildings or objects signifying both Hellenistic and Central Asian influences. The city was destroyed by a seis at the beginning of the 1st century. ad. Near the site, in Badgir, visit the Hazrat Ali Mosque, where Ali will come in person, with his faithful horse, to pray, leaving traces of his passage.
Back in town for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Osman Mosque, in the style of the New Ottoman period, which is the prototype of the architects. If possible, an excursion to the suburbs of the city to visit the Akhalteke horse herd, the pride of Turkmenistan. The carpet section does not have the smallest color. In the afternoon, travel to Mary, a modern city in the center of ancient Margiana, a region that developed in the Murggvb valley, a river descending from the western foothills of the Hindu Kush and lost in the sands of the Karakum.
Video: Krasnovodsk at present
This November marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the city of Krasnovodsk (now Turkmenbashi). Krasnovodsk is the oldest modern city in Turkmenistan.
The history of the city is inextricably linked with the history of Russian-Turkmen relations, which had both white and black pages.
It was to Gonur Depe and Togolog 21 that buildings were discovered that were considered the oldest fire temples known today. The huge necropolis and the hill of the royal palace revealed the most interesting objects, partly exhibited to the Museum of Mary. These discoveries, in addition to their archaeological importance, revived a whole series of polemical and not always scientific discussions about the origin of the Indo-European population. Go back to Maria through the Togolog sites.
The city developed in several phases, which continued to be marked by successive fortresses. At the start of intense theological and political speculation in the early days of Islam, Merv was the starting point of the Abbasid movement. In the afternoon, visit the Museum of Mary to continue discovering the ancient civilization of Margiana. In Dushak, a minor road leads to Mina, where stands, isolated to nowhere, the mausoleum of Abu Said Meykenep, the famous holy man of Khorasan. One or two of these sites will be visited in accordance with the permissions obtained.
The first Russian military-scientific expeditions to the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea were organized as early as the beginning of the 18th century, in particular three times in the period from 1715 to 1717. In 1716, three fortresses with small garrisons were built on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, one of which was located in the Kizyl-Su Bay.
In 1717, a large expedition was organized under the leadership of Bekovich-Cherkassky. It was attended by up to 3 thousand people, 6 thousand horses, a large number of camels. Despite the fact that Bekovich-Cherkassky sent ambassadors to the Khan of Khiva Shirgazi, that he was the ambassador of the Russian state, the latter attacked him 120 kilometers from Khiva. As a result of the fighting, the Khivans suffered heavy losses, despite their multiple superiority. Russian troops were better armed and disciplined. Realizing that it would not be possible to win in a fair fight, the Khan of Khiva resorted to cunning. He expressed regret about what had happened, and invited Bekovich-Cherkassky and his entire detachment to visit. The detachment was divided into five parts. Soon they were dealt with separately. Bekovich-Cherkassky himself was beheaded. So sadly ended the first major Russian expedition to Central Asia.
Seismic and desertification also have their share in the disappearance of all these old urban centers. Arrived in Paris early afternoon. Usage Tips Supplemental Insurance Repatriation Assistance: 12 per person Optional Multi-Country Insurance Repatriation Assistance Cancellation-Damage Baggage Drinks User TipsPersonal Expenses Visa Fees Visa Fees. Final details will be communicated to you at the time of confirmation of your departure destination.
Official name: Republic of Turkmenistan; Short form: Turkmenistan; Term for a citizen: Turkmenistan. Noun for ethnic group: Turkmen, Pluralism: Turkmen. Former name: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic. Capital: Ashgabat.
The events of 1717 did not become a big obstacle to the further expansion of relations between the Turkmens and Russia. In 1719 and 1726 new expeditions were equipped, as a result of which the first scientific map of the Caspian Sea was created.
In the second half of the 18th century Russian state several times sent expeditions to the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea. In 1773 and in 1781, expeditions led by S. Gmelin and Count M. Voinovich were on Cheleken Island. They emphasized that the Turkmens of the coast received their people cordially and friendly.
The word "Turk" comes from two Turkic words: Turk, which means "Turk" and people, which means I or I. Thus Turkmen means "I am a Turk". Istan is an old Persian word for "place". Thus, Turkmenistan means "the place of the Turkmens". Adopted in several languages from Persian on the court used in the ancient kingdoms of Central Asia.
Thus, the place or land of the Afghans is Afghanistan, the place of the Tajiks, Tajikistan. The books: Central Asia: 120 Years of Russian Rule, edited by Edward Allworth, offer a comprehensive treatment of the region. Paul Thero wrote in The New Yorker: With the mountains of Iran and Afghanistan stacked on its southern border, Turkmenistan was once a land of nomadic horse breeders in search of grazing land. It was attracted by conquerors - Alexander the Great, Parthians, Arabs, Mongols - but because of its considerable size, its inhospitable terrain and its cruel tribalism, it was not easy to regulate.
In 1801-1802, representatives of the Turkmens of Mangyshlak arrived in St. Petersburg with a request to accept them as subjects of Russia. In May 1802, Alexander the First by a special decree announced the acceptance of the Turkmens of Mangyshlak under the protection and citizenship of Russia.
In 1811, part of the Turkmens of Mangyshlak moved to Astrakhan, where their ancestors live to this day. According to the 2002 census, about 2,200 Turkmens lived in the Astrakhan region.
However, by the end of the nineteenth century, the territory was under Russian control. Modern Turkmenistan covers a territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires and was conquered by Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, Mongols, Turkic warriors and eventually Russians. In medieval times, Merv was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road.
This Oguz part, constituting a powerful confederation of tribes, formed the ethnic basis of the modern Turkmen population. In the tenth century, the name "Turkmen" was first applied to the Oghuz groups who converted to Islam and began to occupy present-day Turkmenistan. There they were ruled by the Seljuk Empire, which consisted of Oghuz groups living in present-day Iran and Turkmenistan. Turkmen soldiers in the service of the empire played an important role in spreading Turkic culture as they migrated west to what is now Azerbaijan and eastern Turkey.
Expeditions are organized in 1819-1821, 1832, 1836. In 1836, the Maslakhat of the Caspian Yomuds took place in Esenguly. It was attended by 118 representatives, selected from approximately 180,000 inhabitants of the region. After a general exchange of views, it was decided that it was necessary to ask Russia for protection.
In 1859, an expedition was organized to explore the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, as well as to select a site for the construction of a fort. The Krasnovodsk Bay was examined in detail, depth measurements were made.
In the twelfth century Turkmen and other tribes overthrew the Seljuk Empire. In the next century, the Mongols conquered the more northern lands where the Turkmen settled, settled the Turkmen south and contributed to the formation of new tribal groups. In the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, a series of schisms and confederations followed between the nomadic Turcoman tribes, which remained unfailingly independent and inspired fear in their neighbors. By the sixteenth century, most of these tribes were under the nominal control of two seated Uzbek khanates, Khiva and Bukhara.
In November 1869, a military detachment led by N.G. Stoletov founded the city of Krasnovodsk, on the site of the ancient well Shagadam. The process of entry of Turkmenistan into the Russian Empire begins, which was not always voluntary.
In 1870-1872 several expeditions were organized from Krasnovodsk deep into the Turkmen lands.
Turkmen soldiers were an important element of the Uzbek armed forces of this period. In the nineteenth century, raids and uprisings by the Turkmen Yumud group led to the dispersal of this group by the Uzbek rulers. The Turkmen government is moving to expand its upstream and delivery projects and is trying to diversify gas export routes beyond Russia's pipeline network. Subsequently, reduced purchases from Russia, as well as limited purchases by Iran, have made China the dominant buyer of Turkmen gas.
Turkmenistan has been known for its history as a loosely defined geographic region of independent tribes. It is now a landlocked, mostly desert nation of only about 8 million people. The country remains rather isolated on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, largely occupied by the Kyzylkum desert. Traditional tribal relationships are still the foundation of society, and telecommunications services from outside the world are just beginning to make an impact. Like the Cossacks and the Kyrgyz, the Turkmen peoples were pastoral nomads until the second half of the nineteenth century, when the arrival of Russian settlers began to deprive them of the vast expanses needed for livestock.
In 1874, the Transcaspian military department was created, the center of which became Krasnovodsk. Earlier in 1873, the Krasnovodsk bailiff was created. On the basis of the department in 1882, the Transcaspian region was created.
In June 1880, the construction of the first railway in the history of Turkmenistan began. The main line started from the shore of the Mikhailovsky Bay of the Caspian Sea and already in September 1881 was brought to Kizylarvat.
Krasnovodsk becomes a commercial seaport. Being an important transshipment point for goods, it is turning into the "gates of Central Asia." In 1908, the number of workers in the city reached 1.5 thousand people. In 1913, about 1 million tons of cargo was transported along the Trans-Caspian Railway.
By 1913, 7,000 people lived in Krasnovodsk. The ethnic composition of the population, both at that time and later, was variegated - Russians, Persians, Tatars, Poles, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Kazakhs. Not many Turkmen lived, mainly in the nearby auls.
The city has trading warehouses, a bazaar, hotels, port facilities, offices of companies and communities, including oil production.
In 1917, after the October Revolution, power in the city passes to the Bolsheviks. In July 1918, the Right SRs and Mensheviks seized power as a result of a coup. In February 1920, the Red Army captured the city again.
In the 1930s, in Krasnovodsk, as in all of Turkmenistan, there was a rapid growth of industry. In 1939, 21,000 people already lived in the city. The development of the city required qualified specialists. Due to their influx, the population of the city grew.
In 1943, during the difficult years of the war, the first production was produced by the Krasnovodsk oil refinery. The country at that time especially needed oil products. In 1940, the TSSR already produced 540,000 tons of oil per year.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Krasnovodsk became a major industrial center of Turkmenistan. Oil refining, food industry, production of building materials, energy industry are developing here. In 1972, 51,000 people lived in the city. Krasnovodsk has a pedagogical and medical school.
In 1989, the population of the seaside town reached 58,900 people. It should be noted that in the 1970s and 1980s, population growth slowed down significantly. In Krasnovodsk, even then, trends towards an outflow of the population to Ashgabat and the central regions of the USSR became clear.
Until 1987, the city was the administrative center of the Krasnovodsk region, which was subsequently abolished and re-created in January 1991, but with the center in the city of Nebit-Dag. Since 1992 it has been renamed Balkanskaya.
In 1993, the city was renamed in honor of the President of Turkmenistan - Turkmenbashi. In the 1990s, there was a strong outflow of residents to the republics. former USSR and Ashgabat. According to the 1995 census, Krasnovodsk is the only settlement in Turkmenistan where Russians made up the majority of the population (32.8%). Krasnovodsk continued to be one of the most multinational cities in Turkmenistan. Numerous communities of Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Tatars, Ukrainians, Germans, Lezgins, Uzbeks, Kazakhs were represented here.
In 1999, the five millionth resident of Turkmenistan was born in the city. In 2005, the city has 68,300 inhabitants.
Krasnovodsk is in many ways a unique city in Turkmenistan. And it's not just its coastal location. It is the only one where whole quarters have been preserved, built up with buildings that are a hundred or more years old. The architecture of the city is also original, which has certain Caucasian features, somewhat similar to Baku.
As before, the main problem of the city is water supply. Despite the fact that a lot of work has been done in this regard, a similar problem continues to occur.
In the second half of the 20th century, Krasnovodsk grew significantly in size. New microdistricts were built - Cheryomushki, as well as residential areas to the west of the city. But,
over the past 20 years, not a single new multi-storey residential building has been built in the city, but there are logical explanations for this, including due to the strong outflow of the population during this period.
An important problem for the city is ecology. This issue is especially relevant, due to the proximity of the city complex and thermal power plants. In 2010, large-scale work began to clean up the city port from old ships. There have been dozens of the latter.
In 2000, the first two modern hotels, Turkmenbashi and Serdar, were built in Krasnovodsk and its environs.
In 2007, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov put forward the idea of building a National Tourist Zone in the town of Avaza, 12 kilometers west of Turkmenbashi.
During these 4 years, 10 new hotels, several rest houses, two children's health camps, cottage rest houses, cafes, amphitheaters and other facilities have already been built here. Among them is a seven-kilometer canal.
In the future, it is planned to build an aqua park, an indoor ski complex, parks, hotels and other tourist facilities. There are plans for the construction of a new city, announced by the President of the country in 2008.
A big event for the city was the opening of a new international-class airport that meets all requirements, with a runway of almost 4 kilometers. Currently, international and local flights are operated from the airport, in particular to Istanbul and Moscow.
This year, a major transport interchange was opened, as well as new highways.
The city has one of the oldest Orthodox churches laid down in 1895. Walking through the streets of the old part of the city, you immerse yourself in the peculiar atmosphere of Krasnovodsk of the past, such as it was at its inception.
Despite the fact that many buildings are a hundred or more years old, they are all functional. Many are still residential buildings.
