Last Day in Central Asia

We are wrapping up our Central Asia trip (and Athens and Turkey!) here in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

We were driven to a few more monuments (of the MANY in this city). The Turkmens are proud of their Arch of Neutrality monument, flying the flags of UN member countries, symbolizing Turkmenistan's “openness, goodwill, and peaceful diplomatic relations with the global community.” The monument looks like a rocket, to intentionally evoke a futuristic outlook, but the tripod base is intended to represent a traditional three-legged Turkmen hearth.

Even their indoor Ferris wheel looks like a monument. Seeing the monument to bicyclists on the day before National Bicyclists Day was fun. The president, who loves to cycle, will require all of the ministers to bike to work in that day. Too bad the monument only depicts male riders. Every roundabout has a monument—music, temperature, modern art, etc.

We visited the solid gold-domed mosque complex of Turkmen Bashi the Great (must use “the great” with his name), which contains a large carpet shaped like an eight-pointed star. That star motif is very common in Turkmenistan, as it pays homage to their nomadic history of sun-worshipping.

The archaeological site of Old Nisa is in the location where the Parthian kings chose to build their capital city after living a nomadic life. Their civilization existed from 300 BC until 300 AD, and was a powerhouse that stood as a major rival to the Roman Empire for control over the Silk Road. The Parthians, despite having inferior weaponry, were clever horsemen and successfully repelled invasions by the Roman Empire.

Wrapping up Central Asia:

We found the cities to be very clean, mostly well-maintained, and we felt safe everywhere. All of the people on the street or in the markets were friendly and curious. Families wanted to take pictures with us, kids loved to say “hello” and “goodbye,” and Darryl was pulled aside once to talk on the phone to a man’s friend to prove he had met an American. Young people offered their seats to us (as elders), and we didn’t dare refuse their kindness and show of respect.Læs mere