"ASHGABAT, ONE OF THE BEST MEMORIES OF MY... " a Ashgabat Travel Page by gligor_kot

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Ashgabat is the capital of sovereign Turkmenistan. The city was founded in 1881 as a military fortification to replace the village of Ashgabat.
For the past century, this small village has grown into a prosperous city with a population of circa 604.000. Located in a seismic area, Ashgabat suffered a destructive earthquake in 1948. The city was restored at a rapid rate, and a new beautiful and comfortable Ashgabat with wide green streets, nice buildings, park and fountains rose from the ruins. Special anti - seismic structures of reinforced concrete were used for the reconstruction.
Ashgabat is a major industrial centre of Turkmenistan today, featuring more than 50 factories, including an oil equipment plant, glass works, spinning mills, silk factories, etc. Carpets - making in Ashgabat has gained international renown. The Turkmen Academy of Science was established in 1951 and has been operating in many crucial areas of research through 18 of its institutes, including the Institute of Desert, the Sun research and production amalgamation and the Institute for Seismology.
Ashgabat also has nine colleges, dozens of secondary special and vocational schools.
The capital city of Turkmenistan boasts four theatres (an opera and ballet theatre, the Drama Theatre, the Theatre of Russian Drama and a children's theatre), a philharmonic society, cinema halls and museums.
The Turkmen horse circus has earned high acclaim abroad. The state - owned TV and radio company broadcasts in Turkmenistan and Russian. The Republic also has its own movie studio, Turkmenfilm.
Ashgabat is a green city created by man on the border of the Garagum desert. Scorching summers have compelled people to plant trees in the streets and parks. A total of 35.000 - 40.000 trees and shrubs are planted in Ashgabat annually. Green recreation zones have also been set up in various districts.