Latest news with #Tolkuchkabazaar
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Surreal and secretive, this Asian country is finally opening up
The Tolkuchka bazaar (also known as Altyn Asyr Bazaar), a 20-minute drive from downtown Ashgabat, affords visitors a glimpse of older Turkmen ways. Its shape is meant to resemble a Turkmen carpet and while it's only the fifth largest in Central Asia, it covers 100 hectares. Stalls sell spices, fake Rolexes, livestock, carpets, souvenirs, vegetables and fruit. Melons are a specialism; Turkmenistan has a crossbreed muskmelon called the Turkmenbashi melon. The second Sunday in August is National Melon Day. Turkmenistan is twice the size of the UK, almost as big as Spain. It has more than 4800 kilometres of railways, including lines to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Iran and Russia, and the 540-kilometre Trans-Karakum Railway across the desert of the same name. The most celebrated 'sight' here is the Gates of Hell gas crater at Darvaza, burning since the '80s when someone took out a match to prevent the emission of poisonous gases caused by a gas field's collapse 20 years earlier. A long, Milton-esque stairway in a cave at the foot of a mountain leads to the Köw Ata Underground Lake, where you can swim in sulphurous waters. Ancient Merv is a Unesco World Heritage site, a repository of 4000 years of history and 'the oldest and best-preserved of the oasis-cities along the Silk Route in Central Asia'. Nokhur cemetery in southern Turkmenistan contains tombstones decorated with mountain goat horns – believed by the Nokhuris (who claim to have descended from Alexander the Great's soldiers) to protect against evil spirits. Animism, Islam and Zoroastrianism are routinely melded, causing some traditional Muslims to take umbrage at Turkmenistan's bespoke approach to theology. The country is dotted with photogenic rock-scapes. Yangykala Canyon is the one that you see most often on promotional material, with its striated limestone walls rising out of an ancient seabed. Turkmenistan is a de facto one-party state with no serious opposition permitted. Should that put anyone off? Only if you also want to discard China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Eritrea; the US is a de facto two-party state and is more likely to go in the other direction than to suddenly announce a trio of options. Turkmenistan has some of the slowest and most tightly controlled internet – positive messaging only is firmly encouraged – which is, of course, a major issue for locals. Youtube, WhatsApp and Facebook are blocked. There's no roaming. All in all, it's also an excuse for tourists to switch off and forget screens and report back on their experiences once they get home. For the time being, a letter of invitation is required (though this will be retired with the introduction of the new e-visa); tour firms will usually take care of the red tape. The Australian government's Smart Traveller website also advises, 'you must take a COVID-19 (PCR) test on arrival, and if you have a positive test result, you may be required to quarantine in a state-run facility or at your place of residence under medical supervision'. THE DETAILS Loading Fly Turkmenistan Airlines does not fly to Australia, but does fly from Ashgabat to several Asian hubs where passengers can connect to the airline, including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Alternatively, Turkish Airlines flies from Sydney and Melbourne to Ashgabat via Istanbul. Stay The five-star Yyldyz Hotel in Ashgabat has rooms from about $480 per night.
The Age
4 days ago
- The Age
Surreal and secretive, this Asian country is finally opening up
The Tolkuchka bazaar (also known as Altyn Asyr Bazaar), a 20-minute drive from downtown Ashgabat, affords visitors a glimpse of older Turkmen ways. Its shape is meant to resemble a Turkmen carpet and while it's only the fifth largest in Central Asia, it covers 100 hectares. Stalls sell spices, fake Rolexes, livestock, carpets, souvenirs, vegetables and fruit. Melons are a specialism; Turkmenistan has a crossbreed muskmelon called the Turkmenbashi melon. The second Sunday in August is National Melon Day. Turkmenistan is twice the size of the UK, almost as big as Spain. It has more than 4800 kilometres of railways, including lines to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Iran and Russia, and the 540-kilometre Trans-Karakum Railway across the desert of the same name. The most celebrated 'sight' here is the Gates of Hell gas crater at Darvaza, burning since the '80s when someone took out a match to prevent the emission of poisonous gases caused by a gas field's collapse 20 years earlier. A long, Milton-esque stairway in a cave at the foot of a mountain leads to the Köw Ata Underground Lake, where you can swim in sulphurous waters. Ancient Merv is a Unesco World Heritage site, a repository of 4000 years of history and 'the oldest and best-preserved of the oasis-cities along the Silk Route in Central Asia'. Nokhur cemetery in southern Turkmenistan contains tombstones decorated with mountain goat horns – believed by the Nokhuris (who claim to have descended from Alexander the Great's soldiers) to protect against evil spirits. Animism, Islam and Zoroastrianism are routinely melded, causing some traditional Muslims to take umbrage at Turkmenistan's bespoke approach to theology. The country is dotted with photogenic rock-scapes. Yangykala Canyon is the one that you see most often on promotional material, with its striated limestone walls rising out of an ancient seabed. Turkmenistan is a de facto one-party state with no serious opposition permitted. Should that put anyone off? Only if you also want to discard China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Eritrea; the US is a de facto two-party state and is more likely to go in the other direction than to suddenly announce a trio of options. Turkmenistan has some of the slowest and most tightly controlled internet – positive messaging only is firmly encouraged – which is, of course, a major issue for locals. Youtube, WhatsApp and Facebook are blocked. There's no roaming. All in all, it's also an excuse for tourists to switch off and forget screens and report back on their experiences once they get home. For the time being, a letter of invitation is required (though this will be retired with the introduction of the new e-visa); tour firms will usually take care of the red tape. The Australian government's Smart Traveller website also advises, 'you must take a COVID-19 (PCR) test on arrival, and if you have a positive test result, you may be required to quarantine in a state-run facility or at your place of residence under medical supervision'. THE DETAILS Loading Fly Turkmenistan Airlines does not fly to Australia, but does fly from Ashgabat to several Asian hubs where passengers can connect to the airline, including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Alternatively, Turkish Airlines flies from Sydney and Melbourne to Ashgabat via Istanbul. Stay The five-star Yyldyz Hotel in Ashgabat has rooms from about $480 per night.
