Turkmenistan Photograpy Trip REPORT
A Whirlwind Trip to Turkmenistan: The World’s Strangest Destination
Turkmenistan is a land of bizarre wonders, where white marble cities and flaming desert craters create an otherworldly vibe. This adventure through Central Asia’s most enigmatic country left me awestruck by its quirks and contrasts. Entering the country requires succeeding a tricky visa application (Turkmenistan has less visitors than North Korea..).
Landing in Ashgabat feels like stepping into a surreal dream. The capital holds a Guinness World Record for its 543 white marble buildings, gleaming eerily empty under the sun. The city’s sterile perfection, with rules banning non-white cars and stray dogs, is both fascinating and unsettling. Most of the big boulevards are completely empty and no one can be seen but a few worker cleaning the streets. One of the positive aspects of Turkmenistan isolation and closeness was the preservation of cultural traditions within the people. Hence the vast majority of locals were dressed with very colorful Turkmen clothing. The history of the country is also quite fascinating being located at the crossroads of many empires and civilizations (Genghis Khan; Alexander the Great; The Russian Empire; Persians, etc..).
One of the highlights of the trip was to drive into the Karakum Desert to witness the Darvaza Gas Crater, a fiery pit burning since 1971 due to a Soviet drilling mishap. We slept in yurts beside this glowing “Gates of Hell” which turned to be a surreal experience, with flames casting an eerie glow across the sand. Ashgabat. The sight is however to be shot down soon by the Turkmen government due to the heavy pollution it generates.
