In 1971, a large gas field collapsed, forming the crater. One of the country’s most striking sights is the Darvaza gas crater, also known as the “Door to Hell,” which sits in the middle of the desert. Strict visa requirements limit tourism, but a new tourist zone called Awaza, with modern resorts, amusement parks, and a convention center, is being constructed on the Caspian Sea. The country also has some of the world’s largest natural gas reserves and sells natural gas to China, Iran, and India. This means that water has to be brought in to take care of the crops.Ĭotton is Turkmenistan’s largest crop. Although crops are grown on only 4 percent of the land, nearly half the population makes a living from farming. “Karakum” means “black sand.” The desert is one of the driest in the world, with annual rainfall between 3 and 6 inches. The Karakum Desert covers most of the country. His government is very restrictive, and it has been accused of suppressing freedom of speech and the press, and other human rights abuses. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow has been president since 2006.
The red strip represents the traditional carpets for which Turkmenistan is famous. The crescent symbolizes Islam, which is the religion that about 90 percent of the country follows. Turkmenistan’s flag is green with a crescent and five stars and a decorative strip. The capital city of Turkmenistan is Ashgabat.] It has just under six million people and is one of the least densely populated countries in Asia. And so, on our last night in Turkmenistan, we once again find ourselves in a marvellous marble and gold building, dancing on the equally familiar tunes of 2 Unlimited with the Turkmen wedding guests.Turkmenistan is an Asian country on the Caspian Sea, bordered by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Iran. It’s not long before we are invited to a wedding in the nearby town of Mary. Just like at Ashgabat airport, foreigners are as rare a sight as the long lost turquoise faience tiles. In front of the arched entrance gate of the Sultan Sanjar mausoleum, women in delicate traditional dresses, ranging from emerald green to crimson red, pose for a family portrait. That’s a good thing, as the unforgiving desert climate has taken its toll on the mud walls of many fortresses, mausoleums and ice houses. The glazed tiles that are omnipresent in the Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan are a rare sight in Turkmenistan – although archaeologists are busy restoring historic buildings. Today, the dome is entirely sand-coloured. Once upon a time, the shimmering of turquoise tiles covering the 36 meters high Sultan Sanjar mausoleum could be seen by desert caravans still a day’s ride away from the city. Merv is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most important archaeological site in the country. Some historians even suggest it might have been up to a million. The city housed 200,000 to 500,000 inhabitants – extraordinary numbers back in the 12th and 13th centuries AD. In fact, Merv might have been the largest city on earth, according to Tertius Chandler – a historian, specializing in population estimates of ancient cities. It’s hard to fathom this inhospitable landscape of dunes and gnarly saxaul shrubs was once home to one of the world’s largest cities. The heat of the fire on which Döwlet prepares our shashlik is not sufficient to counter the chill of the desert night. It’s time to put on our warm telpeks – large sheepskin hats. I hope they will keep the scorpions and camel spiders at bay tonight. Geckos run away and hide under the canvas.
In the meantime, our guide Döwlet prepares the yurt close to the crater for a night in the desert. Even without the pungent sulfur scent that rises from the depths, it requires little fantasy to imagine a gateway to hell in this never-ending inferno. Furious flames and a roar like that of a thousand Bunsen burners, burning simultaneously to hypnotize us. The scorching heat close to the ridge of the seventy-meter wide crater is outrageous. Almost fifty years later, the fire still burns unabated.
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