Introducing Turkmenabat
Lying on the banks of the mighty Amu-Darya, between the Karakum desert and the fertile plains of Uzbekistan, Turkmenabat sits at a crossroads of cultures. On its streets you’ll hear as much Uzbek as Turkmen and will likely be enjoying Uzbek produce, driven across the border a few kilometres to the north. Having only recently received a name change, most residents still refer to the town as Charjou, a title bequeathed during Russian occupation. Local history is in fact much older – the Silk Road city of Amul prospered here until its destruction by the Mongols in 1221.
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Today Turkmenabat is the second-largest city in the country, but retains an anachronistic air with most of its commerce based on cross-border trade. There are few attractions to hold you down, but the city does have a reasonable collection of hotels and restaurants, making a logical stopover on the long journeys to Kugitang Nature Reserve, Mary or Dashogus.
Last updated: Jun 3, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Two Transit Visas to go to Uzbek. and back to Iran
by cecarsan 31 August 2011
Hi My plan is in next October-November visit Iran, cross Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan (via Mashad-Turkmenabat) and after ten days return…
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Train Journey Across Central Asia
by sololo 30 August 2011
Hi all, I am interested in traveling on trains from Iran, across Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan) to China in November…
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RE: latest news on transit visa for Turkmenistan (from/to Iran or Uzbekistan)
by CentralAsia_traveler 29 July 2011
I had a tourist visa, not a transit visa. I had guides arranged via the excellent folks at [StanTours|stantours.com]. My main points…
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