Independence Square

Ashgabat

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At the centre of Ashgabat is the enormous Independence Square, on which sits the golden-domed Palace of Turkmenbashi (the place of work of the former president), the Ministry of Fairness, the Ministry of Defence and Ruhyyet Palace, all of which were built by the French corporation Bouygues Construction, one-time court builder to Niyazov.

Unfortunately, you can't enter or even get close to any of these buildings, and travellers report that if you walk in this area, government officials will quickly move you along.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • National Museum

    National Museum

    3.8 MILES

    Looking like a lost palace in the urban desert, the National Museum occupies a striking position in front of the Kopet Dag. It’s actually a collection of…

  • Arch of Neutrality

    Arch of Neutrality

    4.59 MILES

    Once the centrepiece of Niyazov's Ashgabat, the Arch of Neutrality was erected to celebrate the Turkmen people's unsurprisingly unanimous endorsement of…

  • Carpet Museum

    Carpet Museum

    0.85 MILES

    While there’s a limit to the number of rugs the average visitor can stand, the central exhibit, the world’s largest handwoven rug, really is something to…

  • Museum of Fine Arts

    Museum of Fine Arts

    0.51 MILES

    The Museum of Fine Arts is located in an impressive building with a big rotunda, two tiers and lots of gold. The collection contains some great Soviet…

  • Independence Park

    Independence Park

    3.33 MILES

    The Altyn Asyr Shopping Centre is the curious pyramidal shopping centre at the northern end of Independence Park. The Monument to the Independence of…

  • Statue of Lenin

    Statue of Lenin

    0.3 MILES

    The statue of Lenin, in a small park off Azadi köçesi, is a charmingly incongruous assembly of a tiny Lenin on an enormous and very Central Asian plinth…

  • Circus

    Circus

    1.6 MILES

    This Soviet-era circus building, which resembles a flying saucer, has been 'Turkmenised' with a coating of white marble. It's definitely worth a look if…

  • Azadi Mosque

    Azadi Mosque

    0.85 MILES

    More a statement of foreign-policy leanings than a sign of religious awakening, the Azadi mosque, similar in appearance to the Blue Mosque in İstanbul,…

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Nearby Ashgabat attractions

1. Statue of Lenin

0.3 MILES

The statue of Lenin, in a small park off Azadi köçesi, is a charmingly incongruous assembly of a tiny Lenin on an enormous and very Central Asian plinth…

3. Majlis

0.37 MILES

Turkmenistan's parliament building is opposite Independence Square.

4. Museum of Fine Arts

0.51 MILES

The Museum of Fine Arts is located in an impressive building with a big rotunda, two tiers and lots of gold. The collection contains some great Soviet…

5. Azadi Mosque

0.85 MILES

More a statement of foreign-policy leanings than a sign of religious awakening, the Azadi mosque, similar in appearance to the Blue Mosque in İstanbul,…

6. Carpet Museum

0.85 MILES

While there’s a limit to the number of rugs the average visitor can stand, the central exhibit, the world’s largest handwoven rug, really is something to…

7. Mosque of Khezrety Omar

1.12 MILES

The modern mosque of Khezrety Omar, off Atamurat Niyazov köçesi, is worth visiting for its wonderfully garish painted ceilings.

8. Circus

1.6 MILES

This Soviet-era circus building, which resembles a flying saucer, has been 'Turkmenised' with a coating of white marble. It's definitely worth a look if…