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Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The former tallest freestanding flagpole in the world, and at a height of 133 metres (436 feet) still one of the tallest.
The Ashgabat Flagpole is a flagpole in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. It is 133 metres tall, making it the eighth tallest free–standing and ninth tallest flagpole in the world. It was erected on 29 June 2008. It was the tallest free–standing flagpole in the world until being surpassed by the 162 m (531 ft) National Flagpole in Azerbaijan on 1 September 2010. The Vice-president of the Guinness Book of World Records at the time, Greig Glenday, came to Ashgabat as a witness, and handed over a certificate of the record.
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Hall 1 is dedicated to post-independence Turkmenistan, Hall 2 (upstairs) has a focus on ancient history with exhibits from Bronze Age sites and artefacts from Margiana. Halls 3 shows artefacts found at the Parthian site of Nisa. In Hall 4 a model of the medieval Merv, dioramas from Konye Urgench and Anau and the beautiful Merv vase are exhibited. Hall 5 and 6 display collections of weapons, musical instruments, silver jewellery and female dress. In Hall 7 (downstairs) a 20 m x 13 m carpet is exhibited.
Though the country did profess a stature of neutrality, it's a somewhat ironic name because it's essentially a love monument Niyazov created of himself, now moved to the present location after his death.
The most important monument of Ashgabat in located in the southern part of Turkmenistan Independence Park, which covers an area 2 km long and 1 km wide. The area around the Independence Monument contains monuments of famous people of Turkmen history: the founder of the Seljuk dynasty Seljuk Beg, the founder of the Turkmen people Oguz Han, the Turkmen poet Magtymguly, the Seljuk leader Sultan Sanjar, the Turkmen warrior Georogly, the Seljuk rulers Alp Arslan and Malik Shah, the 18th-century leader of the Ahal Tekkes Keymir Kor, the poets Zelilli and Sydi, the leader of the White Sheep confederation Uzyn Hasan, the father of the founder of the Ottoman Empire Ertogul Gazy, the Turkmen commander and poet Bairam Han, the poets Molianepes and Mataji, the Turkmen leader Gara Yusup, the Seljuk ruler Togrul Beg, the spiritual leader Gorkut Ata and the poet Kemine.
In the first floor, the museum houses displays of silver jewellery for women and horses, and replicas of the golden bull- and wolf-head sculptures from Altyn Depe.
Second tallest structure in Turkmenistan, with a museum and cafeteria inside.
A golf course that the 2nd president of Turkmenistan summoned Jack Nicklaus to build for his enjoyment in spite of economic hardship in the city.