Türkmenbaşy, previously known asShagadam (Turkmen:Şagadam), Krasnovodsk (Russian:Красноводск) and Kyzyl-Su, is a city inBalkan Province in westernTurkmenistan, on theTürkmenbaşy Gulf of theCaspian Sea. It sits at an elevation of 27 metres (89 feet).[citation needed] The population (est 2004) was 86,800, mostly ethnicTurkmens but alsoRussian,Armenian andAzeri minorities. As the terminus of theTrans-Caspian Railway and site of a major seaport on the Caspian, it is an important transportation center. The city is also the site of Turkmenistan's largest oil refining complex.
In 1717, Russian PrinceAlexander Bekovich-Cherkassky landed and established a secret fortified settlement on this location, where the dry bed ofa former mouth of theAmu-Darya River once emptied into the Caspian Sea. His intent was to march an army up this dry riverbed and conquer theKhanate of Khiva. The expedition failed, and the Russians abandoned the settlement for over 150 years.
In 1869, the Russians invaded a second time. Having captured the settlement, they named their fortKrasnovodsk (Красноводск), which is a Russian translation of the original name,Kyzyl-Su (Red Water). The fort, Krasnovodsk, served asImperial Russia's base of operations against Khiva andBukhara, as well as the semi-nomadicTurkmen tribes.
The railway had originally begun from Uzun-Ada on theCaspian Sea, but the terminus was shifted north to the harbour at Krasnovodsk.[7]
On November 21, 1939,Krasnovodsk Oblast [ru] was formed with its administrative center in Krasnovodsk. The oblast was repeatedly liquidated and restored (January 23, 1947, liquidated; April 4, 1952, restored; December 9, 1955, liquidated; December 27, 1973, restored; August 25, 1988, eliminated).
In 1942, a large part of the PolishAnders' Army along with many civilians was evacuated from the USSR via the local port toIran.[8]
On January 10, 1991,Balkan province was created, and on May 18, 1992, was designated a velayat (Turkmen:welaýat) with its capital inBalkanabat. On 8 October 1993, Krasnovodsk was renamed byPresident for LifeSaparmurat Niyazov after his self-proclaimed titleTürkmenbaşy ("Head of [all] Turkmens") by Resolution No. 904-XII of Turkmenistan Parliament.[9]
The second President of Turkmenistan,Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, pledged in July 2007 to invest $1 billion in a project slated to turn Türkmenbaşy into a major tourist resort. He ordered development of theAwaza tourist zone with 60 modern hotels to be built along a 16 km (10 mi) stretch of the Caspian Sea shoreline.[10][11] Aside from Awaza, Türkmenbaşy city has three modern hotels: Türkmenbaşy Hotel, Charlak Hotel, and the new Silk Road Hotel at the seaport, in addition to the oldSoviet-era Hazar Hotel.
In recent years, the city has undergone large-scale reconstruction: historic district, entrance roads, and vital infrastructure.[12] A new Turkish Park and the cascade of fountains were added.[13] By the end of 2012 Magtymguly Avenue had been completely renovated. The new route merged with the city's waterfront, Bahry Hazar, and from the west motorway junction at Balykçy Traffic Circle a dual carriageway leads westward out of the city along a dike across Soymonov Bay toTurkmenbashy Airport and toAwaza.[14] In 2014, the Oilworkers Palace of Culture, which was built in 1951, was renovated.[15]
As of July 2013 the city was divided into twoboroughs (Turkmen:etrap): Awaza etraby (Avaza Borough) and Kenar etraby (Kenar Borough).[17] However, on 9 November 2022, the borough of Kenar was formally abolished, leaving Turkmenbashy officially with only one borough (uly etrap), Awaza etraby.[18][19][20]
Boroughs differ from ordinary municipal "districts" in that boroughs are led by a presidentialy appointed mayor (Turkmen:häkim), whereas ordinary municipal districts are subordinate to municipal authorities. Awaza etraby, an area of 9660 hectares, includes theAwaza national tourist zone,Turkmenbashy International Airport and a small residential area.[21][22]
The abolished Kenar etraby, an area of 7262 hectares, included the main part of the city of Turkmenbashy and the territory of the former town of Kenar. It encompassed theTurkmenbashy International Seaport, including the Kenar Oil Loading Terminal as well as the Kenar Oil Storage and Loading Enterprise (Russian:Кенарское предприятие хранения и отгрузки нефтепродуктов,Turkmen:Kenar nebit önümlerini saklamak we iberiş kärhanasy).
Türkmenbaşy has a colddesert climate (BWk, according to theKöppen climate classification), with hot summers and somewhat chilly winters. The average temperatures are 3 °C in January and 28 °C in July. With the40°N traversing the city, summers are extremely warm for the latitude considering its maritime position. The average annual precipitation is 125 mm (5 in).
Climate data for Türkmenbaşy (1991–2020, extremes 1883-present)
Western Turkmenistan has majorpetroleum andnatural gas reserves, and Turkmenistan's largestoil refinery is in Türkmenbaşy. The Turkmenbashy oil refinery had a refining capacity of more than 10 million tons of oil per year as of May 2016. The refinery produces a range of products, including unleaded gasoline, petroleum coke, asphalt, laundry detergent, hydro-treated diesel, and lubricating oil.[25] The Turkmenbashy oil refinery is Turkmenistan's largest producer of liquid petroleum gas, accounting for two-thirds of total production with annual output of about 300 thousand tonnes.[26]
Turkmen ship at Turkmenbashy Port
Since May 2018, the Balkan Shipbuilding and Repair Yard[27] has been operating at the Turkmenbashy International Seaport.[28][29] The plant, the capacity of which allows to process 10,000 tons of steel per year, is calculated for the construction of 4–6ships per year.[30] The production facility is capable of performing maintenance and repair work on 20–30 ships, by processing 2000 tons of steel per year.[31]
The city has one mobile operator :Altyn Asyr, which was implemented in 2007, and which has a4G technology network withLTE since 2010. The 4G network covers all areas of the city and theTurkmenbashi International Airport.
Internet access services and cable TV are provided by the operatorTurkmentelecom.[40] There is 1 internet cafe in the city.[40]
Turkmenbashi Marine Secondary Vocational School[41] ofTürkmendeňizderýaýollary Agency prepares specialists for the needs of the sea and river transport of Turkmenistan.[42] The term of study in accordance with the specialty is 2 or 2.5 years, on a paid basis.[43]
Salkyn kenar is an amusement park located on the coast of Caspian Sea.[44] The park covers an area of 2.7 hectares. This amusement park has over 30 attractions and many restaurants. It is a popular tourist attraction and visited by thousands of people every day. Park also serves as a concert venue.[45]
The public transport system and the relevant infrastructure in Turkmenbashy is primarily managed by the Turkmenawtoulaglary Agency.[46] Today, the city is served by an international airport and national rail services, municipal buses, minibuses, cabs, bike lanes.
Caspian Sea at the Port of Türkmenbaşy
The city is important as transport junction, formed by seaport with ferry terminal, airport and railway station.[47] TheM37 highway links the seaport to points east. The P-18 highway runs west from the seaport to Awaza, then north to the border withKazakhstan.
Turkmenbashy International Seaport is Turkmenistan's major seaport and sea link to the West. Ferry service connects Türkmenbaşy toBaku, Azerbaijan, which is about 260 kilometers across the Caspian Sea. It is the western terminus of theTrans-Caspian railway, which connects the city to Turkmenistan's capitalAshgabat and points further east.
Vessel Alcyone in Port of Turkmenbashy
In 1998, as part of its three-month expedition to the Caspian Sea, the Turkmenbashy International Seaport was visited by theCousteau Society on theAlcyone ship).[48]
Passenger lines as of 2021 connected Turkmenbashy with thePort of Baku, Azerbaijan, and thePort of Olya, Russia.[49]
In 2014, a sea passenger terminal for domestic routes was opened in the port.[50] On the internal lines, the city is connected withHazar andGyzylsuw.
In 2018, a new modernized seaport was opened, the largest on theCaspian Sea. The area of the new port is over 1.3 km2, and the total berth length is 3.6 km. The throughput capacity of the cargo terminal is up to 18 million tons per year.[51]
Initially in 1940 the airport was located at the bottom of the plateau, near Krasnovodsk Hospital. DuringWorld War II it was transferred to the top of the plateau and the airfield was collocated with aSoviet Air Force base. In 2010 the airport was reconstructed and gained international status. It has two runways.[53]Turkmenistan Airlines provides direct flights fromTürkmenbaşy International Airport toAshgabat,Daşoguz,Mary,Istanbul andTürkmenabat. The airport can be reached by bus or car from the city, taking approximately 10–15 minutes by car.
Turkmenbashi 's bus network forms a crucial backbone of the city's transit system. For almost a decade,Hyundai Aero City buses of various modifications were serving the city.
The city is also connected toAshgabat, Balkanabat and Garabogaz by bus.[54]
.jpg)
_Asia_(3892518404).jpg)
.jpg)
%2c_Turkmenistan_(1902).jpg)
.jpg)
