# Saparmurat Turkmenbashy Olympic Stadium

Ashgabat Olympic Stadium (Turkmen: Aşgabat Olimpiýa stadiony; (formerly and also known as the Saparmurat Turkmenbashy Olympic Stadium) is an outdoor multi-purpose stadium in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. It opened in 2017 on the site of the original Olympic Stadium, which had stood from 2003 until 2013. The stadium is Turkmenistan's national football stadium, and thus was hosts the majority of the Turkmenistan national team.
The stadium is a part of the Ashgabat Olympic Complex, and is located in Kopetdag District of Ashgabat city. The stadium is located at Ashgabat Olympic Complex, 7, Ashgabat city.

## History

The stadium held 30,000 people and was built in 2003, named for Saparmurat Niyazov.
In 2007 the Turkmen government decided to reconstruct the stadium and to enlarge it. The new arena seats up to 45,000 people. The stadium closed in 2012, and was partially demolished in 2013 for redevelopment.

### Renovation for AIMAG 2017

The construction of the stadium was completed in 2016, but it was officially opened in 2017. The stadium was designed by the British architectural firms AFL Architects and Arup, with construction carried out by the Turkish company Polimeks.
The exterior of the stadium is designed in white tones, with the northern facade featuring a depiction of an Akhal-Teke horse's head. The stadium has a seating capacity of 45,000 spectators. Its two-tiered stands are fully covered by a roof.
The most prominent feature of the new renovations is head of an Ahal-Teke horse, which resembles the national emblem of the country. The artistic depiction of an Akhal-Teke horse adorning the grandstand of the Olympic Stadium, recognized as the largest horse symbol in the world and listed in the Guinness World Records, measures 40.05 meters (131 ft 4.9 in) in height, 37.69 meters (123 ft 7.9 in) in length, and 40.24 meters (132 ft 0.6 in) at its widest point. Weighing 600 tonnes, the statue commemorates Turkmenistan's rich equestrian history.
In 2017, it hosted Asian Olympic Council’s Asian Indoor & Martial Arts games that included participation from Australia and wider Oceania. The wider Ashgabat Olympic Park also hosted the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships.

## Events

The stadium is mostly used for football matches by the Turkmen national football team, but also for musical performances by Turkmen pop stars such as Maral Ibragimova.
The stadium used for matches of the Turkmenistan national football team at 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification and 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.
The stadium hosted home matches for HTTU and Nebitchi during the group stage of the 2007 AFC Cup.
The reconstructed stadium was the site of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, also called the 5th Asian Indoor Games. The opening and closing ceremonies for the games were held on 17 and 27 September 2017.

## Interesting facts

The Ashgabat Olympic Stadium is even honored by being featured on the 100 Turkmen manat banknote.
In 2017, a set of two commemorative 100 manat coins was issued to honor the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, featuring a gold and a silver coin, both depicting the Ashgabat Olympic Stadium.