page_title: Turkmenistan
section_title: Tourism
hierarchical_section_title: Turkmenistan / Economy / Tourism
caption_attribution_description: English: The Door to Hell, a burning natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan. This image is made from three 17mm shots stitched together and the field of view (~170°) is larger than it may appear (the field has roughly the size of two basketball courts).
context_page_description: Turkmenistan, also known as Turkmenia, is a sovereign country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ashgabat is the capital and largest city of the country. The population of the country is 6 million, the lowest of the Central Asian republics. Turkmenistan is one of the most sparsely populated nations in Asia. Citizens of Turkmenistan are known as Turkmenistanis or Turkmen.
  Turkmenistan has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. Merv being the oldest of oasis-cities in Central Asia was once the biggest city in the world, in medieval times one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road, a caravan route used for trade with China until the mid-15th century. Annexed by the Russian Empire in 1881, Turkmenistan later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central Asia. In 1925, Turkmenistan became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic; it became independent after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
context_section_description: The tourism industry has been growing rapidly in recent years, especially medical tourism. This is primarily due to the creation of the Awaza tourist zone on the Caspian Sea. Every traveler must obtain a visa before entering Turkmenistan (see Visa policy of Turkmenistan). To obtain a tourist visa, citizens of most countries need visa support from a local travel agency. For tourists visiting Turkmenistan, there are organized tours with a visit to historical sites Daşoguz, Konye-Urgench, Nisa, Merv, Mary, beach tours to Avaza and medical tours and holidays in Mollakara, Ýylysuw and Archman.
caption: Panorama of the site of the Darvaza gas crater
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