Alaja, Turkmenistan
Alaja, (), is a small, unincorporated populated place in Balkan Province in western Turkmenistan on the Caspian Sea. It is the site of an oil-loading terminal. Etymology. In the Turkmen language, "alaja" is an amulet bracelet woven of alternating colors of thread, usually black and white, worn to ward off the evil eye. The original Turkic meaning of the term is "striped", hence the name of the locality, because "there is water on both sides".