9 articles tagged with turkmenistan
The desert wind whispers ancient secrets as I stand at the threshold of what was once the world's largest city. Ancient Merv, rising from the Karakum Desert like a mirage of mud-brick monuments, has drawn me to this remote corner...
Standing beneath the towering white marble monuments of Ashgabat, I couldn't help but feel I'd stepped into a parallel universe—one where extravagance and emptiness coexist in perfect harmony. This city, rebuilt after the devastating 1948 earthquake, now gleams with more...
As someone who's spent a decade analyzing human behavior in high-pressure environments, I can tell you that few business destinations require the level of preparation that Ashgabat demands. This gleaming marble metropolis rising from the Karakum Desert presents a fascinating...
Standing alone in the vast Karakum Desert, watching the setting sun cast long shadows across the crumbling walls of what was once the world's largest city, I felt that familiar tingle of discovery that first captured me in Kenya years...
The desert air carries whispers of ancient caravans as I stand atop the crumbling walls of Merv, once one of the world's largest cities, now a haunting archaeological complex outside modern-day Mary, Turkmenistan. After treating patients through the pandemic in...
In the quantum realm, we observe that particles can exist simultaneously in contradictory states until measured. My recent expedition through Chiang Mai and Ashgabat revealed a similar duality in human nightlife ecosystems. These two cities, separated by 3,700 kilometers of...
The first thing you should know about photographing in Turkmenistan is that it's complicated. As our guide ushered us through customs at Mary Airport, he whispered, *'Camera? Keep hidden until I tell you.'* This wasn't your typical photography tour disclaimer....
G'day, luxury travelers! If you've ever wondered what it would be like to stay in a city that holds the Guinness World Record for the highest concentration of white marble buildings, then Ashgabat should be next on your bucket list....
Standing atop the crumbling walls of Kyz Kala fortress as the autumn sun cast long shadows across the ancient city of Merv, I felt that familiar rush of connection to the past that first drew me to architectural preservation. This...