Story
There is a widespread interpretation of the word Ashgabat as eshg - love and abad - populated, comfortable. However, some scholars have put forward a version that the word Ashkabad comes from the Persian word “Ashk” and is the name of one of the Parthian kings of the Arsacid (Arsacid) dynasty. Among other things, the place where the capital of Turkmenistan, the city of Ashgabat, is located, is located just a few kilometers from the former residence of the Parthian kings of Nissa. In addition, recent archaeological excavations in the riverbed of the Ashgabat River have revealed many artifacts that indicate that this place was the site of settlements of primitive people thousands of years ago. These data suggest that the city of Ashgabat may have a more ancient history than is commonly believed.
Historical sources mention that in the 3rd century. BC e. On the territory of present-day Ashgabat, on the orders of the Arsacids, a well-fortified fortress was built. Thus, this date is considered to be the beginning of the city’s emergence - the middle of the 3rd century. BC. After all, many cities with a history of more than a thousand years were initially fortresses. In the 13th century The cities of Turkmenistan were attacked by the hordes of Genghis Khan. Most of them were destroyed. Some were restored, but Ashgabat remained an abandoned village for a long time. Only in the XVIII-XIX centuries. the fortress was reconstructed.
In 1881, Ashgabat became the administrative center of the Trans-Caspian region. The construction of the Askhabad-Caspian railway lines in 1885 and Askhabad-Tashkent in 1899 contributed to the growth of the city and the development of trade relations. In December 1917, power in the city passed into the hands of the Bolshevik Soviet. On July 17, 1919, the city was renamed Poltoratsk in honor of the revolutionary figure P. G. Poltoratsky. With the formation of the Turkmen SSR on October 27, 1924, the city became the capital of the republic, and in 1927 its original name Ashgabat was returned. In 1948, the city was completely destroyed by an earthquake, after which it was practically rebuilt. In the 1960-1970s. A general reconstruction was carried out, during which the streets were significantly expanded, microdistricts and green recreation areas were created.
In connection with the construction of the Central Asian Railway and the Karakum Canal in 1962, Ashgabat literally within a decade turned into an important transport center of Turkmenistan. At the end of 1969, the city was connected to the Bayram-Ali-Ashgabat-Bezmein gas pipeline. Since 1991, after the collapse of the USSR, Ashgabat has become the capital of independent Turkmenistan.