Serhetabat, Turkmenistan

What makes Serhetabat worthy of your attention? The town is known for cotton producing and vineyards. If you’re not all about great wine and cotton industry, there’re, approximately, 200 architectural and historical monuments in the surroundings of the town. We think that 200 is quite a number. 

This Turkmenistan sight is located in in the Mary Province. This little town was established as a main outpost of the Russian Empire against Afghanistan in 1890. Originally, Serhetabat was named Kushka, after the river that’s located nearby. 

One of the major Turkmenistan sights near Serhetabat is Abiverd – one of the most ancient settlements in the country and a historical reserve. Many centuries back Abiverd was a prosperous fortress city with fertile lands and large markets. It had districts of craftsmen that produced the finest examples of pottery. Archaeological excavations revealed many hand-made jewelry and metal objects.  Its prosperity and significance caused disputes among Arabian caliphs. All disputes were solved by the eldest descendant of Genghis-khan – Tulikhan who destroyed the town completely. Modern Abiverd is a typical little town with remnants of ancient buildings here and there. 

Another fascinating Turkmenistan sight in the surroundings of Serhetabat is Altyn-Depe or ‘’Turkmen Stonehenge”. It’s a settlement of the Bronze Age located in southwestern part of the country. Altyn-Depe was a large center of civilization in Central Asia with thousands of citizens. Architectural tendencies of the settlement remind a lot of ancient Babylon; houses were built out of mud bricks and formed districts. Craftsmanship was highly developed in Altyn-Depe ; archaeological excavations revealed finest examples of local casters: gold and silver jewelry, necklaces, and rings.