£11bn Ghost City: Empty Metropolis 76 Years On
Discover Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s “White City of the Dead,” a starkly contrasting metropolis built on lavish spending. This £11bn project, 76 years in the making, showcases hundreds of marble-clad buildings, a monumental fountain complex, and more. Though, high living costs and strict regulations result in eerily empty streets. While ambitions like a falcon-shaped airport and Olympic village exist, tourism struggles due to visa requirements and limited flights. News Directory 3 reports on the city’s evolution from a Soviet town to a modern, yet sparsely populated, urban center. Explore the history, challenges, and the uncertain future of this unique city. Discover what’s next for Ashgabat.
ashgabat: Exploring Turkmenistan’s “White City of the Dead”
Updated June 08, 2025
Once a small town in Soviet Turkmenistan, Ashgabat underwent a dramatic conversion following a devastating earthquake in 1948. The “White City” urban renewal project, initiated in the 1950s, resulted in hundreds of towering structures clad in white marble. Today, Ashgabat holds the record for the highest concentration of marble buildings, though it’s often called the “city of the dead” due to its empty streets.
Beyond the marble buildings, the Ashgabat Fountain complex stands out, featuring 27 synchronized fountains spread across 15 hectares. the city also showcased a gold statue of former leader Saparmurat Niyazov, which rotated 360 degrees every 24 hours.
Niyazov’s successor, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, continued the project, constructing a falcon-shaped airport capable of handling millions of passengers annually.Despite this capacity, the airport sees limited use. Other ambitious projects include a large ice arena and an Olympic village,despite Turkmenistan’s limited Olympic history.
While one million people reside in Ashgabat, most live in the suburbs. High rents, often exceeding what locals can afford, contribute to the city’s lack of pedestrian activity. Other factors include regulations such as mandatory white cars and extreme temperatures.
Tourism remains low in Ashgabat. While Dubai welcomes millions of visitors each year, Ashgabat sees only a fraction of that number. Visa requirements and limited direct flights further restrict tourism.
Visas are available in transit and tourist forms, the latter requiring a letter of Invitation. Visa costs range from £40 to £118, payable in U.S. dollars.
What’s next
Future growth in Ashgabat remains uncertain, with questions surrounding the balance between grand projects and the needs of its residents. Whether the city can overcome its challenges and attract more visitors remains to be seen.