Ashgabat is the largest city and capital of Turkmenistan that is located at the foot of the Kopet Dag Mountains and situated on the border of the Karakum Desert.

A favorite tourist spot is the Neutrality Arch which is the tallest structure in the area that features ornate inscriptions and a glass elevator. At the top of the monument you will find a gold plated statue of former president-for-life Saparmurat Niyazov which turns 360 degrees over 24 hours so that it would face the sun all the time. The Ashgabat flagpole is also the tallest freestanding flagpole in the world.

There are a number of notable museums such as the Turkmen Carpet Museums which is famous for its grand collection of carpets plus a Turkmen history museum combined in one and the Ashgabat National Museum of History that displays artifacts from Parthian and Persian Civilizations.