Spending 3 Days in The World's Strangest City
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the traveler explores Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, a city known for its extreme wealth from natural gas reserves and its bizarre post-Soviet architecture. With white marble adorning nearly a thousand buildings, the city holds a Guinness World Record for its use of marble. Despite its grandeur, the city feels eerily empty and staged, with strict government control and a populace living a simple life under the watchful eye of the regime. The traveler's experiences include an encounter with a Turkmen wedding and interactions with friendly locals, all while navigating the peculiarities of a country ranked low in corruption and freedom.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, is the 170th country visited by the traveler, known for its offbeat and unusual attractions.
- 🏰 The city's architecture is strikingly unique, with approximately 80 buildings decorated in over 5 million cubic meters of white marble, earning it a Guinness World Record.
- 💸 Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the region due to its vast natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan is the seventh least visited country, with less than 10,000 visitors per year, largely due to the difficulty and cost of obtaining a visa.
- 🚫 The country's strict regulations and surveillance are reminiscent of North Korea, with tourists required to be on organized tours and restrictions on photography.
- 🏛️ Ashgabat is home to many large, white marble buildings, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Parliament, which are not allowed to be photographed.
- 🤵 The city has an eerie, almost deserted feel during the day, with few people visible on the streets, giving it a ghost-town appearance.
- 👮♂️ There's a pervasive sense of being watched, with strict controls on public behavior and photography, contributing to the city's surreal atmosphere.
- 🎉 The traveler had the opportunity to witness a Turkmen wedding, showcasing a glimpse of the local culture and traditions.
- 🏡 Life in Turkmenistan is simple, with limited internet access (less than 1%) and most citizens employed by the government, reflecting a controlled society.
- 🚫 The former dictator, Saparmurat Niyazov, had a profound impact on the country, implementing bizarre laws that continue to influence Turkmenistan's society and culture.
- 🌐 The current dictator's presence is felt throughout the city, with the traveler experiencing a police-enforced stop for the president's late-night drive, highlighting the authoritarian nature of the regime.
Q & A
What is the narrator's impression of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan?
-The narrator finds Ashgabat to be completely over the top and bizarre, comparing it to their time in Pyongyang, North Korea.
How does the narrator describe Turkmenistan's difficulty for tourists to visit?
-Turkmenistan is extremely difficult and pricey for tourists to visit, requiring an organized trip and a visa process similar to North Korea.
Why is Turkmenistan one of the wealthiest countries in the region?
-Turkmenistan is one of the wealthiest countries in the region due to having the fourth biggest natural gas reserve on earth.
What is unique about the buildings in Ashgabat?
-The buildings in Ashgabat are uniquely constructed in white marble, earning the city a Guinness World Record for the extensive use of this material.
How does the narrator describe the streets of Ashgabat during the day?
-The streets of Ashgabat are described as shockingly empty during the day, almost like a ghost town.
What is the significance of the golden turbine on top of the ministry building?
-The golden turbine on top of the ministry building signifies the importance of the oil and gas industry in Turkmenistan.
What is the narrator's observation about the people in Turkmenistan?
-The narrator finds the people in Turkmenistan to be friendly, curious, and most of them enjoy being on camera.
What is the internet access situation in Turkmenistan?
-Less than one percent of Turkmenistan's residents have internet access.
What was the former dictator's approach to governance?
-The former dictator, Sapa Mori Niyazov, had a unique approach to governance, including renaming months after family members, banning certain forms of entertainment, and enforcing laws about car colors and pet ownership.
How does the current situation with the new dictator affect the city?
-The new dictator's presence is still felt in the city, with instances like the narrator being stopped by the police for the president's passage at 4 am.
What is the narrator's final thought on Ashgabat?
-The narrator finds Ashgabat to be one of the most fascinating and puzzling cities they have ever seen, feeling unbelievably staged and questioning what is real.
Outlines
🌆 Ashgabat: The Bizarre Capital of Turkmenistan
The video script introduces Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, as a city reminiscent of Pyongyang in North Korea, with its post-Soviet, Central Asian vibe. The narrator describes the city as one of the least visited in the world due to its high entry costs and strict visa requirements. Despite this, Turkmenistan is one of the wealthiest countries in the region, thanks to its vast natural gas reserves. Ashgabat is characterized by its extensive use of white marble, earning it a Guinness World Record. The city's architecture is grandiose, with numerous buildings, fountains, and statues, yet it feels eerily empty during the day. The narrator also touches upon the strict control and surveillance felt by the citizens, the influence of the former dictator's eccentric laws on society, and the current dictator's mysterious presence. The video ends with an encounter at a Turkmen wedding, showcasing the contrast between the city's flashy exterior and the simple lives of its people.
🤳 Encounters with Locals and Final Thoughts
In the second paragraph, the narrator engages with locals, humorously noting his resemblance to Justin Bieber, which leads to a friendly interaction and a selfie. The video concludes with the narrator, Drew, inviting viewers to subscribe to his travel channel as he aims to visit every country in the world. This segment highlights the warmth and curiosity of the Turkmen people, despite the controlled and somewhat surreal environment they live in.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ashgabat
💡Turkmenistan
💡Post-Soviet
💡White Marble
💡Dictator
💡Propaganda
💡Corruption
💡Wealth
💡Organized Tour
💡Ghost Town
Highlights
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, is described as bizarrely beautiful, reminiscent of Pyongyang, North Korea.
Turkmenistan is the 170th country visited, known for its off-the-beaten-path appeal.
The country is extremely difficult and costly to visit, with a requirement for organized tours and visas.
Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the region due to natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan is the seventh least visited country in the world.
Ashgabat is decorated with white marble, earning a Guinness World Record for the extensive use of the material.
The city features nearly a thousand buildings adorned with over 5 million cubic meters of imported white marble.
Government buildings like the Ministry of Agriculture and Parliament are showcased, with restrictions on photography.
The city's architecture is compared to Disneyland in a desert, with perfectly manicured gardens and elegant fountains.
Statues in the city are described as 'freaky', all seemingly looking at a central monument.
Turkmenistan's propaganda is highlighted, showing the country in a positive light on TV.
The streets of Ashgabat are noted to be shockingly empty during the day, giving a ghost-town feel.
The wedding hall in Ashgabat is described as obnoxiously large, raising questions about its necessity.
Despite the flashy cityscape, the people of Turkmenistan live a simple life with limited internet access and government employment.
The former dictator's eccentric laws, such as renaming months and banning pet dogs, have left a lasting impact on society.
The current dictator's presence is palpable, with an incident of a police-enforced stop for the president's late-night drive.
Ashgabat is called one of the most fascinating and puzzling cities, with a staged and surreal atmosphere.
The government's spending on empty, white marble buildings is questioned, highlighting the disconnect between appearance and reality.
The video ends with an interaction with locals, showcasing the friendly and curious nature of the people.
Transcripts
gosh this city is completely over the
top and bizarre it reminds me of my time
spent in pyongyang north korea in every
single way possible
[Music]
it's a beautiful evening here in
ashgabat turkmenistan 170th country if
you like weird off the beaten path
destinations then this might be my most
exciting video yet get ready to hear
about life in this bizarre post-soviet
central asian country welcome to
turkmenistan with less than ten thousand
visitors a year turkmenistan ranks as
the seventh least visited country in the
world why because it's extremely
difficult and pricey to get in much like
north korea every tourist must be on an
organized trip to get the visa and my
four-day private tour is costing me just
over a thousand dollars believe it or
not turkmenistan is one of the
wealthiest countries in the region
because they have the fourth biggest
natural gas reserve on earth and what
comes as a result a perfectly
constructed capital city called ashgabat
that's completely decorated in the
whitest marble you've ever seen do you
know how many white buildings there it's
about 80 of
uh buildings yeah i wear them album
that's so crazy
it feels like disneyland in a desert
this is the biggest fountain in the
central asia within 12 square miles
there are nearly a thousand buildings
glistening in over 5 million cubic
meters of imported white marble in fact
so much marble was used in ashgabat that
it was awarded a guinness world record
this is the ministry of agriculture the
next one this is the parliament we're
not able to take a picture of them even
from the car um yeah because they're
guards ministry of education open book
and this is the ministry of the flooring
affairs you see that in the top globe
yeah there's a golden turbine stand the
rest of the city is beautiful from the
outside perfectly manicured gardens huge
boulevards elegant fountains and
amazingly detailed statues these statues
are kind of freaky they're all looking
at the monument when you turn on the tv
a propaganda commercial shows off the
country in the best way possible
[Music]
but the funny thing is the streets are
shockingly empty during the day almost
like a ghost town so i'm walking around
the middle of downtown ashgabat and it
is just so weird you got all these white
buildings everywhere and these like
monuments staring at you the only people
around here are construction workers and
soldiers this wedding hall is
obnoxiously big and it just doesn't make
sense like how could that many people be
getting married here you get the feeling
that someone is watching over your
shoulder 24 7 and it's always
nerve-wracking to take any photos or
videos but i did find the people to be
very friendly and quite curious and most
of them do love the camera
on one occasion i was lucky enough to
see people out in the streets okay so we
hear some drum beats over here and
apparently it's a turkmen wedding we're
gonna crash it
[Music]
putting the flashiness of the city aside
the people really live a simple life
here less than one percent of
turkmenistan's 6 million residents have
internet access and over 90 percent of
all workers are employed by the
government so when i hear that
turkmenistan is constantly ranked rock
bottom in terms of corruption i can't be
that surprised the former dictator sapa
mora niyazov this guy liked to do things
his own way he renamed all the months
based on the names of his family members
he banned opera ballet and circuses
because he thought that they were too
noisy he only allowed white cars on the
roads and made it illegal to have pet
dogs because he didn't like the smell
all of his weird laws have influenced
society in the strangest of ways that
will leave you scratching your head what
a strange place
it gets even stranger with a new
dictator global news right now is filled
with articles that he has gone missing
since june but i figured out pretty
quickly that he's certainly around on a
drive to the hotel from the airport the
police officer came to us on the street
and was like pull over now the
president's coming through so we had to
pull over and like hide behind the tree
and the president came yeah i see the
police and all these cop cars and the
lights on and he passed and it's very
suspicious that a president is driving
by at 4am ashkobot is without question
one of the most fascinating and puzzling
cities i've ever seen it really feels
unbelievably staged here i cannot wrap
my head around what is real or not and
it blows my mind how the government
spends dozens of billions of us dollars
to make these white marble buildings
behind me that are completely empty are
you from germany no america you're
joking us oh my god
really what's your name drew can i check
your hand nice to meet you nice to meet
you nice to meet you
drew like d-d-r-e-w oh justin bieber oh
my god oh my god what was it i don't get
it why justin bieber no
you look like
yeah justin drew bieber uh do you like
justin bieber yeah
so can i take a selfie yes but let me
take one of you first okay okay ready
one
two
three
i'm drewbinski and if you like my travel
videos please click subscribe and join
me as i plan to visit every country in
the world
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