Spending 3 Days in The World's Strangest City

Drew Binsky

17 Aug 201905:32

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

00:00

🌆 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.

05:02

🤳 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

Ashgabat is the capital city of Turkmenistan, described in the video as a beautifully constructed city with a unique characteristic: an extensive use of white marble for its buildings. The city's architecture is highlighted as being both impressive and bizarre, with nearly a thousand buildings decorated in over 5 million cubic meters of imported white marble, earning it a Guinness World Record. The video script mentions Ashgabat as a place that feels like 'Disneyland in a desert,' indicating the surreal and almost fantasy-like atmosphere of the city.

💡Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a post-Soviet Central Asian country that is portrayed in the video as one of the least visited and most intriguing destinations. It is characterized by its wealth, stemming from the fourth biggest natural gas reserve on earth, and its strict regulations for tourists, requiring them to be on an organized trip to obtain a visa. The country's peculiarities, such as its white marble-clad capital and the lifestyle of its residents, are central to the video's theme of exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations.

💡Post-Soviet

The term 'post-Soviet' refers to the countries that were once part of the Soviet Union and have since become independent nations. In the context of the video, Turkmenistan is described as a post-Soviet country, which implies a history of Soviet influence and the subsequent development of its own unique identity and characteristics after gaining independence. The video touches upon the remnants of Soviet-era policies and the new, sometimes bizarre, directions the country has taken since then.

💡White Marble

White marble is a key element in the city's aesthetic, as mentioned in the script, with nearly a thousand buildings in Ashgabat being decorated with it. The extensive use of white marble not only gives the city a uniform and pristine appearance but also contributes to the surreal and almost otherworldly feel of the place. The script describes the city as 'glistening' with white marble, emphasizing its cleanliness and the stark contrast it provides to the desert surroundings.

💡Dictator

The term 'dictator' is used in the video to describe the former leader of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, who is known for his eccentric and autocratic rule. The video mentions his peculiar laws and the lasting impact they have had on Turkmenistan's society and culture. The dictator's influence is evident in the country's unique characteristics, such as the banning of pet dogs and the requirement for all cars to be white, which adds to the video's theme of exploring the bizarre.

💡Propaganda

Propaganda is referenced in the video script when describing the commercial that plays on TV, showcasing the country in a positive light. Propaganda typically involves the dissemination of information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, to promote a particular political cause or point of view. In the context of the video, it is used to contrast the idealized image of Turkmenistan with the reality experienced by the traveler, highlighting the discrepancy between the government's portrayal and the actual lived experiences of the people.

💡Corruption

Corruption is mentioned in the video as a significant issue in Turkmenistan, with the country being ranked at the bottom in terms of it. Corruption refers to dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery or the abuse of authority. The video implies a connection between the country's wealth from natural gas reserves and the prevalence of corruption, suggesting that the government's spending on grandiose projects like marble-clad buildings may not be benefiting the average citizen.

💡Wealth

Wealth, in the context of the video, refers to Turkmenistan's economic status due to its vast natural gas reserves, which position it as one of the wealthiest countries in the region. However, the video also highlights the disparity between the country's wealth and the living conditions of its residents, with less than one percent having internet access and the majority employed by the government, suggesting that the wealth may not be evenly distributed.

💡Organized Tour

An 'organized tour' is a type of travel arrangement where tourists are required to join a group led by a guide or tour operator. In the video, it is mentioned that visiting Turkmenistan requires being on an organized tour to obtain a visa, which adds to the exclusivity and difficulty of accessing the country. This requirement is part of what makes Turkmenistan one of the least visited countries and contributes to the video's theme of exploring hard-to-reach destinations.

💡Ghost Town

The term 'ghost town' is used in the video to describe the eerily empty streets of Ashgabat during the day. A ghost town refers to a place that was once populated but is now abandoned or nearly devoid of inhabitants. In the video, the empty streets and the abundance of white marble buildings create an unsettling atmosphere, adding to the overall theme of the video, which is to explore the strange and unusual aspects of Turkmenistan.

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.