Sights town of Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan.

“Whoever stays in the city in May loses one spring”

George Herbert (XVIIth century).

Trip to town Turkmenbashi.

The town of Turkmenbashi (formerly the city of Krasnovodsk) is the former center of the Krasnovodsk region, from 1952 to 1955 it was the center of the Krasnovodsk region of the Turkmen SSR. Since 1991, as part of the Balkan velayat, it is located in the north-west of Turkmenistan.
It is located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea on the northern coast of the Turkmenbashi Bay (Krasnovodsky Bay), between Simonov Bay and Muravyov Bay.
The city is divided into two etraps: Avaza and Kenar, which were created in July 2013. The Avaza etrap, with an area of ​​9660 hectares, includes the Avaza national tourist zone, an international airport and several small villages.
The Kenar etrap, with an area of ​​7262 hectares, included the main part of the city of Turkmenbashi and the territory of the Kenar village. In recent years, large-scale work has been carried out in the city to reconstruct the historical part of the city, entrance highways, and life support infrastructure.
A new "Turkish" park and a cascade of fountains were built. At the end of 2012, Makhtumkuli Avenue was completely reconstructed, the new highway connected with the city embankment "Bakhry Khazar", providing a double exit from the city at the western road interchange "Balykchi" along the dam laid through Soymonov Bay to the high-speed highway "Airport - Avaza". In 2014, the Oil Workers' Palace of Culture built in 1951 was reconstructed.
The port city of Turkmenbashi is the only major port in the whole of Central Asia, providing communication with European countries. Surrounded from the east by a crescent of low mountains, in the west it looks into the turquoise-blue waters of the Caspian Sea.
The surrounding desert landscape is more like a lunar landscape. From this dusty, and even somewhat sleepy city, most excursions to the mountains and seaside resort towns begin. The coast of the Caspian Sea is famous for its wonderful sandy beaches, clear, transparent water, an abundance of marine flora and fauna, allowing you to fully enjoy water sports.
The most popular among vacationers on the coast are the city of Khazar and the suburb of Turkmenbashi - Avaza, a resort town, in the sanatoriums of which preventive measures for various pulmonary diseases are carried out.
There are also a number of coastal tourist resorts. In the Balkan velayat, there is a beautiful subtropical zone of the country - the Sumbar Valley with green groves and the famous old-timer oak in the village of Garrygala.
At the moment, the city of Turkmenbashi claims to become a major tourist center of the country. Any seaside city always begins with the station and the seaport. The Moorish-style Turkmenbashi station was built in 1895 - 1896, but, unfortunately, neither the architect nor the manufacturer of the work has yet been clarified.
The station building is one of the most beautiful in the entire railway of Central Asia. Station Square is adjacent to the memorial to the soldiers who died during the war. In 1951, a large complex of the oil workers' palace of culture was built, in the construction of which Japanese prisoners of war were also taken. The population of the city is about 62,000 people.
Sea port of Turkmenbashi.
The largest seaport on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea has been built on the northern coast of the Muravyov Bay. Previously, the port was called Taza-Shakhor (XV - XVI centuries) and was founded in 1896.
The port is located on the northern shore of the Turkmenbashi Bay (former Krasnovodsk) and completely occupies the water area of ​​Muravyov Bay (named after N.N. Muravyov, who explored the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea in 1819 - 1821).
It is used for cargo transportation (oil and oil products, containers, bulk materials, etc.), for the fishing industry, as well as for the transportation of passengers and vehicles (by ferries). There are 3 organizations with a fairly powerful fleet here: the Turkmen Shipping Company, the Balkanbalyk association, the Turkmennefteflot department, which have from 25 to 28 ships. The port is being reconstructed in order to bring cargo handling up to 10,000,000 tons per year with subsequent growth.
The sea trade port in Turkmenbashi developed very quickly. About a dozen marinas were built. And recently, the original building of the Turkmendenizderyayollary port administration was erected in the form of a ship at sea.
Recently, Turkmen ships have mastered many sea routes, up to the sea gates of Gibraltar, the port itself is rapidly developing. Frontal modernization of gantry cranes and seagoing vessels is being carried out. A radical reconstruction of the port facilities, logistics centers and oil terminals.
With the increase in the volume of transportation by sea, the most powerful German-made truck crane "Liebherr" with computer control and a lifting capacity of up to 500 tons has already been put into operation in the port. Such a truck crane is the pride of any port in the world.
Cargo terminals with a volume of 5,000 cubic meters serve Komatsu trucks and 20-ton Mazmana trucks, while Kalmar 40-ton forklifts are used to transport heavy sea containers. The new port, which is being built in accordance with modern international standards, will receive both foreign ships and ships for sea cruises, yachts and other ships, which will soon replenish the national fleet of Turkmenistan.
Ferry crossing Turkmenbashi - Baku.
An integral part of the transport system of Turkmenistan in international transport projects and corridors are the railway ferries of Turkmenbashi - Baku and Turkmenbashi - Astrakhan. Ferry crossing Turkmenbashi - Baku (Alyat) is a railway-passenger crossing on the Caspian Sea between the cities of Turkmenbashi and Baku (Azerbaijan).
The distance between cities is 306 kilometers. Each of the operating ferries takes on board 28 railway cars and 200 passengers. All eight vessels operating at the crossing fly the Azerbaijani flag. This crossing is included in the European route.
Airport of town of Turkmenbashi.
In 1990 Krasnovodsk Airport celebrated its 50th anniversary. Initially, in 1940, it was located at the bottom of the plateau, near the hospital. During the Great Patriotic War, it was transferred to the upper part of the plateau and was a joint airfield along with Air Force units.
It was considered the assigned airport of the Ashgabat enterprise. It has existed as an independent unit since 1959, after the creation of the 225th Separate Joint Air Squadron (OOAE). In 2010, the Turkmenbashi airport was reconstructed and received international status.
It has two runways, connects the city with Ashgabat, the centers of the republican velayats and Istanbul. Regular cargo flights to Turkmenbashi are carried out by the Luxembourg airline Cargolux. The airport can be reached from the city by car or bus. Travel time to the city by car takes 10 - 15 minutes.
Turkmenbashi railway station.
The station was built in 1895 by architect Alexei Benois. Benois is the author of the palace of the Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich in Tashkent and many other projects in the former Turkestan. The station building is one of the most beautiful in the entire railway of Central Asia.
Station Square is adjacent to the memorial to the soldiers who died during the Great Patriotic War. Train No. 605/606 from Ashgabat runs daily from Turkmenbashi station.
Industry of town of Turkmenbashi.
The Turkmenbashi complex of oil refineries specializes in the production of polypropylene, diesel and universal oils and other petroleum products. Currently, the plants are implementing international standards in the transition of petrochemical production to the production of environmentally friendly motor fuel of Euro-4 and Euro-5 classes.
The priority requirement is to reduce the content of aromatic compounds, benzene and olefins in gasoline to European standards, which pollute the atmosphere, cause carbon deposits and deposits in engines. There are three modern hotels in the city.
Geographical coordinates of town of Turkmenbashi: N40°00'21.72" E52°59'21.54"

Authority:
On materials of information department of the State committee of Turkmenistan on tourism and sport.
http://www.caspianmonitoring.ru/