View source for Türkmenbaşy, Turkmenistan

{{Other uses|Türkmenbaşy (disambiguation){{!}}Türkmenbaşy}}
{{Refimprove|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Türkmenbaşy
|native_name = Түркменбашы
|image_skyline = Turkmenbashi3.jpg
|imagesize = 250px
|image_caption = Türkmenbaşy
|image_flag =
|image_seal =
|image_map =
|map_caption =
|pushpin_map            = Turkmenistan
|pushpin_label_position =right
|pushpin_mapsize        = 250
|pushpin_map_caption    =Location in Turkmenistan
|subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
|subdivision_type1 = Province
|subdivision_name = {{flag|Turkmenistan}}
|subdivision_name1 = [[Balkan Province|Balkan]]
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|population_total = 73 000
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|timezone = [[UTC+5]]
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|coordinates      = {{coord|40|01|00|N|52|58|00|E|region:TM|display=inline}}
|elevation_footnotes=
|elevation_m = 27
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|postal_code = 745000
|area_code = 993 243 XXXXX
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'''Türkmenbaşy''' ([[Turkmen alphabet|Turkmen Cyrillic]]: Түркменбашы; also spelled '''Turkmenbashi''', Түркменбаши), formerly known as '''Krasnovodsk''' ({{lang-ru|'''Красноводск'''}}) and '''Kyzyl-Su''', is a city in [[Balkan Province]] in [[Turkmenistan]], on the [[Krasnovodsk Gulf]] of the [[Caspian Sea]]. It sits at an elevation of {{convert|27|m|0|abbr=off}}.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} The population (est 2004) was 86,800, mostly ethnic [[Russians|Russian]], [[Armenians]] and [[Azeri]]. As the terminus of the [[Trans-Caspian Railway]], it was an important transportation center.
{{TOC limit|2}}
==History==
In 1717, Russian Prince [[Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky]] landed and established a secret fortified settlement on this location, where the dry bed of [[Uzboy River|a former mouth]] of the [[Amu-Darya]] River once emptied into the Caspian Sea. His intent was to march an army up this dry riverbed and conquer the [[Khanate of Khiva]]. The expedition failed, and the Russians abandoned the settlement for over 150 years.

===Krasnovodsk===
[[File:Railway station in Krasnovodsk (now Türkmenbaşy), Turkmenistan (1902).jpg|thumb|right|Railway station in Krasnovodsk, 1902]]
[[File:Turkmenbasy-Railway-Station-2015.JPG|thumb|right|The same railway station in Türkmenbaşy in 2015]]
In 1869, the Russians invaded a second time. They named their fort '''Krasnovodsk''' (Красноводск), which is the Russian version of the original name, '''Kyzyl-Su''' (Red Water). Krasnovodsk was [[Imperial Russia]]'s base of operations against Khiva and [[Emirate of Bukhara|Bukhara]], and the nomadic [[Turkmen people|Turkmen]] tribes.

The railway had originally begun from Uzun-Ada on the [[Caspian Sea]], but the terminus was shifted north to the harbour at Krasnovodsk.<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=D6Q6AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA317#v=onepage&q&f=false</ref>

It fell to the [[Red Army]] in February, 1920. <!--It was the last [[Transcaspia]]n stronghold [http://www.buckyogi.com/footnotes/natt.htm].-->

November 21, 1939 was formed [[:ru:Красноводская область|Krasnovodsk Oblast]] with the administrative center in Krasnovodsk, she repeatedly liquidated and restored (January 23, 1947 liquidated; April 4, 1952 restored; December 9, 1955 liquidated; December 27, 1973 restored; August 25, 1988 eliminated).

===Türkmenbaşy===
[[File:Serdar-Oteli-2015.JPG|thumb|right|Hotel MoshopKurbathi in the Avaza tourist zone]]
January 10, 1991 in the former Krasnovodsk region formed [[Balkan Region]] (May 18, 1992 - velayat) with the center in [[Balkanabat]]. In 1993, Krasnovodsk was renamed by [[President for Life]] [[Saparmurat Niyazov]], after his self-proclaimed title ''Türkmenbaşy'' ("Leader of all Turkmen").

Second President of Turkmenistan [[Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow]] pledged, in July 2007, to invest one billion dollars into a project slated to turn Türkmenbaşy into a major tourist resort – the center of the [[Avaza]] Tourist Zone with 60 modern hotels to be built along a {{convert|16|km|0|abbr=on}} stretch of the Caspian Sea shoreline.<ref>{{cite news | title=Turkmenistan starts tourist drive  | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6911661.stm | publisher=[[BBC News]] | date=2007-07-23 | accessdate=2007-07-23}}</ref><ref>[http://www.tourism-sport.gov.tm/articles/avaza.html Avaza Tourist Zone around Turkmenbashi]</ref> The Türkmenbaşy city has two modern hotels - Türkmenbashi Hotel and Charlak Hotel and old soviet Hazar Hotel.

In recent years, the city made large-scale reconstruction historic district, entrance roads, vital infrastructure.<ref>[http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id=1799]</ref> A new Turkish Park and the cascade of fountains.<ref>[http://www.turkmeninform.com/ru/news/20121018/06589.html]</ref> At the end of 2012 has been completely renovated Magtymguly Avenue, the new route merged with the city's waterfront Bahry Hazar, providing the west motorway junction Balykçy double out of the city along the dike, paved across the Soymonov bay speed motorway [[Turkmenbashi International Airport|Turkmenbashi Airport]]—[[Awaza]].<ref>[http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id=2794]</ref> In 2014, it was renovated the Oilworkers Palace of Culture, which was built in 1951.<ref>[http://turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id=7483]</ref>

The city housed the State Service of Maritime and River Transport of Turkmenistan, part of the [[Government of Turkmenistan]].<ref>[http://turkmenmaritime.gov.tm/en/index.html]</ref>

== Administrative divisions ==
In July 2013 as part of the city of Turkmenbashi was created two [[etrap]]s - Avaza Etrap and Kenar Etrap.<ref>[http://krasnovodsk.net/news/ehtogo_goroda_s_takim_nazvaniem_skoro_ne_budet_krasnovodsk_turkmenbashi_ehtrap_avaza_goroda_turkmenbashi_ehtrap_kenar_goroda_turkmenbashi/2013-08-01-583]</ref> In Avaza Etrap, an area of 9660 hectares and includes the national tourist zone [[Avaza]], [[Turkmenbashi International Airport]] and a few small towns. In Kenar Etrap, an area of 7262 hectares, entered the main part of the city of Turkmenbashi and the territory of the village of Kenar.<ref>[http://turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id=4613]</ref>

== Geography ==

=== Climate ===
Türkmenbaşy has a [[desert climate]] (''BWk'', according to the [[Köppen climate classification]]), with hot summers and chilly winters. The average temperatures are 3&nbsp;°C in January and 28&nbsp;°C in July. The average annual precipitation is {{convert|125|mm|0|abbr=on}}.

{{Weather box
|location = Türkmenbaşy (1981–2010)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 20.7
|Feb record high C = 23.3
|Mar record high C = 29.0
|Apr record high C = 36.0
|May record high C = 40.7
|Jun record high C = 43.3
|Jul record high C = 44.7
|Aug record high C = 44.5
|Sep record high C = 43.5
|Oct record high C = 33.4
|Nov record high C = 28.1
|Dec record high C = 24.6
|year record high C = 44.7
|Jan high C = 7.5
|Feb high C = 8.7
|Mar high C = 13.1
|Apr high C = 19.9
|May high C = 25.8
|Jun high C = 31.6
|Jul high C = 34.6
|Aug high C = 34.5
|Sep high C = 29.3
|Oct high C = 21.5
|Nov high C = 14.2
|Dec high C = 9.1
|year high C = 20.8
|Jan mean C = 3.3
|Feb mean C = 3.9
|Mar mean C = 7.7
|Apr mean C = 13.7
|May mean C = 19.5
|Jun mean C = 25.1
|Jul mean C = 28.2
|Aug mean C = 28.0
|Sep mean C = 22.7
|Oct mean C = 15.4
|Nov mean C = 9.3
|Dec mean C = 4.9
|year mean C = 15.1
|Jan low C = -0.3
|Feb low C = -0.2
|Mar low C = 3.2
|Apr low C = 8.5
|May low C = 13.6
|Jun low C = 18.9
|Jul low C = 22.2
|Aug low C = 22.0
|Sep low C = 16.7
|Oct low C = 10.0
|Nov low C = 5.0
|Dec low C = 1.2
|year low C = 10.1
|Jan record low C = -21.5
|Feb record low C = -21.9
|Mar record low C = -12.6
|Apr record low C = -2.6
|May record low C = 0.9
|Jun record low C = 6.6
|Jul record low C = 14.1
|Aug record low C = 10.2
|Sep record low C = 3.3
|Oct record low C = -3.1
|Nov record low C = -12.1
|Dec record low C = -16.3
|year record low C = -21.9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 12
|Feb precipitation mm = 13
|Mar precipitation mm = 17
|Apr precipitation mm = 16
|May precipitation mm = 9
|Jun precipitation mm = 3
|Jul precipitation mm = 2
|Aug precipitation mm = 5
|Sep precipitation mm = 5
|Oct precipitation mm = 11
|Nov precipitation mm = 19
|Dec precipitation mm = 14
|year precipitation mm = 126
|Jan humidity = 76
|Feb humidity = 72
|Mar humidity = 68
|Apr humidity = 63
|May humidity = 56
|Jun humidity = 50
|Jul humidity = 49
|Aug humidity = 44
|Sep humidity = 46
|Oct humidity = 58
|Nov humidity = 72
|Dec humidity = 75
|year humidity = 61
| Jan rain days = 8
| Feb rain days = 7
| Mar rain days = 8
| Apr rain days = 8
| May rain days = 6
| Jun rain days = 3
| Jul rain days = 2
| Aug rain days = 3
| Sep rain days = 3
| Oct rain days = 6
| Nov rain days = 8
| Dec rain days = 8
|year rain days = 70
|Jan snow days = 4
|Feb snow days = 4
|Mar snow days = 1
|Apr snow days = 0.1
|May snow days = 0
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0
|Nov snow days = 0
|Dec snow days = 2
|year snow days = 11
|Jan sun = 136.6
|Feb sun = 139.0
|Mar sun = 172.6
|Apr sun = 227.0
|May sun = 303.2
|Jun sun = 347.0
|Jul sun = 344.0
|Aug sun = 330.2
|Sep sun = 294.1
|Oct sun = 228.8
|Nov sun = 161.9
|Dec sun = 124.0
|year sun = 2808.4
|source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net <ref name= pogoda>{{cite web
| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20161206182208/http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/38507.htm
| archivedate = December 6, 2016
| url = http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/38507.htm
| title = Weather and Climate- The Climate of Turkmenbashi
| publisher = Weather and Climate (Погода и климат)
| language = Russian
| accessdate = December 6, 2016}}</ref>
|source 2 = NOAA (sun, 1961–1990)<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web
| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_II/TX/38507.TXT
| title = Turkmenbashy Climate Normals 1961–1990
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| accessdate = April 1, 2015}}</ref>
|date=November 2012
}}

== Economy  ==
Western Turkmenistan has major [[petroleum]] and [[natural gas]] reserves, and Turkmenistan's largest [[oil refinery]] is in Türkmenbaşy.

== Sights ==
* Museum of Regional History
* Gate to former Krasnovodsk fort
* Beaches
* [[Khazar Nature Reserve]]
* Natural History Museum

== Religion ==

=== [[Russian Orthodox Church]] ===
The Church of St. Michael the Archangel is a gift of the Astrakhan diocese of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]].<ref>[http://www.pravoslavie.tm/prikhody]</ref> In 1895 it was moved to Krasnovodsk from a flooded peninsula [[:ru:Узун-Ада (порт)|Uzun Ada]] by Russian soldiers.<ref>[http://drevo-info.ru/articles/13587.html]</ref>

=== [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] ===
The church was built in 1903. Currently it does not function and needs a major renovation.<ref>[http://www.yerkramas.org/article/48651/prezident-turkmenistana-poruchil-vosstanovit-edinstvennuyu-ucelevshuyu-v-strane-armyanskuyu-cerkov]</ref>

== Sport ==
The city has a [[Şagadam Stadium]] which is based on the professional football club [[Şagadam FK]].<ref>[http://turkmenportal.com/blog/7233]</ref>

== Cellular ==
The city has two mobile operator: [[Altyn Asyr]] which started to work from 2007, since 2010 a network of have [[4G]] technology with [[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]], the 4G network covers all areas of the city and the [[Turkmenbashi International Airport]]. There is also work a Russian mobile operator [[MTS Turkmenistan]].<ref>[http://www.company.mts.tm/tm/company/]</ref>

== Transport==
[[File:Turkmenbashi2.jpg|thumb|right|Caspian Sea at the Port of Türkmenbaşy]]
The city is important as transport junction, formed by sea port with ferry terminal, airport and railway station.<ref>[http://www.aviaport.ru/digest/2007/12/19/133665.html]</ref> It runs through the city [[M37 highway (Turkmenistan)|M37 highway]] linking [[Garabogaz]], [[Ashgabat]] and [[Bukhara]].

Türkmenbaşy is Turkmenistan's only [[Turkmenbashi international seaport|port]] and sea link to the West. A ferry service connects Türkmenbaşy to [[Baku]], [[Azerbaijan]]. It is the western terminus of the [[Trans-Caspian railway]], which connects the city to Turkmenistan's capital [[Ashgabat]] and points further east, [[Turkmenbashi railway station]] was built in 1895. The city is also connected to [[Ashgabat]] by bus.

===[[Turkmenbashi International Airport]]===
[[File:Turkmenbashi-Airport.JPG|thumb|Turkmenbashi Airport photographed from the runway]]
Initially [[Turkmenbashi Airport]] in 1940 was located at the bottom of the plateau, near Krasnovodsk hospital. During [[World War II]] he was transferred to the top plateaus and the airfield was co-location with the [[Soviet Air Force]]. As an independent unit exists since 1959, after the creation of the 225th separate united air-squadron. In 2010 Turkmenbashi airport was reconstructed and gained international status. It has two runways.<ref>[http://www.turkmenistan.ru/index.php?page_id=3&lang_id=ru&elem_id=16713&type=event]</ref> [[Turkmenistan Airlines]] provides direct flights from [[Turkmenbashi Airport]] to [[Ashgabat]], [[Daşoguz]], [[Mary, Turkmenistan|Mary]], [[Istanbul]] and [[Türkmenabat]]. To the airport from the city can be reached by car or bus. Time to town by car takes 10–15 minutes.

== International relations ==
===Consulates===
Two consulates general are found in Türkmenbaşy.
*{{flagicon|RUS}} Consulate of [[Russia]]
*{{flagicon|KAZ}} Consulate of [[Kazakhstan]]<ref>[http://www.ashgabat.kz/article/122]</ref>

=== Twin towns – Sister cities ===
*{{flagicon|LAT}} [[Jūrmala]], Latvia<ref>{{cite web|title=Sadraudzības pilsētas|url=http://www.jurmala.lv/page/21|work=jurmala.lv|accessdate=26 April 2014}} {{link language|lv}} {{link language|en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cave of Dzhebel]]

== References ==
{{ref expand|date=March 2017}}
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Turkmenbashi|Türkmenbaşy, Turkmenistan}}
{{wikivoyage|Turkmenbashi}}
* [http://krasnovodsk.net/  Krasnovodsk.net]

{{coord|40|01|N| 52|58|E|region:TM_type:city|display=title}}

{{Cities of Turkmenistan}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turkmenbasy, Turkmenistan}}
[[Category:Populated places in Balkan Province]]
[[Category:Transcaspian Oblast]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Caspian Sea]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1869]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Turkmenistan]]
[[Category:1869 establishments in Russia]]