Turkmenbashy Mausoleum

The Turkmenbashy Mausoleum and Mosque complex is a massive structure located in Gypjak, the birthplace of Saparmurat Niyazov, the first president of independent Turkmenistan. Completed just before his death in December 2006, the site is adjacent to an equally huge mosque, built by a French company due to the complex expertise required for its dome. The location is also significant as the epicenter of the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, a tragedy commemorated by a memorial sculpture within the mausoleum grounds. While the mausoleum itself is comparatively small and decorated with lavish marble and gold, the adjacent mosque is the more visually impressive structure, noted for its enormous dome and alleged capacity for up to 20,000 people. A controversial feature of the complex is the inscription of Niyazov’s Ruhnama alongside the Quran inside the mosque. The entire complex remains a key, though perhaps not intensely "dark," site for visitors exploring the extreme cult of personality surrounding the late leader.