Arkadag

Arkadag (Turkmen arka "behind" + dag "mountain", connoting "protector") is a city in southern Turkmenistan. It became the regional capital of Ahal Province effective 20 December 2022.[2] It is a largely greenfield development started in 2019 with an initial budget of $1.5 billion.[3][4][5][6][7] The city was named in honor of former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, whose official nickname is Arkadag.[2][8] Uniquely among Turkmen cities, Arkadag is by law designated a "city of state importance".[9][10]

For the former president of Turkmenistan known by this name, see Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.
Arkadag şäheri
Arkadag
Arkadag şäheri is located in Turkmenistan
Arkadag şäheri
Arkadag şäheri
Location in Turkmenistan
Coordinates: 38°4′N 58°4′E
Country Turkmenistan
ProvinceAhal Province
Government
 • Mayor (Häkim)Shamuhammet Durdylyyev[1]
Area
 • Total10.02 km2 (3.87 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total64,086
Time zoneUTC+5

Geography

The city is situated on a plain due west of the city limit of Turkmenistan's capital city, Ashgabat, and east of the neighboring city of Gökdepe at latitude 38.0659 degrees north and longitude 58.0727 degrees east. By parliamentary decree of 18 March 2023 the city is divided into two districts (Turkmen: etraplar, singular etrap), named Kärizek and Gorjaw.[11][12]

History

In November 2018, then-President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow began reviewing project proposals for construction of a new capital for Ahal Province.[13] On 4 March 2019, Berdimuhamedow issued a decree ordering construction to begin.[14] Construction began with a ceremonial laying of the cornerstone of the new provincial administration building on 10 April 2019.[15] Although earlier project proposals had planned for the city's area to cover no more than 880 hectares, the approved project was for 1002 hectares.[13][14]

By parliamentary decree of 20 December 2022, the city was named Arkadag in honor of Berdimuhamedow, the seat of Ahal Province was moved from Anau to Arkadag, and the nearby village of Aba Annayew was annexed to the city.[14][16] Local media reported,

With the goals of improving living conditions of the population in the framework of the first phase of construction 258 2-, 5-, 7- and 9-story apartment buildings will be built. In addition, 19 retail stores, 3 repair centers, a hotel, a shopping mall and a leisure park are being built.[14]

On 23 January 2023 the municipal court and prosecutor were created by presidential decree.[17][18] A law passed in March 2023 on the city's status designated it a "city of national importance" (Turkmen: döwlet ähmiýetli şäher).[9][10][19]

Cost of construction

Opposition media reported in February 2023 that imported construction materials for the second phase of construction would cost an estimated $1.296 billion, in addition to the presumed original cost of phase one construction of $1.466 billion, implying a total cost of city construction in excess of $2.76 billion.[20] In March 2023, however, a Turkmen construction official reported that the first phase would cost an estimated $3.3 billion and the second phase an estimated $1.5 billion, for a total of $4.8 billion.[21]

Planned amenities

Phase two construction is reported to include

...five secondary schools for 720 pupils each, nine kindergartens for 320 children, a polyclinic, fire station...administrative buildings of the mayor of Arkadag, a museum, a square, a shopping center and a household goods store in one building, 36 five-storey apartment buildings with 30 apartments each, 36 five-storey apartment buildings with 40 apartments each, twenty-four 42-apartment seven-storey building, 14 nine-storey buildings of 54 apartments each...a railway station, a bus depot and a taxi dispatcher station, a bus station of Ahal Province.[22]

Turkmen state media reported in March 2023 that the second phase of construction is to be completed by 2026.[23]

City inauguration celebrations

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov ordered the Cabinet of Ministers to prepare celebrations in honor of the city's opening for 2023, including a military parade and concert on the Main Square.[24] The cornerstone of the mosque was laid 20 January 2023.[25]

Architecture

Buildings

The city was built based on a centralized architectural plan following a design competition involving five separate submissions. All buildings are faced with white marble along symmetrically laid out streets.[26] The following facilities will be named as follows:[27][28][29]

  • Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow Health and Rehabilitation Center
  • Arkadag Monument
  • Aba Annayev International Academy of Horse Breeding
  • Berdimuhamed Annayev Ahal Velayat Pedagogical Secondary Vocational School
  • Sachly Dursunova Ahal Velayat Medical Secondary Vocational School
  • Görogly State Equestrian Circus
  • Döwletmämmet Azady Ahal Velayat Library
  • Aman Gulmammedov State Drama Theater
  • Sahy Jepbarov Specialized Art School of Ahal Velayat
  • Shukur Bagshy Children's Art School

Smart city

Arkadag is intended to be Turkmenistan's first "smart city".[30]

Street names

People's Council of Turkmenistan Chairperson and former President of Turkmenistan Berdimuhamedov has proposed naming Arkadag's streets after "great personages, who left their undimmed impact on national culture, art, literature, and history," and in particular named Berdi Kerbabayev, Kerim Gurbannepesow, Gurbannazar Ezizow, Alty Garlyyev, and Maya Kuliyeva, among others.[31]

See also

References
  1. Председатель верхней палаты парламента Туркменистана ознакомился с проектами второго этапа строительства города Аркадага (in Russian), Turkmenistan.ru, 26 December 2022
  2. "Постановление Меджлиса Милли Генгеша Туркменистана об отнесении к категории города нового современного административного центра Ахалского велаята и присвоении ему наименования" (in Russian). Электронная газета «Золотой век». 21 December 2022.
  3. "В Масштабной Программе Развития Регионов--Приоритеты Социальной Политики". Нейтральный Туркменистан. 1 November 2018.
  4. "Глава государства рассмотрел проект нового административного центра Ахалского велаята" (in Russian). Государственное информационное агентство Туркменистана. 31 October 2018.
  5. "Ahal welaýatynda sebitiň Aşgabatdan pes oturmaýan täze paýtagty gurlar" (in Turkmen). Chronicles of Turkmenistan. 1 November 2018.
  6. "В день смерти Туркменбаши в Туркменистане назвали город Аркадагом" (in Russian). Turkmen.News. 22 December 2022.
  7. Rickleton, Chris (25 December 2022). "Turkmenistan Builds New $1.5 Billion City, Far Removed From Grinding Poverty". RFE/RL.
  8. Meredow, Begenç (26 December 2022). "Образец славного будущего страны" (in Russian). Нейтральный туркменистан.
  9. Совместное заседание по реализации задач касательно города Аркадаг (in Russian), Туркменистан сегодня, 26 March 2023
  10. ЗАКОН ТУРКМЕНИСТАНА О городе Аркадаг (in Russian), Neytralny Turkmenistan, 24 March 2023, p. 2
  11. Постановление Меджлиса Туркменистана Об образовании новых этрапов в городе Аркадаг (in Russian), Туркменистан сегодня, 19 March 2023
  12. Arkadag şäherinde täze etraplary döretmek hakynda Türkmenistanyň Mejlisiniň Karary (in Turkmen), Türkmenistan Bu gün, 19 March 2023
  13. "В Туркменистане будет создан новый административный центр Ахалского велаята" (in Russian). Turkmenportal. 1 November 2018.
  14. "Выездное расширенное заседание Кабинета Министров Туркменистана" (in Russian). Neytralny Turkmenistan. 22 December 2022.
  15. "В Туркменистане заложили новый центр Ахалского велаята" (in Russian). SNG.Today. 10 April 2019.
  16. "ПОСТАНОВЛЕНИЕ МЕДЖЛИСА МИЛЛИ ГЕНГЕША ТУРКМЕНИСТАНА Об отнесении к категории города нового современного административного центра Ахалского велаята и присвоении ему наименования" (in Russian). Neytralny Turkmenistan. 22 December 2022.
  17. Указ Президента Туркменистана о создании суда города Аркадаг Ахалского велаята (in Russian), Туркменистан сегодня, 23 January 2023
  18. Создана прокуратура города Аркадаг Ахалского велаята (in Russian), Туркменистан сегодня, 23 January 2023
  19. TÜRKMENISTANYŇ KANUNY Arkadag şäheri hakynda (in Turkmen), Türkmenistan, 24 March 2023, p. 2
  20. Импортные стройматериалы для застройки второй очереди Аркадага обойдутся Туркменистану в $1,3 млрд [Imported construction materials for building the second phase of Arkadag will run Turkmenistan $1.3 billion] (in Russian), Chronicles of Turkmenistan, 20 February 2023
  21. New city honouring Turkmenistan's leader to cost $5 billion, Agence France-Presse, 29 March 2023
  22. Рабочая поездка Национального Лидера туркменского народа, Председателя Халк Маслахаты в город Аркадаг Ахалского велаята (in Russian), Туркменистан сегодня, 18 February 2023
  23. Предписано реализовать вторую очередь строительства города Аркадаг в 2023-2026 годах [Ordered to implement second phase of Arkadag city construction in 2023-2026] (in Russian), Туркменистан сегодня, 7 March 2023
  24. "A military parade will be held in honor of the opening of the city of Arkadag". Orient. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  25. В городе Аркадаг состоялась закладка Главной мечети Ахалского велаята (in Russian), Türkmenistan Bu gün, 20 January 2023
  26. "Главный план города Аркадаг ахалского велаята на 2022 год (Main plan of the city of Arkadag of Ahal Province for 2022)" (in Russian). Электронная газета «Золотой век». 21 December 2022.
  27. Admin (2022-12-22). "Arkadag city is the new center of the Akhal province of Turkmenistan". News Central Asia (nCa). Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  28. Постановление Меджлиса Туркменистана О присвоении имён выдающихся личностей туркменского народа учреждениям образования, здравоохранения, культуры и монументу искусства, построенным в городе Аркадаг [Decree of the Turkmenistan Mejlis on assignment of names of outstanding personages of the Turkmen people to establishments of education, healthcare, culture and to a monument of art, constructed in the city of Arkadag] (in Russian), Туркменистан сегодня, 19 March 2023
  29. Arkadag şäherinde gurlan bilim, saglygy goraýyş, medeniýet edaralaryna we sungat binasyna türkmen halkynyň görnükli şahsyýetleriniň atlaryny dakmak hakynda Türkmenistanyň Mejlisiniň Karary [Decree of the Turkmenistan Mejlis on assignment of names of outstanding personages of the Turkmen people to establishments of education, healthcare, culture and to a monument of art, constructed in the city of Arkadag] (in Turkmen), Türkmenistan Bu gün, 19 March 2023
  30. "Новый Центр Ахала – "умный" город (New Center of Ahal - a "smart" city)" (in Russian). Электронная газета «Золотой век». 12 September 2022.
  31. "Председатель Халк Маслахаты Милли Генгеша ознакомился с ходом строительства нового административного центра Ахалского велаята" (in Russian). Электронная газета «Золотой век». 19 November 2022.

Further reading
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