We were on our way back to Ashgabat from Old Nisa when we stopped in at the village of Gypjak, home of the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque and Mausoleum. It stands about thirty minutes west of Ashgabat and is the largest mosque in Central Asia. Turkmenbashi was the name given to himself by Turkmenistan’s first president. His real name was Saparmurat Niyazov. The mosque was built from 2002 to 2004 and opened on October 22, 2004. The name means the mosque of Turkmenbashi spirituality or something like that. The complex was built by a French company, Bouygues.

I’ll start with some real attention-getters. The mosque cost 100 million dollars to build. The complex is about seven square miles or 4448 acres. The mosque is 180 feet high, the golden cupola is 165 feet in diameter, the minarets are 299 feet tall (91 meters), and the mosque can hold 10,000 worshippers for a service. We were the only people there this day, outside of guards and gardeners. There is an underground parking garage under the mosque which can hold over 400 cars. The mosque has nine entrances beneath arches. This mosque is on the Turkmen 500-TMT banknote.

We could not take photos inside either the mosque or the mausoleum. Inside the mosque, the huge praying hall has white marble columns and a richly painted celestial blue dome. The floor is heated when necessary and covered with a huge handwoven Turkmen carpet. I found each praying spot to be a minimum fit for me as I had to scrunch up to fit in the allotted space. I would also add that the carpet looks brand new, so I don’t think it gets much use.

Next door to the mosque is the Turkmenbashi Mausoleum. Turkmenbashi died two years later and his mausoleum was ready for him. His mother and two brothers are also buried near him in their own sarcophagi. All three of them died in the 1948 earthquake in Ashgabat. Turkmenbashi evidently got up early on the day of the earthquake and went outside for a walk, which spared his life.

The first photo is the mosque in a photo taken about half way from the street to the mosque on the main entrance way.

The second photo is the mausoleum, taken from the front of the mosque.

Vicky and I are on our way to the mosque from the mausoleum which we visited first. One of the nine entry arches is behind us.

The fourth photo was also taken from the front of the mosque. I wanted to show some of the grounds and water features which are everywhere in abundance.

The last photo is from the bus. I included it just to show the immensity of the grounds including lawns, trees, lighting, and water features.