Turkmenistan: Ashgabat – Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque

Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque is the largest mosque in Central Asia, built by the country’s first president Niyazov and named after himself (he called himself Turkmenbashi – “Leader of the Turkmen”). (Before independence, Niyazov was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan) The mosque was built in 2004-2006 by a French contractor at a cost of over $100 million. The mosque was built in Niyazov’s hometown, it covers 18,000 sq m and can accommodate up to 10,000 worshipers. It features a single dome, four 91-meter minarets (symbolizing Turkmenistan’s independence in 1991), and a white marble exterior adorned with gold accents and intricate geometric patterns. Minarets have inscriptions from from both the Quran and Niyazov’s Ruhnama, a book he wrote on spirituality and morality. Many consider this pairing sacrilegious, arguing that the Ruhnama should not be equated with the Quran. The interior includes a massive handmade Turkmen carpet, white columns, and a sky blue dome with ornate calligraphy. Niyazov is buried in a mausoleum on the mosque’s grounds.