Turkmenistan opens futuristic city dedicated to leader
A futuristic city dedicated to the leader opens in Turkmenistan
Reuters: Turkmenistan opened a new, futuristic "smart" city on Thursday dedicated to its former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.
The city is named Arkadag, or protector, an unofficial title by which Turkmen media have long referred to Berdymukhamedov, who on Thursday marked his 66th birthday by travelling to the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
A source close to the government told Reuters the new city for 73,000 residents cost $3.3 billion to build and there were plans to spend as much again in the next few years.
All the buildings in Arkadag are white and all apartment blocks are seven storeys high, a number considered lucky.
Only electric vehicles are allowed in the city, which features monuments dedicated to a horse of the Turkmen Akhal Teke breed and to Berdymukhamedov himself, and was built close to his native village in southern Turkmenistan.
His son, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, 41, oversaw the opening ceremony attended by foreign officials. Some brought presents, such as an electric car from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
The elder Berdymukhamedov ran the gas-rich desert nation of six million for 15 years until 2022, becoming the centre of an elaborate personality cult where, for example, all male civil servants followed their leader's example when deciding whether or not to dye greying hair.
He passed the leadership to his son but retains many powers as the chairman of the People's Council.
-
- In World
- 30 June 2023 04:18
In World
-
European powers, including Britain, France and Germany, said on Wednesday they had to be part of any future negotiations on the fate of Ukraine, underscoring that only a fair accord with security guarantees would ensure lasting peace.
-
The amount of Russian and Iranian oil held on ships has hit multi-month highs as harsher U.S. sanctions reduced the number of buyers, leaving fewer tankers available to deliver cargoes and driving up crude costs, trade sources and analysts said.
-
Russia's President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, the first direct communication between the two since Sharaa's forces overthrew Moscow's ally Bashar al-Assad in December.
-
A senior official in Ukraine’s anti-terrorist centre has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia, say security chiefs.
Leave a review