Ahal Region

In 2000, Ahal Region accounted for 14% of Turkmenistan's population, 11% of the total number of employed, 23% of agricultural production (by value), and 31% of the country's total industrial production.Social-economic situation of Turkmenistan in 2000, National Institute of State Statistics and Information of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, 2001, pp. 129-130 {{in lang|ru}}.

Ahal's agriculture is irrigated by the Karakum Canal, which stretches all the way across the province from east to west, tracking Turkmenistan's southern border. Another water source is the Tejen River, which flows north from Afghanistan in the southeast corner of the province, passing through two large reservoirs south of the city of Tejen.

Ahal is known for the Battle of Geok Tepe of 1881, today the site of the imposing Saparmurat Hajji Mosque, and for the Bäherden underground warm lake (in the Kov Ata karst cave),[http://tourkz.com/eng/articles/desert.html Baharden warm lake] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121132310/http://tourkz.com/eng/articles/desert.html |date=November 21, 2008 }} in Kov Ata cave.[http://www.economy.gov.tm/arhiw/GID/GID_eng.doc Turkmenistan: an official guide] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006025304/http://www.economy.gov.tm/arhiw/GID/GID_eng.doc |date=October 6, 2011 }} (downloadable Word file). both west of Ashgabat.

The administrative centre of Ahal Province is Arkadag, a $1.5 billion mostly greenfield development just west of the city limit of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan's capital city.{{cite news|url=https://turkmenistan.gov.tm/ru/post/68829/postanovlenie-medzhlisa-milli-gengesha-turkmenistana-ob-otnesenii-k-kategorii-goroda-novogo-sovremennogo-administrativnogo-centra-ahalskogo-velayata-i-prisvoenii-emu-naimenovaniya|title=Постановление Меджлиса Милли Генгеша Туркменистана об отнесении к категории города нового современного административного центра Ахалского велаята и присвоении ему наименования|date=21 December 2022|language=ru|publisher=Электронная газета «Золотой век»}}{{cite news|title=В Масштабной Программе Развития Регионов--Приоритеты Социальной Политики|publisher=Нейтральный Туркменистан|date=1 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id=17441|title=Глава государства рассмотрел проект нового административного центра Ахалского велаята|date=31 October 2018|language=Russian|publisher=Государственное информационное агентство Туркменистана}}{{cite news|url=https://tm.hronikatm.com/2018/11/ahal-welayatynda-sebitin-asgabatdan-pes-oturmayan-taze-paytagty-gurlar/|title=Ahal welaýatynda sebitiň Aşgabatdan pes oturmaýan täze paýtagty gurlar|date=1 November 2018|publisher=Chronicles of Turkmenistan|language=Turkmen}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/turkmenistan-arkadag-potemkin-city-berdymukhammedov/32192689.html |title=Turkmenistan Builds New $1.5 Billion City, Far Removed From Grinding Poverty |date= 25 December 2022 | first=Chris |last=Rickleton |publisher=RFE/RL}} The city was named in honor of former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, whose official nickname is Arkadag.{{cite news|url=https://metbugat.gov.tm/newspaper/download?id=9535 |title=Образец славного будущего страны |publisher=Нейтральный туркменистан |language=ru |date=26 December 2022 |first=Begenç |last=Meredow}} The capital until 20 December 2022 was Änew (or Anau), a city on the south-eastern outskirts of Ashgabat. One other notable city is Tejen in the south-east near the border with Mary Province. Turkmenistan's largest city, Ashgabat, is surrounded by Ahal Province, but as the national capital it enjoys status equal to that of a province and is outside Ahal Province's jurisdiction.

From antiquity through the early 1800s, the area was populated by Persian-speaking peoples. Nisa, since 2013 located within the city limits of Ashgabat, was likely founded in the third century BCE and was the first capital of the Parthian Empire. The area just north of the Kopet Dag mountains forms an oasis due to runoff from the mountains and was thus part of the Silk Road caravan route from roughly 2000 BCE until around 1500 CE.

===Turkmen period===

British Lieutenant Colonel H.C. Stuart reported in 1881 that the Ahal branch of the Teke tribe of the Turkmen ethnic group arrived in the area around 1830 and established several semi-nomadic villages (auls) between what is now the city of Gyzylarbat and village of Gäwers, inclusive.{{cite book|title=The Country of the Turkomans|date=1977|publisher=Oguz Press and the Royal Geographical Society|place=London|isbn=0-905820-01-0}}, Chapter 11, Stuart, Lt. Col. H.C., The Country of the Tekke Turkomans, and the Tejend and Murghab Rivers, lecture delivered in 1881. The Ahal area was formally part of Persia but de facto autonomous under Turkoman tribal control until Russian forces defeated the Teke army at the Battle of Geok Tepe in January 1881.

Originally named Ashgabat oblasty in Turkmen ({{langx|ru|Ашхабадская область}}, Cyrillic Turkmen {{Lang|tk-Cyrl|Ашгабат областы}}), the future Ahal Province was initially formed on 21 November 1939, abolished on 25 May 1959, and reconstituted on 27 December 1973.{{cite book|title=Туркменская Советская Социалистическая Республика: Энциклопедический справочник|date=1984|publisher=Издательство Чувашского обкома КПСС|place=Ashkhabad|language = ru|page=478}} In 1977 Ashgabat oblasty was awarded the Order of Lenin.

On 14 December 1992, the People's Council ({{langx|tk|Maslahaty|link=no}}) adopted Law No. 783-ХП, "On the Order of Deciding Issues of Administrative-Territorial Structure of Turkmenistan", and Resolution XM-6.{{cite web|url=https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/File:19921214_XM-6.pdf|title=Türkmenistanyň Halk Maslahatynyň Çözgüdi HM-6 Türkmenistanda administratiw-territorial düzümleriň statusyny bellemek hakynda|date=14 December 1992|language=Turkmen|publisher=Parliament of Turkmenistan}} These statutes changed the Russian word oblast' (область), rendered in Turkmen Cyrillic as област, to the Persian loan word welaýat in reference to provinces. The resolution renamed Ashgabat oblasty ({{langx|ru|Ашгабатская область}}, Turkmen Сyrillic: Ашгабат областы) to Ahal welaýaty.{{cite web|url= https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Turkmenistan_Geoname_Changes#Central_Government_Sole_Authority_for_Geographic_Names|title=Turkmenistan Geoname Changes / Central Government Sole Authority for Geographic Names|access-date=8 April 2021|publisher=OpenStreetMap}} Anau was designated the capital of Ahal. The capital was moved to the new city of Arkadag on 20 December 2022.

Ataniyazov wrote,

The meaning of the name is not clear. Khiva historians Munis and Agahi write that the name means "drainage ditch" and it was so named because the Ahal lands were swampy and suitable for rice cultivation (MITT, II, p. 359)...Vambery, on the other hand, writes that the word is derived from the word ak [white] and the addition of -al (Vambery, p. 264).{{cite book|title=Türkmenistanyň Toponymyk Sözlügi|first=S.|last=Atanyyazov|date=1970|place=Ashgabat|publisher=Ylym|url=https://archive.org/details/TurkmenToponyms|language=Turkmen|page=34}}

Table:

{{cite web |url=https://www.stat.gov.tm/population-census-pdfs/results/en/4.pdf}}

File:Camel-in-karakum-desert.jpg

Effective January 5, 2018, Ahal Province (Ahal welaýaty) is subdivided into 7 districts (etrap, plural etraplar):{{cite book|title=Türkmenistanyş Mejlisiniň Karary|chapter=Türkmenistanyň dolandyryş-çäk birlikleriniň Sanawy|date=2010–2018|author=Türkmenistanyň Mejlisi|place=Ashgabat}} This document is reproduced online at https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Districts_in_Turkmenistan.{{cite web|url=https://turkmenportal.com/blog/13059/parlament-turkmenistana-vnes-izmeneniya-v-administrativnoterritorialnoe-delenie-ahalskogo-velayata|title=Парламент Туркменистана внёс изменения в административно-территориальное деление Ахалского велаята|date=5 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.gov.tm/ru/ba-sahypa/trkmenistany-sebitler-bouna-br-administratiw-klein-blnii/|title=Административно-территориальное деление Туркменистана по регионам по состоянию на 1 января 2017 года|access-date=2018-07-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708220824/http://www.stat.gov.tm/ru/ba-sahypa/trkmenistany-sebitler-bouna-br-administratiw-klein-blnii/|archive-date=2018-07-08|url-status=dead}}

1. Ak bugdaý (formerly Gäwers)
2. Babadaýhan (formerly Kirov)
3. Bäherden (formerly Baharly)
4. Gökdepe
5. Kaka
6. Sarahs
7. Tejen

As of 9 November 2022, the province included 9 cities (города or şäherler), 9 towns (посёлки or şäherçeler), 82 rural or village councils (сельские советы or geňeşlikler), and 231 villages (села, сельские населенные пункты or obalar).{{cite news|url=https://turkmenistan.gov.tm/ru/post/67749/postanovlenie-medzhlisa-milli-gengesha-turkmenistana-8 |title=Постановление Меджлиса Милли Генгеша Туркменистана |date=10 November 2022 |language=ru |publisher=Электронная газета «Золотой век»}}

:* Altyn Asyr

:* Änew

:* Arkadag (provincial capital)

:* Babadaýhan

:* Bäherden

:* Gökdepe

:* Kaka

:* Murche, abandoned village{{Cite book|last=Brummell|first=Paul|title=Turkmenistan|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|year=2005|isbn=978-1-84162-144-9|pages=117–118|language=en|author-link=Paul Brummell}}

:* Sarahs

:* Tejen

As of May 2013 Ruhabat District and the city of Abadan (today called Büzmeýin), until then in Ahal Province, were incorporated into the city of Ashgabat and abolished as separate municipalities. In January 2018, the Babadaýhan District of Ahal Province was re-established, and the Kaka, Tejen, Sarahs Districts were reaffirmed. Baharly's former name, Bäherden, was restored in the same decree, and the Altyn Asyr District was abolished.

On 9 November 2022 the new city of Arkadag was formally incorporated as the new capital city of Ahal and was accorded district status.

File:Combining-wheat-ahal.jpg

File:Sheep-and-goats-Ahal-Turkmenistan.jpg

Ahal produces wheat and cotton. Cotton grown in Ahal is ginned at mills in Akdepe, Gökdepe, Kaka, and Tejen, and spun into cotton yarn at mills in Ashgabat, Gökdepe, and Kaka. Textile complexes are found in Ashgabat, Akdepe (Bäherden), Gökdepe, and Kaka.{{cite web|url=https://www.textile.gov.tm/companies?language=en|title=MINISTRY OF TEXTILE INDUSTRY OF TURKMENISTAN / Companies|access-date=7 April 2021}}

Cotton seed is crushed for extraction of oil and meal at the Ahal Vegetable Oil Enterprise plant near Ovadandepe.{{cite news|url=https://www.azathabar.com/a/2045010.html|title="Ahal" ösümlik ýagy kärhanasy açyldy| publisher=RFE/RL| date=18 May 2010|language=Turkmen}} It was opened on 17 May 2010 with a design capacity to process 96,000 tons of cotton seed per year, with daily production of 50 tons of cottonseed oil, 10 tons of margarine, 140 tons of cottonseed meal and 70 tons of soybean hulls.{{cite news|url=https://turkmenistan.gov.tm/ru/post/16530/velikie--sversheniya--velikoi-epokhi--2010-god|title=Великие свершения великой эпохи – 2010 год|date=21 February 2012|language=Russian|publisher=«Туркменистан: золотой век»}}

On June 28, 2019, a $1.7 billion factory for producing gasoline out of natural gas was commissioned in Ovadandepe, Gökdepe District. Built by Rönesans and Kawasaki using technology from Haldor Topsoe, the factory has a design capacity of 600,000 tonnes of gasoline, 12,000 tonnes of Diesel fuel, and 115,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas per year, produced from 1.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas.{{cite web|url=https://global.kawasaki.com/en/corp/newsroom/news/detail/?f=20190628_1858|title=Kawasaki Launches World's Largest GTG Plant in Turkmenistan|date=June 28, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://rhi.ronesans.com/gas-to-gasoline-gtg-plant-completed-turkmenistan/?lang=en|title=Gas-To-Gasoline (GTG) Plant Completed, Turkmenistan | Renaissance Heavy Industries|date=July 1, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://blog.topsoe.com/worlds-only-natural-gas-to-gasoline-plant-in-operation-in-turkmenistan|title=World's only natural gas-to-gasoline plant in operation in Turkmenistan|date=June 28, 2019|first=Svend|last=Ravn}}{{cite news|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Kawasaki-Heavy-to-build-world-s-1st-gas-to-gasoline-plant-in-Turkmenistan|title=Kawasaki Heavy to build world's 1st gas-to-gasoline plant in Turkmenistan|date=November 6, 2014|first=Yoshifumi|last=Uesaka|publisher=Nikkei Asia}}{{cite news|url=https://neftegazru.com/news/worldwide/628322-turkmenistan-and-japan-review-gasoline-production-plant-construction-in-akhal-region/|title=Turkmenistan and Japan review gasoline production plant construction in Akhal region|date=August 31, 2020|first=Jeila|last=Aliyeva|publisher=NeftegazRU.com}}

In 2019, Turkmenistan produced 5.1 million standard square meters (4mm thickness) of sheet glass, all of it in Ahal.{{cite book|title=Türkmenistanyň Ýyllyk Statistik Neşiri 2019 Ýyl|page=30|date=2020|place=Ashgabat|language=Turkmen, Russian, English|publisher=State Committee of Statistics of Turkmenistan}} A$375 million float glass and glass container plant built by Tepe Inşaat of Turkey was opened February 14, 2018, in Ovadandepe north of Ashgabat.{{cite news|url=https://www.glass-international.com/news/375-million-glass-plant-opens-in-turkmenistan|title=$375 million glass plant opens in Turkmenistan|first=Greg|last=Morris|publisher=Glass International|date=February 16, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://tepe.com.tr/en/anasayfa/news-14-5-2018-10-49-24/tepe-insaat-constructs-the-most-modern-glass-complex-of-central-asia-in-turkmen|title=Tepe İnşaat Constructs the Most Modern Glass Complex of Central Asia in Turkmenistan|publisher=Tepe İnşaat|date=February 14, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://turkmenpetroleum.com/en/2018/02/15/turkmenistan-has-put-into-operation-a-glass-factory-which-has-no-analogues-in-the-region/|title=TURKMENISTAN HAS PUT INTO OPERATION A GLASS FACTORY, WHICH HAS NO ANALOGUES IN THE REGION|date=February 15, 2018|publisher=Turkmen Petroleum}} It replaced a Soviet-era glass factory located in central Ashgabat. In 2019, the value of Turkmenistan's glass exports as reported by trading partners was $9.5 million.{{cite web|url=https://comtrade.un.org/data/|title=UN Comtrade Database}} Database search on HS Code 70 "Glass and glassware", Trading partner "Turkmenistan", Reporters "All"

A steel smelter, [https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/150835087 Türkmen Demir Önümleri Döwlet Kärhanasy] ({{langx|en|Turkmen Iron Products State Enterprise}}), operating on scrap metal is located at kilometer 22 on the Ashgabat-Dashoguz Automobile Highway near Ovadandepe. It produces mainly rebar and channel iron.{{cite web|url=https://turkmenportal.com/catalog/372|title=Металлургический завод|publisher=Turkmenportal|date=October 17, 2012}}{{cite news|url=https://turkmenportal.com/blog/16846/novyi-metallurgicheskii-zavod-budet-vveden-v-ovadandepe|title=Новый металлургический завод будет введен в Овадандепе|date=December 20, 2018|publisher=Turkmenportal}}{{cite web|url=http://turkmendemironumleri.com.tm/|title=TÜRKMENDEMIRÖNIMLERI DÖWLET KÄRHANASY|access-date=26 March 2021}}

The $240 million Tejen urea (carbamide) plant, inaugurated on March 18, 2005, has a design capacity of 350,000 tonnes of urea per year.{{cite news|url=http://www.turkmenistan.ru/ru/node/16751|title=В Туркменистане сдан в эксплуатацию Тедженский карбамидный завод|language=Russian|publisher=Turkmenistan.ru}}

The Baherden Cement Plant, put into operation in 2005, has a design capacity of one million tons of cement per year.{{cite news|url=https://turkmenportal.com/blog/29643/bahardenskii-cementnyi-zavod-uvelichil-temp-rosta-proizvodstva-na-10044|title=Бахарденский цементный завод увеличил темп роста производства на 100,44%|date=21 August 2020|publisher=Turkmenportal|language=Russian}} In 2019 the Baherden plant reportedly was operating at 64% of capacity. The Kelete Cement Plant has a design capacity of one million tons per year, but as of 2019 was producing at 8.1% of that level.{{cite news|url=http://www.newscentralasia.net/2019/11/26/2020-could-be-a-pivotal-year-for-turkmenistan-part-2-ru/ |title=2020 год может быть поворотным для Туркменистана – Часть 2 |first=Tariq |last=Saeedi |language=ru |date=26 November 2019 |publisher=News Central Asia}}

The Derweze State Electrical Power Station ({{langx|tk|Derweze Döwlet Elektrik Stansiýasy}}), a 504.4 megawatt power plant built by Çalık Enerji in 2015, is located near Ovadandepe.{{cite web|url=https://calikenerji.com/Pages/ProjectDetail.aspx?ID=34|title= Derweze Basit Çevrim Elektrik Santrali|publisher=Çalık Enerji|language=Turkish|access-date=11 April 2021}}{{cite web|url=http://www.minenergo.gov.tm/tm/node/14|title="Türkmenenergo" döwlet elektroenergetika korporasiýasy|date=14 February 2016|language=Turkmen|publisher=Ministry of Energy (Turkmenistan)|access-date=11 April 2021|archive-date=11 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411201132/http://www.minenergo.gov.tm/tm/node/14|url-status=dead}} The Ahal State Power Station ({{langx|tk|Ahal Döwlet Elektrik Stansiýasy}}), located about 9 kilometers NE of Anau, with design capacity of 650 megawatts, was constructed in 2010 to power the city of Ashgabat and expanded in 2013 and 2014 to power the Olympic Village.{{cite news|url=https://orient.tm/en/turkmenistan-has-increased-its-electricity-exports-by-1-5-times/|title=Turkmenistan has increased its electricity exports by 1.5 times|date=October 1, 2020|publisher=Orient|access-date=April 11, 2021|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429055550/https://orient.tm/en/turkmenistan-has-increased-its-electricity-exports-by-1-5-times/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://tm.usembassy.gov/ambassador-allan-mustard-visits-largest-ge-supplied-gas-turbine-power-plant-turkmenistan/|title=Ambassador Allan Mustard visits the largest GE-supplied gas turbine power plant in Turkmenistan|date=May 29, 2015|publisher=U.S. Embassy Ashgabat}}{{cite news|url=https://en.trend.az/casia/turkmenistan/3119523.html|title=Turkmen power stations using GE technology|date=September 17, 2019|first=Huseyn|last=Hasanov|publisher=Trend}}

The Ovadandepe Prison is located approximately 30 kilometers NNW of G. Orazow adyndaky oba, the seat of the Ovadandepe Rural Council ({{langx|tk|Owadandepe geňeşligi}}). The National Space Agency's [https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/38.13737/58.37593 ground station] for communicating with the TurkmenÄlem-52E satellite is located approximately 6 kilometers north of the Ashgabat city limit off the P-1 highway.[https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/38.13737/58.37593 OpenStreetMap]

• Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
• Nurmuhammet Hanamow
• Berdi Kerbabayev
• Saparmurat Niyazov

Ahal Region cooperates with:

• {{flagicon|RUS}} Moscow Oblast, Russia (1995){{cite web | url=http://www.e-cis.info/page.php?id=22696 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609003132/http://www.e-cis.info/page.php?id=22696 | archive-date=2016-06-09 | title=Интернет портал СНГ. 7.4. Соглашения между регионом государства – участника СНГ и регионом государства – участника СНГ (Российская Федерация) }}

• Teke (Turkmen tribe) § History
• Darvaza gas crater, a persistent natural gas fire
• [https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Ahal_Province OpenStreetMap Wiki: Ahal Province]
• [https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Districts_in_Turkmenistan OpenStreetMap Wiki: Districts in Turkmenistan]

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikivoyage|Ahal Province}}

{{commons category-inline}}

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Ahal Region

|North = Daşoguz Region

|Northeast = Lebap Region

|East = Mary Region

|Southeast = Razavi Khorasan province, {{flag|Iran}}

|South = North Khorasan province, {{flag|Iran}}

|Southwest =

|West = Balkan Region

|Northwest =

}}

{{Provinces of Turkmenistan}}

{{Authority control}}

{{coord|38|30|N|59|0|E|display=title}}

Category:Regions of Turkmenistan

Category:Khorasan