Saparmurat Turkmenbashy Olympic Stadium

File:Olympic Stadium, Ashgabat Turkmenistan.jpg

File:Ashgabat Olympic Stadium (1) (32291465498).jpg

The stadium held 30,000 people and was built in 2003, named for Saparmurat Niyazov.

In 2007 the Turkmen government decided to reconstruct the stadium and to enlarge it. The new arena seats up to 45,000 people.[http://tourism-sport.gov.tm/sport.php Infos on tourism-sport.gov.tm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529012845/http://www.tourism-sport.gov.tm/sport.php |date=2009-05-29 }} The stadium closed in 2012, and was partially demolished in 2013 for redevelopment.[http://www.azathabar.org/content/article/25206186.html Olimpiýa taýýarlyk: Çykdajylar we ýerliklilik][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqKXWtCAY7I "Olympic" stadium is being dismantled in Ashgabat]

The construction of the stadium was completed in 2016, but it was officially opened in 2017. The stadium was designed by the British architectural firms AFL Architects and Arup, with construction carried out by the Turkish company Polimeks.

The exterior of the stadium is designed in white tones, with the northern facade featuring a depiction of an Akhal-Teke horse's head. The stadium has a seating capacity of 45,000 spectators. Its two-tiered stands are fully covered by a roof.

The most prominent feature of the new renovations is head of an Ahal-Teke horse, which resembles the national emblem of the country.{{cite news|url=http://stadiumdb.com/news/2017/08/new_stadium_the_600ton_horse_head_in_ashgabat|title=New stadium: The 600-ton horse head in Ashgabat|publisher=StadiumDB|access-date=28 October 2017}} The artistic depiction of an Akhal-Teke horse adorning the grandstand of the Olympic Stadium, recognized as the largest horse symbol in the world and listed in the Guinness World Records, measures 40.05 meters (131 ft 4.9 in) in height, 37.69 meters (123 ft 7.9 in) in length, and 40.24 meters (132 ft 0.6 in) at its widest point. [https://tdh.gov.tm/index.php/en/post/8555/the-statue-of-horse-decorating-the-olympic-stadium-and-the-centre-of-water-sports-are-listed-in-the-guinness-world-record-book The statue of horse decorating the Olympic stadium and the Centre of Water Sports are listed in the Guinness World Record Book][https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/112917-largest-horse-head-sculpture Largest horse head sculpture] Weighing 600 tonnes, the statue commemorates Turkmenistan's rich equestrian history.

In 2017, it hosted Asian Olympic Council’s Asian Indoor & Martial Arts games that included participation from Australia and wider Oceania.{{Cite web|url= https://ocasia.org/games/12-ashgabat-2017.html|title=Ashgabat 2017|website=ocasia.org}} The wider Ashgabat Olympic Park also hosted the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships.

The stadium is mostly used for football matches by the Turkmen national football team, but also for musical performances by Turkmen pop stars such as Maral Ibragimova.{{Cite web|url=http://video.mail.ru/mail/geldiska92/_myvideo/305.html?liked=1|title=video of Maral performing at Ashgabat Olympic Stadium|date=5 March 2012 |accessdate=2013-01-22}}

The stadium used for matches of the Turkmenistan national football team at 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification[https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2003-11-19/turkmenistan-vs-afghanistan/731135/] and 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.[https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2007-10-28/turkmenistan-vs-cambodia/407522/]

The stadium hosted home matches for HTTU[https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2007-03-20/yedigen-fk-vs-al-hilal-al-sahely-sc/1241831/] and Nebitchi[https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2007-04-24/nebitci-ft-vs-dhofar-scsc/1241847/] during the group stage of the 2007 AFC Cup.

The reconstructed stadium was the site of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, also called the 5th Asian Indoor Games. The opening and closing ceremonies for the games were held on 17 and 27 September 2017.{{cite web |url=http://www.ocasia.org/News/IndexNewsRM.aspx?WKegervtea1xpk0X4VisIg== |title=OCA signs host agreement with Turkmenistan |date=19 December 2010}}

File:Turkmenistan banknote - 2017 series - 100 manat - reverse.jpg

The Ashgabat Olympic Stadium is even honored by being featured on the 100 Turkmen manat banknote. [https://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/ru/post/29577/k-v-aziade-priurochen-vypusk-pamyatnykh-monet-i-modifitsirovannykh-obraztsov-banknot]

In 2017, a set of two commemorative 100 manat coins was issued to honor the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, featuring a gold and a silver coin, both depicting the Ashgabat Olympic Stadium. [https://www.cbt.tm/ru/money/tm_moneta_17.html Памятные монеты 2017 года][https://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/ru/post/29577/k-v-aziade-priurochen-vypusk-pamyatnykh-monet-i-modifitsirovannykh-obraztsov-banknot]

• List of football stadiums in Turkmenistan
• Ashgabat Stadium
• Köpetdag Stadium

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Ashgabat Olympic Stadium}}

• [https://aoc.gov.tm/en/infrastructure Management of the Olympic town of Administration of the Ashgabat city]
• [https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/112917-largest-horse-head-sculpture Largest horse head sculpture] at Guinness World Records Limited website
• [http://www.afl-uk.com/projects/ashgabat-stadium-turkmenistan New Project]

{{Ashgabat}}

{{Turkmenistan national football team}}

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Category:Football venues in Turkmenistan

Category:Sports venues in Ashgabat

Category:Athletics (track and field) venues in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan

Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in Turkmenistan

Category:Sports venues completed in 2003

Category:2003 establishments in Turkmenistan

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