Ever keen to get there first, Bradt is launching the first dedicated English-language guide to that least-known of all the former Soviet 'Stans' – Turkmenistan. Why visit a central Asian country full of sand? Because, as author Paul Brummell stresses, it is a remarkable place.
Here is a land where you can follow the footprints of dinosaurs, unearth traces of a Bronze Age civilisation of fire-worshippers and visit the Silk Road city of Ancient Merv.
While there are some reminders of Turkmenistan's Soviet past – from the odd rusting MiG to flaming craters formed during cavalier searches for natural gas – since independence in 1991 these have fast been fading. The previously drab capital of Ashgabat has been transformed into a fantasy of white-marble palaces, modern apartment blocks and large fountain complexes.
And alongside the archaeological heritage and the vibrant re-building is an endearing dash of eccentricity. Where else would you find a president brazen enough to commission a golden statue of himself that revolves to follow the sun? Or one who insists that the month of January should hereafter take his own name? And where else are melons honoured with a national holiday?
Brummell laces his considerable knowledge with a genuine pleasure in sharing it. Alongside information on history, culture, accommodation and food is advice on circumventing the exasperating tangle of red tape.
The book concludes with an essential section on the Turkmen language. Turkmenistan is for the pioneering tourist; as Brummell remarks, it 'may not be an easy destination, but for those who come here the rewards are great’.
Paul Brummell joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1987. He has served in Islamabad and Rome, and as British Ambassador to Turkmenistan (2002-2005). From December 2005 he will be Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan and non-resident Ambassador to the Krygyz Republic. He was shortlisted for the 1999 Shiva Naipal Memorial Prize for an article on the San Remo Song Festival. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. |