Ashgabat Health Trail
| Health trail | |
|---|---|
 View from the starting point of the path |
|
| Data | |
| length | 35 km |
| Starting point | South of Ashgabat, at the foot of the Kopet-Day, 37 ° 53 ′ 24 ″ N , 58 ° 14 ′ 24 ″ E |
| Type | trail |
| The highest point | 1293 m |
| Lowest point | 228 m |
Map with all coordinates: The Ashgabat Health Trail is a network of trails in the Kopet Dag Mountains near the Turkmen capital Ashgabat .
Building history
The health trail is one of the most famous projects of the eccentric ex-president Saparmyrat Nyýazow . At the beginning of the 2000s, he said that a better physical condition for the Turkmen people through more exercise was a political goal. As one measure, the health trail was built in the Kopet Dag Mountains.
layout
At the starting point of the path in the south of the capital is the Serdar Health Park, which is equipped with numerous water features, several small pavilions and an artificial waterfall. A small forest is adjacent to the health park, which is dedicated to the Turkish- Turkmen friendship. The starting point is marked by an archway.
The trail network of the health trail includes several hiking trails that are between 8 and 35 kilometers in length. The shortest, 8 km long route is elaborately designed. There are metal fences on the sides of the path, and numerous statues and sculptures line the path. The entire path is illuminated by street lamps, so that it is easy to see even at night. At intervals of about one kilometer there are richly decorated pavilions to rest. The highest point of the path is at almost 1300 meters and is marked by a Turkmen flag .
After it became clear that the strenuous hikes with often high temperatures in Turkmenistan were more of a health risk, some trees were planted along the way to at least prevent direct sunlight.
use
The route serves to exercise the Turkmen people. The then President Nyýazow ordered that all civil servants and members of the government have to go once a year in order to be physically ready for their important work. Shortly after the completion of the facility, the first hike of this kind took place in March 2003. Nyýazow himself observed the start of the hike and, due to his heart problems, then flew by helicopter to the destination, where he was present at the destination. Thereupon Nyýazow openly criticized the fitness of the officials and members of the government and urged them to cover the 8-kilometer route in challenging terrain in under 90 minutes. This criticism led to a cabinet meeting at the start of the trail.
At the farewell to the French ambassador to Turkmenistan, Jean-Claude Richard , in May 2006, he walked the health trail with President Nyýazow and praised it, because there you can “feel harmony between soul and body”.
Individual evidence
- ^ Serdar Health Path. Retrieved August 8, 2019 .
- ^ Ashgabat Health Path. Retrieved August 8, 2019 .
- ^ Beate Luckow: Turkmenistan . Trescher, Berlin 2019.
- ^ The Walk of Health. In: AtlasObscura.com. Accessed August 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Ella Morton: Think Kim Jong-il Was Odd? Meet Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan. In: Slate.com. February 6, 2014, accessed August 8, 2019 .
- ↑ French ambassador walks on “health trail”, confesses his love to Turkmenistan before departure. In: Turkmenistan.ru. May 2, 2006, accessed August 8, 2019 .