Walk of Health
| Walk of Health | |
|---|---|
| Length | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Location | Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |
| Established | 2 January 2000 |
| Began construction | 1999 |
| Use | Hiking |
| Highest point | 1,293 m (4,242 ft) |
| Lowest point | 228 m (748 ft) |
| Maintained by | Government of Turkmenistan |
The Walk of Health is a 36 km[1] (22 mi) long concrete walkway that runs alongside the Kopet Dag mountain range in south Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, near the Iran–Turkmenistan border.[2] The first 8 kilometres (5 mi) of the path was built in 1999 by dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, with the aim of encouraging citizens to be healthy. It officially opened on 2 January 2000. Until Niyazov's death, he required his ministers to walk the walkway once every year.[3]
History
The first 8 kilometres (5 mi) of the Walk of Health was built in 1999 by dictator Saparmurat Niyazov. It officially opened on 2 January 2000.[4] Niyazov made his ministers walk the walkway whilst he travelled by helicopter to met them at the end of the walkway, fearing his heart condition would render him unable to walk the entire length.[3][5] In July 2012, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the walkway, and stated the government would look for private investors to maintain the Walk of Health.[6]
Route
The concrete walkway is split into two sections: Leader's Road, which is 8 kilometres (5 mi),[4] and Serdar Road, which is 28 kilometres (17 mi).[7] The beginning of the Walk of Health is marked by an archway in Serdar Health Park. As there are no trees in the mountain range to provide shade, the walkway is difficult to walk in its entirety. The Walk of Health is accompanied by metal fences on either side of the path, and street lamps so that it can be illuminated at night. Numerous statues and sculptures line the walkway, with richly decorated pavilions at an interval of every one kilometer for resting. The highest point of the walkway reaches 1,293 meters (4,242 ft), which is marked by a flagpole displaying the flag of Turkmenistan.[8][9]
References
- ^ "13-ю годовщину избрания президента в Туркменистане ознаменовали массовым восхождением в горы" [13th anniversary of the election of the Turkmenistan President was marked by a mass climb in the mountains]. Turkmenistan.ru. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Lonely Planet Blue List: The Best in Travel 2007. Lonely Planet Publications. 2006. p. 197. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ a b Morton, Ella (6 February 2014). "Golden Statues and Mother Bread: The Bizarre Legacy of Turkmenistan's Former Dictator". Slate. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Туркменбаши поведет 'тропой здоровья'" [Turkmenbashi will lead the 'path of health']. Turkmenistan.ru (in Russian). 11 March 2000. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Walker, Shaun (25 May 2015). "A horse, a horse … Turkmenistan president honours himself with statue". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Президент Туркменистана предложил передать Тропу здоровья частным предпринимателям" [The President of Turkmenistan proposed to transfer the Health Path to private entrepreneurs]. Turkmenistan.ru (in Russian). 12 July 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Lonely Planet Central Asia (4 ed.). Lonely Planet Publications. July 2007. p. 441.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ Luckow, Beate (2019). Reiseführer Turkmenistan: Durch die Wüste Karakum nach Ashgabat, Nisa, Merw und Konya Urgench (in German). Trescher Verlag. p. 115. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Туркменистанцы совершили массовое восхождение по Тропе здоровья" [Turkmen citizens made a mass ascent along the Path of Health]. Turkmenistan.ru (in Russian). 30 December 2010. Retrieved 25 March 2022.