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Geokdepe Fortress

Turkmenistan

Almost 40 kilometers to the west of Ashgabat a heroic Geoktepe fortress is situated where in 1881, defending their independence, the Turkmens showed courageous resistance to the invading Russian army. 110 years later after the battle when Turkmenistan had become an Independent state President Saparmurat Turkmenbashi arrived at a decision to erect a memorial mosque at the place of that heroic battle; the construction was commissioned to the French “Bouygues” company.

The mosque that was named after the first President of Turkmenistan who had just gone on a pilgrimage to Mecca (khadj) became a dominant of the surrounding.

The mosque presents a traditional cube over which a 40- meter central dome elliptical in shape towers; 60 meter high minarets are erected in the corners. From the north a courtyard adjoins to an expansive prayerful hall for 500 people. General concept of the mosque is the Osman one, but its ornament reminds of powerful local architectural roots that are explicitly expressed in mosques, mausoleums of Anau, Merv, Gurandja and in a great number of other monuments of Islamic epoch.

Annually, on the Commemoration Day – 12 Turkmenbashi (January), instituted by Decree of President Saparmurat Turkmenbashi in commemoration of Geoktepe battle, a solemn public prayer is committed in the mosque and sadaka is arranged.

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