Darganata

Darganata is the capital city of Darganata District in Lebap Province of Turkmenistan.

Darganata
Birata (?-2017)
Dargan-Ata
Darganata is located in Turkmenistan
Darganata
Darganata
Location in Turkmenistan
Coordinates: 40°29′N 62°10′E
Country Turkmenistan
ProvinceLebap Province
DistrictDarganata District
Population
 (2010)
 • Total21,465

Prior to 27 November 2017, the city was called Birata.[1]

Etymology

The name Darganata is of obscure origin. Atanyyazow speculates that dargan might be from an Arabic-origin root referring to "boat" or "hull" (the city is on the Amu Darya) but finds the suffix ata ("father") inexplicable.[2][3] Paul Brummell notes that the name could be interpreted as "Divided Ata Tribe"; this had prompted the renaming to Birata, meaning "United Ata Tribe"![4]

History

The place developed out of the Khorezm settlement of Dargan; however, the modern city lies about 3 km north.[4] Nothing exists of the ancient settlement except the wall-perimeter.[4]

On 27 July 2016, the erstwhile town was upgraded to a city; over a year later, on 5 November 2017, its Soviet-era name of Darganata was restored.

Tourism

The Darganata Mausoleum (c. 14th c.) stands between the modern town and the walled perimeter of the ancient settlement; according to local tradition, it is the tomb of Abu Muslim.[4] However, this appears to be untrue since contemporary sources record that Muslim's mutilated body was thrown in the River Tigris.[5]

References
  1. "Внесены изменения в административно-территориальное деление Лебапского велаята" [Changes to the administrative-territorial divisions in Lebap velayat] (in Russian). 2017-11-27. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
  2. Frank, Allen J.; Touch-Werner, Jeren (October 20, 1999). Turkmen-English Dictionary (in English and Turkmen). Kensington, Maryland: Dunwoody Press. ISBN 978-1881265290.
  3. Atanyýazow, Soltanşa (1980). Түркменистаның Географик Атларының Дүшүндиришли Сөзлүги [Explanatory Dictionary of Geographic Names in Turkmenistan]. Ashgabat: Ылым. p. 136.
  4. Brummell, Paul (2005). Turkmenistan. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-84162-144-9.
  5. Moscati, S. (2012-04-24), "Abū Muslim", Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Brill



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