Walk of Health

The Walk of Health (Turkmen: Saglyk ýoly, lit. 'health trail')[1] is a 36-kilometre (22 mi)[2][lower-alpha 1] long concrete walkway that runs alongside the Kopet Dag mountain range in south Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, near the Iran–Turkmenistan border.[4] The first 8 km (5.0 mi) of the path was constructed in 1999 by dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, with the intent of encouraging citizens to be healthy. It officially opened on 2 January 2000.[5] Until Niyazov's death, he required his ministers to walk the walkway once every year.[3]

Walk of Health
View of the Walk of Health, 2008
Length36 km (22 mi)
LocationAshgabat, Turkmenistan
Established2 January 2000
Began construction1999
Completedmid-2000
UseHiking
Highest point1,293 m (4,242 ft)
Lowest point228 m (748 ft)
Maintained byGovernment of Turkmenistan

History

The first 8 km (5.0 mi) of the Walk of Health was constructed in 1999 by dictator Saparmurat Niyazov. It officially opened on 2 January 2000.[5] Niyazov made his ministers walk the walkway whilst he travelled by helicopter to meet them at the end of the walkway.[3][6] He feared that his own heart condition would render him unable to walk the entire length.[5] The walkway was expanded an additional 26 km (16 mi) in mid-2000, after which Niyazov announced he would require his ministers to walk the walkway once every year.[7] On 30 August 2004, over 10,000 people walked the walkway, including members of the government.[8] In July 2012, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the walkway. He said that the government would look for private investors to maintain it.[9]

Route

The concrete walkway is split into two sections: Leader's Trail, which is 8 km (5.0 mi),[5] and Serdar Trail, which is 28 km (17 mi).[10] 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. It is accompanied by metal fences on either side of the path, as well as street lamps so that it can be illuminated at night. Numerous statues and sculptures line the walkway, with pavilions every kilometer for resting. The highest point of the walkway reaches 1,293-metre (4,242 ft), which is marked by a flagpole displaying the flag of Turkmenistan.[11][12]

  • Archway at the entrance to the walkway.
    Archway at the entrance to the walkway.
  • View of the walkway.
    View of the walkway.

References
  1. Esenow, Annageldi (2003). Saparmurat Türkmenbaşynyň beýik döwri arhitekturasy [Architecture of Saparmurat Turkmenbashi the Great epoch] (in Turkmen). Ruh. p. 501. Archived from the original on 2022-04-09. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  2. "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 (in Russian). 20 June 2005. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  3. Morton, Ella (6 February 2014). "Golden Statues and Mother Bread: The Bizarre Legacy of Turkmenistan's Former Dictator". Slate. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  4. Lonely Planet Blue List: The Best in Travel 2007. 2006. p. 197. ISBN 9781741047356. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  5. "Туркменбаши поведет 'тропой здоровья'" [Turkmenbashi will lead the 'path of health']. Turkmenistan.ru (in Russian). 11 March 2000. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  6. Walker, Shaun (25 May 2015). "A horse, a horse … Turkmenistan president honours himself with statue". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  7. "Сапармурат ниязов решил превратить ашхабад в город-парк" [Saparmurat Niyazov decided to turn Ashgabat into a park city]. Turkmenistan.ru (in Russian). 17 April 2001. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  8. "Более 10 тысяч туркменистанцев прошли по "тропе здоровья" в горах копетдага" [More than 10,000 Turkmenistanis walked the "health trail" in the Kopetdag mountains]. Turkmenistan.ru (in Russian). 30 August 2004. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  9. "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. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  10. Lonely Planet Central Asia. July 2007. p. 441. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  11. Luckow, Beate (2019). Reiseführer Turkmenistan: Durch die Wüste Karakum nach Ashgabat, Nisa, Merw und Konya Urgench (in German). Trescher Verlag. p. 115. ISBN 9783897944152. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  12. "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. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.

Footnotes
  1. According to Slate, the Walk of Health has a length of 45 kilometres (28 mi).[3]
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