Geok Tepe ( tk, Gökdepe) is a city in and the administrative center of Gökdepe District, Ahal province,

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the s ...

, north-west of

Ashgabat Ashgabat or Asgabat ( tk, Aşgabat, ; fa, عشق‌آباد, translit='Ešqābād, formerly named Poltoratsk ( rus, Полтора́цк, p=pəltɐˈratsk) between 1919 and 1927), is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies ...

. The city is built around a former

fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

of the

Turkmens Turkmens ( tk, , , , ; historically "the Turkmen"), sometimes referred to as Turkmen Turks ( tk, , ), are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, living mainly in Turkmenistan, northern and northeastern regions of Iran and north-weste ...

which bore the same name. The city lies along the M37 highway and the

Trans-Caspian Railway The Trans-Caspian Railway (also called the Central Asian Railway, russian: Среднеазиатская железная дорога) is a railway that follows the path of the Silk Road through much of western Central Asia. It was built by ...

History

Battle of Geok Tepe

The fortress of Geok Tepe consisted of a walled enclosure in circuit, the wall being high and thick. In December 1880 in the Siege of Geoktepe it was attacked by 6,000

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

under General

Mikhail Skobelev Mikhail Dmitriyevich Skobelev (russian: Михаил Дмитриевич Скобелев; 29 September 1843 – 7 July 1882), a Russian general, became famous for his conquest of Central Asia and for his heroism during the Russo-Turkish War ...

against 25,000 defenders. The siege of Geok Tepe lasted 23 days, after which the fort was taken by storm. The Russian forces encountered heavy resistance and finally broke in by digging a tunnel under the wall, then detonating a mine under the wall on January 12 ( 24th new style), 1881. Once the fortress was breached, the Russian troops stormed in. Several hundred defenders died in the explosion, and many more died in the fighting that ensued. Eventually, the defenders, and the 40,000 civilians inside the fort, fled across the desert, pursued by General Skobelev's cavalry. Around 8,000 Turkmen soldiers and civilians died while fleeing, adding to 6,500 who had died in the fort. Russian casualties were 398 killed and 669 wounded.

Etymology

The words ''gök depe'' mean "blue hill" in

Turkmen Turkmen, Türkmen, Turkoman, or Turkman may refer to: Peoples Historical ethnonym * Turkoman (ethnonym), ethnonym used for the Oghuz Turks during the Middle Ages Ethnic groups * Turkmen in Anatolia and the Levant (Seljuk and Ottoman-Turkish desc ...

. Atanyyazow explains that nearby hills in this district, as well as elsewhere in Turkmenistan, "appear to be blue-black with fog from the wind" and the settlements are named after such hills.Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names, 2005
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Economy

Geok Tepe is the site of a cotton ginning mill and of the Gökdepe Textile Factory named for Hero Atamyrat Niyazov (father of the first president of independent Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov). The city features two hospitals, one a general hospital and the other specializing in obstetrics and pediatrics. The city's central market, Ak Bazar, located across the M37 highway from the central train and bus stations, draws villagers from the surrounding area both to sell their wares and to purchase necessities.

Architecture

The city's main architectural attraction is the Saparmurat Hajji Mosque, completed in 1995 by order of President Niyazov to commemorate the fallen in the Battle of Geok Depe. The local history museum is located on the grounds of the mosque, and one floor of the museum is dedicated to the battle. The entire complex is on the southern end of the former fortress.

Legacy

* Saparmurat Hajji Mosque was built to commemorate the defeat and is noted for its mint-turquoise blue coloured roof and white marble structure * Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex

References

External links

Location and image

Picture of the mosque in Geok Tepe

Another picture of the mosque
{{Cities of Turkmenistan Fortifications in Turkmenistan Historic sites in Turkmenistan Military history of Russia Populated places in Ahal Region Populated places along the Silk Road