Ashgabat’s invitation-only gate: Turkmenistan’s marble city tightens entry

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan — The country’s capital, widely dubbed the 'marble city' for its vast white marble architecture, has tightened access for visitors. Entry is not as simple as booking a flight: most travelers must obtain a visa and secure an invitation before traveling.

British travelers, in particular, cannot simply jet over to Turkmenistan or Ashgabat. The process now requires a visa, and travelers must present a letter of invitation to support their application. The UK Foreign Office warns that 'if you have the wrong visa or if you overstay your visa, you could be prosecuted and possibly imprisoned.' Letters of invitation can be obtained from a travel agent if the visit is for tourism, while business trips require letters from relevant government ministries or companies you want to engage with. After obtaining the invitation, travellers can apply for a Turkmen visa at the Embassy or sometimes purchase one on arrival at certain border posts or at Ashgabat International Airport.

Ashgabat is known for jaw-dropping monuments, flawless fountains, and meticulously curated gardens. Its urban design emphasizes grand scale and symmetry, and markets and museums line the capital’s avenues. A notable policy visible on the streets is that only white cars are allowed on city roads—a ban that has been in place since 2018.

Travelers also offer rare glimpses of everyday life in the city. One traveler, Pandhu Waskitha, shared footage from Ashgabat on TikTok, describing the place as having 'surreal white marble, golden monuments, and almost empty streets.' The video shows vast white buildings and seemingly deserted blocks, despite an estimated population of around 941,130.

Waskitha wrote that the area is 'often called one of the world’s most unique and mysterious cities.' He described Ashgabat as designed with grand scale and symmetry, noting that it feels like it belongs in a movie—futuristic, elegant, and unlike anywhere else. The videos convey a sense of immaculate roads and perfectly pruned gardens that contribute to a cinematic mood rather than a typical urban experience.

Geographically, the city sits in Central Asia, surrounded by Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Its visa regime and invitation requirements reflect Turkmenistan’s broader approach to tourism, a landscape that has long been noted for its controlled access and carefully staged national image. For travelers who pass the gates, Ashgabat offers a spectacle of architecture and urban planning that stands in stark contrast to many other capitals around the world.

In the end, Ashgabat’s invitation-only entry and its uniform, white-walled aesthetic create a travel experience that is less about spontaneity and more about navigating a carefully curated gateway. For culture and entertainment seekers, the city presents a distinct narrative: a place where the visual feast is matched by the careful, sometimes opaque, steps required to enter—and where a walk through its marble avenues can feel almost cinematic in its precision and polish.