TURKMENISTAN ~Izmukshir Fortress - Dashogus Region ~

...Fantastic start of the week...great postcard coming from an unexplored part of Central Asia... a country  still hard to get in and mostly cut off from the rest of the world....Thank you very much Matthew!!¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Turkmenistan (formerly Turkmenia) is bounded by the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan, Iran and Afghanistan. About nine-tenths of Turkmenistan is desert, chiefly the Kara-Kum, it is  one of the world's largest sand deserts.

Not far from Dashoguz city in a desert there are ruins of ancient fortress city Izmukshir (Zamakshar), surfaced with sands. The fortress ruins are located in the territory of the historical and cultural reserve museum Kunya-Urgench, the ancient capital of Khorezmshah's State.  The fortress is dated from III century B.C- III century A.D.

In front of Izmukshir kala there is a fortification moat (Turkmens call it "Gara Garymy" or "Gala Khendegi"). The moat of Turkmen fortresses amount to 1-16 meters in the depth, and in its width -2-15 meters.

Stamp:

Gasmain Turkmenistan-China
(Issued 01-07-2010)

Postcard mailed at Turkmenbashy city (on the Caspian Sea).

TURKMENISTAN ~Ashgabat-The "Mother's Love" Monument~

...After several days with an emptie mailbox :( I received today this great statue postcard!! My first card from Turkmenistan... I learned already a bit more about this for me "really unknown" country thanks to Sonya and Travis travelblog who also sent me this card... Thanks a lot!!
Sonja and Travis travelblog click here.

With gorgeous leopard stamp from a large set of fauna stamps issued in 2009.

The "Mother's Love" Monument(1948). Established in memory of woman perished at the Ashgabat eartquake.It is based around the love of Turkmenbashi’s mother’s love for him. The mother holds the boy in her arms on what appears to be a giant flower emanating from the pond below.
President Niyazov built this statue at the place where his mother and two brothers were killed by the earthquake of 1948.

Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan in Central Asia. It is one of the six independent Turkic states and bordered by Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan , Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea.