Geokdepe – the last fortress

Geokdepe is a city and district of Ahal province of Turkmenistan, 45 kilometres (28 mi) north-west of Ashgabat. Top famous places of this district is Geokdepe fortress, mosque and the museum. The city is built around a former fortress of the Turkmens, which carries the same name. The fortress of Geokdepe consisted of a walled enclosure 2.8 km in circuit, the wall being 5.5 m (18 ft.) high and 6 to 9 m (20 to 30 ft.) thick. This fortress played a key role during the Russian invasion. There was a famous Geokdepe Battle during 1879-1881.

The Battle of Geokdepe is the battle between the Russians and the Turkmens. In December 1880, some 6,000 Russians under the command of General Mikhail Dimitriyevich Skobelev besieged Göktepe. This siege lasted for twenty-three days. On the twenty-fourth day, the city fell with Russian attack. Although 25 thousand people defended the city, they were able to seize it. Despite facing heavy resistance, Russian forces dug tunnels and placed 1160 kilograms of dynamite under the fortress wall. On January 12 of 1881, there was a big explosion. With this explosion, the Russians attacked from the destroyed fortress wall. The fall of Geokdepe was of tremendous importance for the early pacification of the Turkmens; it gave Russians the possession of the entire Akhal-Teke oasis and did not remain without influence on the peaceful annexation of Merv to Russia.

Another importance place is Geokdepe mosque was built between 1994 and 1995. It was erected in memory of defenders of the adjacent Geokdepe Fortress. It is a prominent landmark in Geokdepe with its blue dome and four minarets. The mosque has capacity for 8,000 worshipers. Its main characteristics are its sky-blue dome surrounded by four lower blue half domes. Its four minarets are 63 meters high to represent the age at which the Prophet Muhammad died.

mosque

 

geokdepe heros

 

The magnificent building of the museum and the Geokdepe Mosque align with the charitable building and forms a unique complex. The building of the museum consists of three floors, on the first floor of which is the life of the Turkmens, ethnography, photographs related to the history of Turkmenistan, the Battle of Gokdepe, values that reflect national characteristics, clothes worn at that time, the Turkmen White House, jewellery, ceramics. In addition, there are conference halls and special fundraisers to preserve museum values on this floor. On the second floor of the museum are exhibited photos of folk heroes, historical finds, ethnographic values, archival documents, photographs. The museum holds more than 1,500 historical value, and the museum’s exhibition space is 2011 square meters.

The Museum fully collects and scientifically studies the historical, cultural values, finds, paintings, photographs, archival documents, archaeological finds, ethnographic values, jewellery, weapons and other cultural and historical values of the exhibits of Battle Geokdepe.