Balkanabat

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Capital of Balkan Province, Turkmenistan

title: "Balkanabat" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-balkan-region", "cities-and-towns-built-in-the-soviet-union", "populated-places-established-in-1933", "1933-establishments-in-the-turkmen-soviet-socialist-republic", "cities-in-turkmenistan"] description: "Capital of Balkan Province, Turkmenistan" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkanabat" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Capital of Balkan Province, Turkmenistan ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
other_name	Balkanabat şäheri
image_skyline	{{Photomontage
photo1a	Balkanabat (35634838822).jpg
photo2a	Balkanabat (35672063011).jpg
photo3a	Balkanabat-airport-Turkmenistan.jpg
photo4a	Balkanabat (35672059311).jpg
spacing	2
size	240
pushpin_map	Turkmenistan
pushpin_label_position	bottom
pushpin_mapsize	300
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Turkmenistan
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_name	[[Image:Flag of Turkmenistan.svg
subdivision_name1	Balkan Province
established_date	1933
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name	Balkan Gulmamedov
area_total_km2	11,290
population_as_of	2025 estimate
population_footnotes
population_total	87,822
registration_plate	BN
population_density_km2	auto
utc_offset	+5
coordinates
elevation_m	17
postal_code_type	postal code
postal_code	745100
area_code	(+993-222)
name	Balkanabat
::

| other_name = Balkanabat şäheri | image_skyline = {{Photomontage | photo1a = Balkanabat (35634838822).jpg | photo2a = Balkanabat (35672063011).jpg | photo3a = Balkanabat-airport-Turkmenistan.jpg | photo4a = Balkanabat (35672059311).jpg | spacing = 2 | size = 240 | image_flag = | image_seal = | image_map = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Turkmenistan | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_mapsize = 300 | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Turkmenistan | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name = [[Image:Flag of Turkmenistan.svg|25px]] Turkmenistan | subdivision_name1 = Balkan Province | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | established_title = | established_date = 1933 | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Balkan Gulmamedov | area_total_km2 = 11,290 | area_land_km2 = | population_as_of = 2025 estimate | population_footnotes = | population_total = 87,822 | population_urban = | registration_plate = BN | population_metro = | population_density_km2 = auto | timezone = | utc_offset = +5 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 17 | postal_code_type = postal code | postal_code = 745100 | area_code = (+993-222) | website = | footnotes = | name = Balkanabat Balkanabat (), formerly Nebit-Dag and Neftedag, is the administrative centre of Balkan Province, the largest province in Turkmenistan. It lies at the foot of the Balkan Daglary mountain range. Balkanabat is about 450 km west of Ashgabat and 160 km east of the seaport city of Türkmenbaşy. The city layout is a grid of apartment blocks called kvartal (quarters). The main streets are Magtymguly, Pervomayskiy and Gurbansoltan eje şaýoly.

Etymology

The town was founded in 1933 as Neftedag, meaning "Oil Mountain" (Russian neft, "oil", and Turkmen dag, "mountain"), as a settlement along one of the stations of the Trans-Caspian Railway. In 1946, when it was transformed into a city, it was renamed "Nebit-Dag", also meaning "Oil Mountain", but this time using the Turkmen word nebit. Nebit Dag was renamed Balkanabat (Balkan from the name of the Balkan mountains (not to be confused with the Balkan mountains in Bulgaria), abat – meaning “settlement” in Persian) in 2001 by decree of former President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov.

Administrative Subdivisions

The city of Balkanabat, being a district-level city, also has the following administrative subdivisions under its jurisdiction:

Towns (şäherçeler)
- Gumdag
- Hazar (inc. Garagöl)
- Jebel
- Oglanly (inc. Oglanly obasy)
- Uzboý (inc. Zähmet, Mollagara, 123-nji duralga)

History

A large monument at the far western end of the city, "Pioneers" (), also called "Desert Explorers", depicts a camel, Ivan Gubkin, and Gubkin's peers, struggling to hike through the windy Karakum Desert while prospecting for petroleum. Balkanabat's history is tightly linked to the petroleum deposits in Goturdepe, Barsagelmes and Nebitdag. The first colonists had to live in unbelievable conditions in tents, tilt carts, without power and even without water.

Amenities

The city adjoins a "Health Path", a concrete circuit hike path to give a moderate hike along the mountainside. It was opened in 2004 in the template of that of Ashgabat. The city has five bazaars (markets) Gök, Jennet, Gündogar, Bereket and 5th Microdistrict bazaar. The city is served by two hotels, Nebitçi and Sport, a theater, museums, restaurants and parks. The north side of town features the large Saparmyrat Türkmenbaşy Park, which offers trees, tennis courts, a life-size chess board and many benches.

In the 2000s, the city underwent significant transformations, including the improvement of streets, the construction of large-scale housing facilities, and the addition of supplementary amenities. The State Drama Theater, the Museum of History and Local Lore, a diagnostic center, a wedding palace, the Balkanabat Railway Station, the Balkan Provincial Library, a stadium with 10,000 seats, a general oriental market, and other social and cultural facilities were built during that period.

Demographics

In 2011, the population was estimated to be 120,800 residents, 80% of them Turkmen (mainly Yomud tribe), 15% Russians, 3% Kazakhs, 2% Azerbaijanis, 10% others, including Lezgins, Armenians, Uzbeks, Tatars, and Jews. The Yomud tribe is associated with the Balkan region and the Yomud carpet göl (rosette) is one of the five rosettes represented on the Turkmen flag.

Climate

Balkanabat has a cold desert climate (BWk) according to the Köppen climate classification. |width = auto |location = Balkanabat |metric first = Y |single line = Y |Jan high C = 7.9 |Feb high C = 10.0 |Mar high C = 15.8 |Apr high C = 23.7 |May high C = 30.3 |Jun high C = 35.4 |Jul high C = 38.1 |Aug high C = 37.2 |Sep high C = 31.9 |Oct high C = 23.2 |Nov high C = 16.4 |Dec high C = 9.9 |year high C = 23.3 |Jan mean C = 3.2 |Feb mean C = 4.6 |Mar mean C = 10.0 |Apr mean C = 17.3 |May mean C = 23.6 |Jun mean C = 28.8 |Jul mean C = 31.5 |Aug mean C = 31.1 |Sep mean C = 25.9 |Oct mean C = 17.5 |Nov mean C = 11.1 |Dec mean C = 5.5 |year mean C = 17.5 |Jan low C = -0.6 |Feb low C = 0.4 |Mar low C = 5.4 |Apr low C = 11.9 |May low C = 17.8 |Jun low C = 22.5 |Jul low C = 25.7 |Aug low C = 25.5 |Sep low C = 19.7 |Oct low C = 12.2 |Nov low C = 6.8 |Dec low C = 1.9 |year low C = 12.4 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 11 |Feb precipitation mm = 14 |Mar precipitation mm = 21 |Apr precipitation mm = 19 |May precipitation mm = 17 |Jun precipitation mm = 5 |Jul precipitation mm = 8 |Aug precipitation mm = 2 |Sep precipitation mm = 4 |Oct precipitation mm = 12 |Nov precipitation mm = 14 |Dec precipitation mm = 16 |year precipitation mm = 143 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 6 |Feb precipitation days = 5 |Mar precipitation days = 7 |Apr precipitation days = 6 |May precipitation days = 4 |Jun precipitation days = 2 |Jul precipitation days = 2 |Aug precipitation days = 1 |Sep precipitation days = 2 |Oct precipitation days = 4 |Nov precipitation days = 5 |Dec precipitation days = 7 |year precipitation days = 51 |Jan humidity = 68 |Feb humidity = 63 |Mar humidity = 56 |Apr humidity = 50 |May humidity = 43 |Jun humidity = 38 |Jul humidity = 41 |Aug humidity = 34 |Sep humidity = 34 |Oct humidity = 46 |Nov humidity = 58 |Dec humidity = 70 |year humidity = 50 |source 1 = NOAA | url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_II/TX/38634.TXT | title = Nebitdag (Balkanabat) Climate Normals 1961–1990 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200717100201/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_II/TX/38634.TXT | archive-date = 2020-07-17 | url-status = dead | access-date = 9 March 2017}}

Industry, economy and transport

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Balkanabat_(35672059311).jpg" caption="Apartment blocks in Balkanabat"] ::

The city is an industrial center for petroleum and natural gas production. A branch office of the Russian petroleum company Tatneft is located in Balkanabat. Animal husbandry and production of wheat and cotton are other pursuits.

Transport

The city lies on the east-west M37 highway and is connected to other cities by rail and bus. While there is no official cab company, private citizens operate shared cabs.

Air

The Balkanabat Airport terminal was opened in October 2004 with a design capacity of 200 passengers per hour. At present Turkmenistan Airlines offers no scheduled service in or out of this airport.

Rail

Balkanabat sits on the Trans-Caspian Railway running east–west, connecting the capital, Ashgabat, with the Balkan Region. The railway offers both passenger and freight transport. Balkanabat Railway Station is the city's main rail station.

Communication

The city has one mobile operator, Altyn Asyr. Internet access and cable TV are provided by Turkmentelecom. There is one internet cafe in the city. Turkmenpochta is the official national postal service of Turkmenistan. It currently operates four post offices in the city.

Education

The city has an Oil and Gas Industry School, which operates as a branch of the International Oil and Gas University. The school trains students in such specialties as geology, drilling of oil and gas wells, development and operation of oil and gas fields, chemical technology of oil and gas processing, construction, operation of oil and gas storage, and oil and gas pipeline operation. It is the functional successor to the Polytechnic Institute, which was an extension of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas in Moscow during the Soviet period.

High school graduates may receive secondary-specialized education in the following vocational schools: Balkanabat Medical School, Special School of Arts, Financial and Economic Secondary Vocational School, and Oil Secondary Vocational School of the Turkmennebit State Concern.

Religion

The vast majority of the population adheres to Sunni Islam. The main mosque of Balkan Province has a capacity of 3,000 worshippers. Four minarets, each 63 meters high, rise above the two-story mosque. The Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin has operated since 1997 in the 13th microdistrict.

Culture

A giant yurt-shaped building, Türkmeniň ak öýi ("Turkmen White House") was built for special events in 2021. The complex includes a concert hall with 3,000 seats and additional buildings, as well as a special sadaqah hall of the same capacity.

Notable people

Gulshat Orazmuhammedova (born 1974), Turkmen statesman

Media

The daily state newspaper Balkan is published in Balkanabat.

Twin towns and sister cities

Almetyevsk

Sports

The city features the Balkanabat Sport Toplumy stadium, at which is based the Nebitçi professional football club, which plays in the Ýokary Liga ("Upper League").

References

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::