Tuerkmenabat

The former name of the city, Çärjew, is a Turkmen borrowing from the Persian chahârjuy (چهارجوى), meaning 'four streams'. This type of naming is also common in Iran, such as the village Se Juy ('three streams'). The current name of the city is simply a combining of Türkmen and the Persian suffix âbâd (آباد), meaning 'dwelling of'.

A modern industrial city, Türkmenabat's history spans 2,000 years. In ancient times, it was known as Āmul (to be distinguished from the Iranian city of Amol). The river Amu Darya is said to mean River of Āmul, named after this ancient city. Türkmenabat was the hub in an intersection of three routes of the Great Silk Road leading to Bukhara, Khiva and Merv. For centuries, Āmul was an important town of the Uzbek feudal khanate (later emirate) of Bukhara. When the Russian Empire began annexing Central Asian Turkestan, Āmul was surrendered to Russians by the Bukhara emirate, which subsequently became a vassal of Russia and pledged allegiance to the Russian emperor. The modern city was founded in 1886, when Russian Cossacks settled in Uralka in what is now the eastern part of Türkmenabat, naming their settlement New-Chardjuy. …

Türkmenabat is located at an altitude of 187 m (614 ft) on the banks of the Amu Darya River, near the border with Uzbekistan. Türkmenabat is at the center of Lebap province, which has borders with three provinces in Turkmenistan: Mary, Ahal and Daşoguz. The province also borders Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Some 70 kilometres (43 miles) south of Türkmenabat in the East Karakum Desert is the Repetek Nature Reserve, famed for its zemzen, or desert crocodiles.

Tasinlikler meýdançasy is a park where people celebrate national holidays. Türkmenabat is known for its bazaars. The largest bazaar is "World Bazaar" (Turkmen: Dünýa bazar). Other well-known bazaars are Gök bazar (Green Bazaar) and Merkezi bazar (Central Bazaar). People throughout the country come to Türkmenabat to purchase local, Chinese, Turkish, Uzbek and Russian goods. Dünýä bazar has many sections, including those for jewelry, home appliances, clothes, dairy products, and automobiles. Zaton, an artificial beach located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the center of the city, is a major recreational area. During the summer, youth gather at Zaton to relax.

Türkmenabat is connected with the Turkmen capital Ashgabat and Turkmen port city Türkmenbaşy by M37 highway. In March 2017, two new bridges, one for rail and one for motor vehicles, were opened for crossing the Amu Darya at Türkmenabat. The rail bridge replaced one built in the early 1900s, and the automobile bridge replaced a pontoon bridge. Türkmenabat bus terminal provides regional bus connections and intercity bus connections. The bus station is designed to serve 700 passengers per day. In Türkmenabat taxis are available at any time of the day or night. Passengers may also hire taxicabs via mobile apps. Other hailing methods, such as telephone based calls or raising one's hand on the street, are also common as well. The city is a short distance from the international border crossing with Uzbekistan at Farap. …

Türkmenabat is noted for possessing its own dialect of the Turkmen language. This regional dialect is a hybrid of the Turkmen and Uzbek languages, which have heavily influenced the area's culture and customs. This dialect is primarily spoken in Türkmenabat and the northern districts of Lebap province.