On the outskirts of Ashghabad , in the residential area of Choganly, you will find the Oriental Altyn Asyr bazaar, known locally as Täze jygyldyk. It is the largest market in Turkmenistan and the 5th largest if you look at the whole of Central Asia. Altyn Asyr is 154 hectares in size and appears from above in the shape of a Turkmen rug decoration from Ahal province. It clearly shows Turkmenistan’s great tradition and interest in carpets, which is also reflected in the construction of the Ashghabad Carpet Museum.
If you make your way past Altyn Asyr Bazaar, you can see over 2,000 stalls spread across the area, and large red Turkmen carpets and rugs are especially traded. On Sundays, the market is particularly busy selling a large number of goods including handicrafts, jewelry, animals, food and cleaning productss. In addition, you can buy traditional Turkmen dresses. The women put together their own design by choosing different parts which are then put together and create a unique dress that is not worn by others.The Bazaar Altyn Asyr opened in 2011 along with the participation of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The bazaar even has a hotel, several cafes and restaurants on the grounds and has telephone and Internet access.
