Anau, Turkmenistan

Änew
Änew şäheri
City
Ruins of Seýit Jemaladdin Mosque near Anau
Änew
Location in Turkmenistan
Coordinates: 37°53′N 58°32′E / 37.883°N 58.533°E / 37.883; 58.533
Country Turkmenistan
ProvinceAhal Province
DistrictAk bugdaý District
Population
 • Total
28,653
Time zoneUTC+5

Anau (Turkmen: Änew, Russian: Аннау, romanizedAnnau) is a city in Turkmenistan. Until 20 December 2022, it was the capital of Ahal Province.[1] The area has been inhabited since around 5500 BC. Prehistoric sites in Anau were discovered in excavations were conducted by Raphael Pumpelly and William Morris Davis in 1904. In 2022, it had a population of 28,653 people.[2]

Etymology

Anau is the Persian word for "new water".[3]

Geography

Anau is located in the foothills of the Kopet Dag mountain range.[4] It is 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) to the south of Ashgabat.[3]

History

The Chalcolithic Anau culture inhabited the area.[5] Inhabitation in Anau started in its northern area around 5500 BC. This settlement continued until 3000 BC when it moved to the south. This southern location was inhabited from 3000 to 1000 BC.[6]

Anau was given city status on 3 February 2008.[7] The city was designated "Cultural Capital of the Turkic World" for 2024 at the 39th session of the Permanent Council of Ministers of Culture of TURKSOY.[8][9]

Archaeology

A Russian general explored mounds in the area in 1866, as he believed there was treasure within them.[3] Raphael Pumpelly and William Morris Davis conducted an excavation at Anau in 1904.[10] Hubert Schmidt and Wilhelm Dörpfeld supervised the digging for Pumpelly's excavation.[11] This excavation discovered a prehistoric settlement in Anau.[12] Pumpelly conducted another excavation in 1908.[6] Frank T. Hiebert conducted an excavation of the site in 1993.[13]

Charcoal was abundant in the area between 4500 and 1000 BC.[4] 85-90% of the cereal remains identified in ancient Anau were barley.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Постановление Меджлиса Милли Генгеша Туркменистана об отнесении к категории города нового современного административного центра Ахалского велаята и присвоении ему наименования" (in Russian). Электронная газета «Золотой век». 21 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Türkmenistanyň Statistika baradaky döwlet komiteti". www.stat.gov.tm. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  3. ^ a b c Rapp 2015, p. 27.
  4. ^ a b Miller 1999, p. 14.
  5. ^ Hiebert 2002, p. 33.
  6. ^ a b Good 2012, p. 115.
  7. ^ Официальная хроника: Халк Маслахаты Туркменистана принял Постановление об изменении статуса некоторых городов и поселков Туркменистана 2008.
  8. ^ "Änew şäheri – türki dünýäsiniň medeni paýtagty boldy". TÜRKMENISTAN WE DÜNÝÄ HABARLARY (in Turkmen). 5 November 2022.
  9. ^ Nyýazmämedow, Çerkez (26 December 2022). "Новый облик древнего города" (in Russian). Нейтральный туркменистан. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  10. ^ Rapp 2015, p. 28.
  11. ^ Rapp 2015, p. 29.
  12. ^ Hiebert 2002, p. 27.
  13. ^ Rapp 2015, p. 34.
  14. ^ Miller 1999, p. 16.

Works cited

37°53′N 58°32′E / 37.883°N 58.533°E / 37.883; 58.533