When visiting Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, one of the first things you’ll notice is that the roads look… a bit different.
Not just because of the huge, often empty, multi-lane boulevards stretching across the city. If you spot some rare traffic, you’ll realise something even more unusual:
Every single car is white.
Whether it’s taxis, government vehicles, or privately owned cars, the traffic in Ashgabat blends almost perfectly into the city’s endless white marble buildings.
And the reason is as bizarre as many of Turkmenistan’s other quirks.
Table of Contents
Why Are All the Cars in Ashgabat White?
A City Built on White
The Ban on Non-White Cars
“Practical” Reasons (Sort Of)
A Capital Built for Show
A City Built on White
Ashgabat is famous for its obsession with the colour white. The city even holds a Guinness World Record for having the most white marble buildings in the world. Massive government buildings, apartment blocks, hotels, and monuments are all covered in bright white stone wherever you look.
During the day, the bright marble reflects the sun, making the city appear almost blindingly white. At night, many of the marble buildings are lit up with colourful led lights, giving the city a completely different look than the usual plain white daytime Ashgabat.
The obsession with white marble began during the rule of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who led Turkmenistan from 2006 to 2022. White was said to be his favourite colour because it symbolises purity and good fortune in Turkmen culture, and his preference didn’t stop with just the buildings.
It eventually extended to the cars on the road as well.
The ban on non-white cars
In 2015, the importation of black, dark blue, and red cars was banned, and by 2018 the government had officially banned non-white vehicles from entering Ashgabat. Owners of darker coloured cars had to repaint them or simply keep them out of the capital.
Car dealers in the city adapted quickly, and was now only selling white vehicles to avoid any issues with the authorities.
But it’s not just the colour that matters. Cars in Ashgabat are also expected to be spotless. Police have been known to stop drivers with dirty vehicles and issue fines.
The result of these rules is what visitors can see today: spotless white sedans, SUVs, and taxis driving through the marble city.
“Practical” Reasons (Sort Of)
Although the rule is often linked to the previous presidents preferences, there are a few practical explanations that get mentioned as well.
Ashgabat is located in the Karakum Desert, where summer temperatures can reach above 40°C. White vehicles reflect sunlight better than darker colours, which can help to keep the heat out, just like the white buildings.
But realistically, this explanation only goes so far.
Many cities in extremely hot climates still have plenty of black and dark-coloured vehicles. Even anywhere else in Turkmenistan you’ll still see cars in different colours.
But Ashgabat plays by its own rules.
A Capital Built for Show
Turkmenistan is often referred to as the “North Korea in Central Asia”, and the government is known for carefully controlling its public image. The capital is often seen as a kind of “showcase city”, designed to show off the country’s luxurious wealth and modernity.
The government work hard to maintain the clean streets and impressive architecture to upkeep this futuristic and wealthy image.
Spotless white cars fit just into this very specific aesthetic.
When you combine the endless white marble buildings, wide empty boulevards, some occasionally traffic consisting of almost identical white vehicles, the city can sometimes feel more like a giant sort of exhibition than a capital, and this is exactly what makes Ashgabat so fascinating.
