Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque

Gypjak, near Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

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The Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque, also known as the Gypjak Mosque, is a large, white‑marble mosque located in the village of Gypjak, about 7–11 kilometers west of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.

Built between 2002 and 2004 on the initiative of the country’s first president, Saparmurat Niyazov (who styled himself Türkmenbaşy), it is considered Turkmenistan’s main and largest mosque, with a single golden dome, four tall minarets, and a capacity of around 10,000 worshippers.

The mosque complex also includes a mausoleum that houses Niyazov’s tomb, making the site both a place of Islamic worship and a monument closely tied to his personality‑cult–style leadership. The structure is made of gleaming white marble, decorated with Islamic motifs and inscriptions, and its exterior height and minaret height are symbolically linked to key dates in Turkmen history, such as the year of independence in 1991.