capital of Turkmenistan, in the SC part, near the Iranian border: pop. 411,000
See Ashgabat in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(äshˌgä-bätˈ) also Ash·kha·bad(äshˌkä-bädˈ, -ᴋʜä-bätˈ)
The capital of Turkmenistan, in the south-central part of the country near the border of Iran. It was founded as a fortress in 1881. A major earthquake in 1948 virtually destroyed the old city. Population: 797,000.