Ashgabat is also the country's leader in the number of architectural and historical attractions. Many sightseeing tours of the city start with the Turkmenbashi Ruhi Mosque, the largest single-domed mosque in the world. The mosque got its name in honor of the country's first president and was built relatively recently, in 2004. The building covering an area of 18,000 square meters is striking in its size. The mosque has two separate halls for men and women, which can accommodate up to 10,000 people at a time. The halls feature very beautiful decoration. White marble served as the main building material during the mosque's construction. In the immediate vicinity of the mosque, there is a mausoleum in which the first president of Turkmenistan and members of his family are buried. The main national museum of Turkmenistan is also located in Ashgabat. The country's largest museum opened in 1998 and more than 115,000 unique exhibits are kept within its walls today. It has halls containing archaeological finds discovered during the exploration of various regions of Turkmenistan. Of great interest is the collection of ancient carpets, as well as incredibly beautiful national costumes and ancient weapons. One of the favorite halls of many visitors is the one storing ancient jewelry that belonged to local rulers. A whole day would hardly be enough to inspect the museum's extensive exposition. Temporary exhibitions are regularly held here throughout the year. A very important
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