Walk of Health
| Walk of Health | |
|---|---|
View of the Walk of Health, 2008 | |
| Length | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Location | Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |
| Established | 2 January 2000 |
| Began construction | 1999 |
| Completed | mid-2000 |
| Use | Hiking |
| Highest point | 1,293 m (4,242 ft) |
| Lowest point | 228 m (748 ft) |
| Surface | Concrete |
| Maintained by | Government of Turkmenistan |
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The Walk of Health (Turkmen: Saglyk ýoly, lit. 'health trail') is a 36-kilometre (22 mi) long concrete walkway that runs alongside the Kopet Dag mountain range in south Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, near the Iran–Turkmenistan border. The first 8 km (5.0 mi) of the path was constructed in 1999 by dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, with the intent of encouraging citizens to be healthy. It officially opened on 2 January 2000. Until Niyazov's death, he required his ministers to walk the walkway once every year.