The city was founded in 1881 , and made the city of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924 . Much of the city was destroyed by the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake but has since seen extensive renovation under President Saparmurat Niyazov 's urban renewal project . The Karakum Canal runs through the city , carrying waters from the Amu Darya from east to west
1948 Ashgabat earthquake
1948 Ashgabat earthquake
Ashgabat