Why is the White City not completely white?
Türkmençe wersiýasy
Ashgabat is often called "The White City" because thousands of its buildings are clad with white marble. This extensive use of marble has even earned the city a Guinness World Record.
From a distance, Ashgabat appears almost uniformly white. Up close, however, every marble slab reveals its own geological history. The city's famous appearance is created not by identical stones, but by thousands of unique pieces of natural rock.
Marble forms when limestone is subjected to high temperatures and pressures deep within the Earth's crust. During this process, the original calcite grains recrystallize into an interlocking mosaic of crystals. Small amounts of other minerals may remain, producing faint grey veins, subtle color variations, or other natural patterns.
Although many of the marble slabs used throughout Ashgabat come from the same type of rock, no two pieces are exactly alike. Each slab represents a different section of the original marble block, revealing its own combination of crystals, veins, and mineral inclusions.
At this fountain in White City Ashgabat Park, you can observe polished white marble at close range and discover that natural stone is never completely uniform.
Questions
- Look closely at the marble cladding. Describe one visible feature (such as veins, crystal texture, or color variation) that shows this is a natural stone.
- Compare two neighboring marble slabs. Describe one visible difference between them.
- Does the marble appear completely white, or can you identify grey or other colored mineral inclusions? Describe what you observe.
- Why do you think two marble slabs from the same building can look different, even if they come from the same type of rock?
- (Optional) Add a photo of yourself, your GPS, or a personal item at the location.
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ENGLISH VERSION
Aşgabat köplenç "Ak şäher" diýlip atlandyrylýar, sebäbi onuň müňlerçe binasy ak mermer bilen örtülendir. Mermeriň şeýle giňden ulanylmagy şähere hatda Ginnesiň rekordlar kitabyna girmäge hem mümkinçilik berdi.
Daşdan seredeniňde, Aşgabat tutuşlygyna diýen ýaly ak bolup görünýär. Ýöne ýakyndan seredeniňde, her bir mermer plitasy özüniň geologik taryhyny açyp görkezýär. Şäheriň meşhur keşbi birmeňzeş daşlardan däl-de, eýsem tebigy gaýanyň müňlerçe özboluşly böleklerinden emele gelýär.
Mermer, hek daşynyň Ýeriň gabygynyň çuňlugynda ýokary temperatura we basyşa sezewar bolmagy netijesinde emele gelýär. Bu prosesiň dowamynda, ilki bar bolan kalsit dänejikleri gaýtadan kristallaşyp, biri-biri bilen baglanyşykly kristal mozaikasyny emele getirýär. Başga minerallaryň az mukdary galyp biler; bu bolsa ýeňil çal reňkli damarlary, reňk çalşyklaryny ýa-da beýleki tebigy nagyşlary döredýär.
Aşgabatda ulanylýan mermer plitalarynyň köpüsi şol bir görnüşli gaýadan gelip çykan bolsa-da, hiç haçan iki bölek biri-birine doly meňzeş bolmaýar. Her bir plita ilkinji mermer blokyň dürli bölegini aňladýar we özüne mahsus kristallar, damarlar we mineral goşundylarynyň utgaşmasyny görkezýär.
"Ak şäher Aşgabat" seýilgähindäki bu fontanda siz ýalpyldawuk ak mermere ýakyndan seredip, tebigy daşyň hiç haçan doly birmeňzeş däldigine göz ýetirip bilersiňiz.
Soraglar
- Mermer örtügine üns bilen serediň. Onuň tebigy daşdygyny görkezýän bir aýratynlygy (meselem, damarlar, kristal gurluşy ýa-da reňk çalşygy) suratlandyryň.
- Goňşy ýerleşýän iki sany mermer plitasyny deňeşdiriň. Olaryň arasyndaky bir tapawudy suratlandyryň.
- Mermer doly ak bolup görünýärmi ýa-da çal ýa-da başga reňkli mineral goşundylaryny görüp bilýärsiňizmi? Gören zatlaryňyzy suratlandyryň.
- Siziň pikiriňizçe, şol bir binadan alnan iki mermer plitasy, hatda şol bir görnüşli gaýadan gelip çykan bolsalar-da, näme üçin dürli görnüşde bolup biler?
- (Islege görä) Şol ýerde özüňiziň, GPS-iňiziň ýa-da şahsy bir zadyňyzyň suratyny goşuň.
Jogaplaryňyzy hasaba almazdan öň ýa-da derrew soň maňa ibermegiňizi haýyş edýärin. Saparyňyzy hasaba almak üçin meniň rugsadymy garaşmagyňyz gerek däl. Eger jogaplaryňyzda haýsydyr bir mesele ýüze çyksa, men siziň bilen habarlaşaryn.