A Ghost City: Haunting Visions of Ashgabat by Arnau Rovira

In his fascinating series A Ghost City, photographer Arnau Rovira turns his lens toward Ashgabat, the surreal capital of Turkmenistan. Known for his precise and poetic architectural imagery, Arnau captures a metropolis that feels both hyperreal and uninhabited, a gleaming desert city of marble and gold, where silence reigns.

Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union, Turkmenistan’s rulers have reshaped Ashgabat into a monument to power and control. Under President Gurbangulí Berdimujamédov, the city was rebuilt for the 2017 Asian Indoor Games, with monumental white facades, towering columns, and Guinness-record ambitions. But behind these pristine structures lies a strange emptiness — vast boulevards without traffic, grand hotels without guests, and monumental arenas waiting for crowds that never come.

His restrained compositions and clinical light reveal the uncanny stillness of this “marble mirage,” exposing a modern-day city where spectacle masks desolation.

For more of Arnau’s incredible photos, head over to his website.

More photography inspiration Arnau Rovira’s website