Kerki should not be confused with Karki, Azerbaijan.
| Official Name: | Kerki |
| Other Name: | Atamyrat Zamm |
| Pushpin Map: | Turkmenistan |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Turkmenistan |
| Coordinates: | 37.8531°N 65.2369°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Turkmenistan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name1: | Lebap Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Kerki District |
| Population Total: | 96,720 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Utc Offset: | +5 |
Kerki is a city in and capital of Kerki District, Lebap Province, Turkmenistan. It was formerly known as Zamm[1] and, between 1999 and 2017, as Atamyrat.
It is situated on a plain on the left bank of the Amu Darya river. Nearby towns and villages include Mukry (3.3 nm), Amydarýa (2.1 nm), Surhy (3.1 nm) and Kerkichi (2.2 nm).[2]
According to Atanyyazow, the name Kerki is most likely of Persian origin, from ker ("fortress") and kuh ("mountain"), meaning "fortress on a mountain".[3] However, Muqaddasī and de Goeje assert it is a Turkified pronunciation of the Persian name Karkuh (کرکوه), meaning "deaf mountain".[4] The ancient name, Zamm, is of obscure origin.
On 29 December 1999, by Parliamentary Resolution HM-60, the city and district of Kerki were renamed Atamyrat in honor of Atamyrat Nyýazow, father of Saparmurat Niyazov, who had worked in Kerki as a teacher before being killed in World War II. On 25 November 2017, by Parliamentary Resolution No. 679-V, Atamyrat was changed back to Kerki for both the city and the district.[5]
The urban core consists of numerous one-story brick structures dating back to the period of the Russian Empire..[6]
The town is served by the new Kerki Airport, which replaced a defunct municipal airport in 2021.[7]
Kerki lies on the P-36 and P-39 highways, which both lead northwest to Turkmenabat, one on each side of the Amu Darya. Nearby junctions connect to the P-89, which leads north to the border with Uzbekistan at Tallymerjen, and the P-37, which leads southeast to the border with Uzbekistan at Kelif. In the opposite direction the P-36 also continues south to a junction with the Kerki-Ymamnazar ýoly, which in turn leads to the border with Afghanistan at Ymamnazar.[8] In February 2013, a road bridge connecting the city with Kerkichi was commissioned;[9] it replaced an old pontoon bridge.
In 1999, the rail line from Türkmenabat to Kerki was finished, linking Kerki to the Turkmen railway network without having to detour into neighbouring Uzbekistan.[10] In late 2016, a railway line was built south to Ymamnazar on the border with Afghanistan and further to Aqina, turning Kerki into a railway hub.[11]
Astana Baba Mausoleum is managed by the Kerki city museum, and consists of a minaret and tomb built in the 11th century. Allamberdar Mausoleum (ru) is also part of the Kerki city museum. This 11th-century building represents Seljuk architecture of northern Khorasan.