Ashgabat vs Tirana Municipally

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Ashgabat (Turkmen: Aşgabat; Ашгабат, pronounced [ɑʃʁɑˈbɑt], Persian: عشق آباد‎; Russian: Ашхабад), formerly named Poltoratsk (Russian: Полтора́цк, IPA: [pəltɐˈratsk]) between 1919 and 1927, is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan. It is situated between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag mountain range in Central Asia. It is also near the Iran-Turkmenistan border. The city was founded in 1881 on the basis of an Ahal Teke tribal village, and made the capital of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924.

Much of the city was destroyed by the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake but has since been extensively rebuilt under the rule of Saparmurat Niyazov’s "White City" urban renewal project, resulting in monumental projects sheathed in costly white marble. The Soviet-era Karakum Canal runs through the city, carrying waters from the Amu Darya from east to west. Since 2019, the city has been recognized as having one of the highest costs of living in the world largely due to Turkmenistan's inflation and import issues.

Source: Wikipedia

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Tirana ((listen) Tih-RAH'n@, Albanian pronunciation: [ti’rana]; Gheg Albanian pronunciation: Tirona), is Albania's capital and largest city. It is situated in central Albania, enclosed by mountains and hills. Dajti rises to the east. A slight valley to its northwest overlooks the Adriatic Sea. The city's location on the Plain of Tirana, and its close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea make it a Mediterranean-influenced climate. It has 2,544 hours of sunshine per year and is one of the sunniest and wettest cities in Europe. Since the Iron Age, the area that now corresponds with the city's territory has been continuously inhabited. It was home to Illyrians and was probably the heart of the Illyrian Kingdom, the Taulantii. Classical Antiquity centered it in the hinterland, Epidamnus. It was annexed to Rome by the Illyrian Wars and made an integral part the Roman Empire. The Mosaics from Tirana are a reminder of the rich heritage of that time.

This site was also used as a location for an Early Christian basilica that was constructed in the 5th-6th centuries. The Byzantine Empire, which succeeded the Roman Empire, took control of most of Albania and built Petrele Castle under Justinian I. It was a small city until the Congress of Lushnje declared it Albania's capital in the 20th century. This was after the Albanian Declaration of Independence of 1912. Tirana, a gamma world-city, is the largest economic, financial and political centre in Albania. This is due to its central location and modern air, maritime and rail transportation. It houses the Government of Albania's seat of power, as well as the official residences for the President and Prime Minister of Albania and the Parliament of Albania. It was named the European Youth Capital in 2022.

Source: Wikipedia