An exhibition by French photographer Paul Nadar has opened at the Saparmurat Turkmenbashy Museum of Fine Arts of Turkmenistan. It features 45 photographs taken in 1890 in what is now Turkmenistan.

The exhibition commemorates Nadar's photographic journey along the Trans-Caspian Railway, which he completed from August to November 1890. The exhibition features portraits of local residents, landscapes, city views, and architectural monuments—a visual chronicle of the region as it existed a century and a half ago.

"It is a great honor for us to open this exhibition. We are offering these photographs to the Turkmen public to show them an important element of your country's heritage," French Ambassador to Turkmenistan Philippe Merlin told reporters.

The exhibition was organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan and the French Embassy. Partial funding was provided by TotalEnergies. Following the museum's completion, it is planned to continue its exhibition at the French Institute.

Paul Nadar (1856–1939) was a French photographer, son of the renowned portraitist Félix Nadar. In 1890, he was invited by the Russian authorities to document the route of the Trans-Caspian Railway and the International Exhibition in Tashkent. During his trip, the photographer visited Uzungada, Turkmenabat, Merv, and Ashgabat, taking over two hundred photographs of the country.