Allaberdi Niyazov An illustrated guide to the Central Asian Railway, published in the pre-revolutionary period, testifies to the following. Among the most notable buildings of Askhabat at that time we can highlight: the buildings of the Central Asian Railway Administration, Transcaspian Customs District, Treasury and Branch of the Russian-Asian Bank. And from the buildings of educational institutions: a gymnasium (male and female) and a technical railway school.
Due to the fact that Askhabat at that time was the scientific centre of the region, it had a large number of educational institutions in comparison with other settlements, however, they did not satisfy the needs of the population wishing to receive an education and a specialty in any profession. In order to train teachers from the local population, it was decided to establish five government scholarships in the classes of the Turkestan Seminary of Teachers and the same number in the Askhabat Zemstvo. Askhabat itself was a well-maintained city.
Straight wide streets, lined on both sides with trees in one, and on some streets – in two and three rows. The abundance of greenery made it possible to move away from the practice of building residential buildings inside courtyards. New buildings began to face the street.
Houses appeared that met strict architectural requirements. For example, the above-mentioned educational institutions (gymnasiums), the house of the Red Cross Society, the buildings of the Military and Bicyc.