Ashkhabad was a Turkmen folklore band formed in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in 1993 and named after its capital city (the name means "City of Love"). The band played traditional Turkmenian music infused with elements from Persia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, as well as elements froma wide range of musics --- from the sounds of the desert to jazz and rock. They were the first musical group from the former Soviet Union to be published under the label of Peter Gabriel - Real World (division of Virgin Records).