Gubadag
# Gubadag

Gubadag is a city in Boldumsaz District in Daşoguz Province of Turkmenistan. Gubadag is known for its special round meat pie, known as fitchi (Turkmen: "fitçi"; Russian: "фитчи"). The city is located on the border with Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan), near Mang‘it.

Until December 1938 the city was named Täzä-Kala (Turkmen: new fortress). From 1938 until 1949 it was called Town Named for Thälmann (Russian: посёлок имени Тельмана), a russification of the last name of Ernst Thälmann (1886-1944), a German Communist involved in the international communist movement. In 1949 this was abbreviated to Telmansk (Russian: Тельманск). The name was changed to Gubadag in 1993 by Presidential Decree No. 1327.

## Etymology

Frank's and Touch-Werner's dictionary defines guba as "reddish-brown" and dag as "mountain". Atanyyazow asserts the name derives from the reddish-brown hills in the vicinity.

