According to the Turkmen Academy of Sciences, "Büzmeýin" is derived from medieval Arabic "buza" (alcoholic beverage, beer) plus Persian "mayim" (raisin, grape plant), a reference to the area's historic use for wine grape production and wine warehousing, dating back to when Nisa was capital of the Parthian Empire.

[5] Niyazov claimed Büzmeýin to be a meaningless word, and in late 2002 the new name became Abadan (Persian: آبادان, literally meaning 'the Prosperous Place') — a billboard at the town-entrance even features an eponymous poem by him.

from central Ashgabat,[6] the center of the former town is served by a station on the national railway system and by municipal bus service.

[6] Niyazov worked at the Büzmeýin State Electrical Power Plant for three years, before entering a political career.

[7][8] Opposition groups, however, claim it was in fact a Soviet-era arms depot that caused the explosions, with a death toll exceeding 1,300 victims.