Places to visit

Places worth the journey across Turkmenistan and Central Asia.

Nisa
Nisa is one of the first capitals of the Parthian Empire, which ruled from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD and rivalled Rome in the East. Its ruins lie in the foothills of the Kopetdag mountains, near the village of Bagyr, about 18 km west of Ashgabat.The site has two parts. Old Nisa, once known as Mithradatkert, was the royal residence and ceremonial centre, ringed by powerful walls with more than forty towers. New Nisa was the city where ordinary people lived and traded. Excavations uncovered palaces, temples, wine storehouses and the famous ivory rhytons – carved drinking horns that blend Greek and Eastern art.In 2007 the Parthian Fortresses of Nisa were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.HighlightsThe Round Hall and Square Hall of the royal complexMassive mud-brick walls and towers of Old NisaViews over the Kopetdag ridge and the Ashgabat plainAn easy half-day trip from the capital
Yangykala Canyons
Yangykala is a vast system of canyons in the Balkan region of western Turkmenistan, often called the Grand Canyon of Central Asia. Its cliffs rise up to 100 metres above the desert floor and are striped in red, pink, orange, yellow and white.The colours come from layers of sediment laid down on the bed of an ancient sea that once covered this land. Over millions of years wind and water carved them into ridges, towers and deep gorges that stretch for kilometres towards the Garabogazkol bay of the Caspian Sea.There are no towns, roads or crowds here – only silence, open sky and some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country. The canyons are at their best at sunrise and sunset, when the cliffs seem to glow.HighlightsPanoramic viewpoints over the multicoloured cliffsSunset and sunrise photographyCamping under a clear desert skyEasy to combine with the pilgrimage site of Gozli-Ata
Ashgabat
Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, lies at the foot of the Kopetdag mountains on the edge of the Karakum Desert. The city was almost completely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1948. Today it is known as the "White City": in 2013 it entered the Guinness World Records as the city with the most buildings clad in white marble.Wide boulevards, golden domes, fountains and grand monuments give Ashgabat a look unlike any other city in Central Asia. Behind the marble there is still a lively Turkmen city, with busy bazaars, carpet weavers and the famous Akhal-Teke horses.Highlights:Independence Monument and the Neutrality ArchTurkmen Carpet Museum and the National MuseumAltyn Asyr bazaar (Tolkuchka) and Gulistan (Russian) BazaarErtugrul Gazi MosqueDay trips to ancient Nisa and the Kow-Ata underground lake
Karakum Desert
The Karakum, meaning "Black Sands", is one of the largest deserts in Central Asia. It covers around 350,000 km² – roughly 70% of Turkmenistan – and stretches from the Caspian lowlands to the Amu Darya river.Far from being empty, the desert is a landscape of rolling sand dunes, flat clay takyrs, saxaul groves and small oases where shepherds still graze camels and sheep. In spring it briefly turns green and bursts with wildflowers.At its heart lies the Darvaza gas crater, known as the Gates of Hell – a fiery pit about 70 metres wide that has been burning since 1971. Seeing it glow against the night sky, followed by a night at a desert camp, is one of the most memorable experiences in Turkmenistan.HighlightsThe burning Darvaza crater at nightOff-road drives across the dunesOvernight stay in a yurt or tent campStar-filled skies far from any city lights
Ancient Merv
Ancient Merv is the oldest and best-preserved oasis city on the Great Silk Road. For about 4,000 years it stood at the crossroads of trade between China, Persia and the Mediterranean, and in the 12th century, as the capital of the Seljuk Empire, it was one of the largest cities in the world.The site lies near the town of Bayramaly in the Mary region and is made up of several walled cities built side by side over the centuries – Erk Kala, Gyaur Kala and Sultan Kala. Merv was destroyed by the Mongols in 1221, but its ruins still spread over more than 1,000 hectares.In 1999 the State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv" became the first site in Turkmenistan inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.HighlightsThe 12th-century Mausoleum of Sultan SanjarThe ancient citadels of Erk Kala and Gyaur KalaThe corrugated walls of the Great and Small Kyz KalaThe Mausoleums of the two Askhab companions of the Prophet
Darvaza Gas Crater
The Darvaza gas crater, known as the "Gates of Hell", lies in the heart of the Karakum Desert, about 260 km north of Ashgabat. The best-known story says that in 1971 a Soviet drilling rig broke into an underground gas cavern and the ground collapsed. Geologists set the escaping gas on fire, expecting it to burn out in a few days. It has been burning ever since.The crater is about 70 metres wide and 20 metres deep. By day it is a strange sight in the sand. After dark it is unforgettable: the glow can be seen from far away, and standing at the rim you feel the heat on your face.Highlights:The burning crater at sunset and at nightOff-road drive across the Karakum dunesOvernight stay in a yurt or tent camp near the craterDinner by the fire under a sky full of stars