Merv was once one of the largest cities in the world, and what is left of it lies scattered across a desert plain in southern Turkmenistan. In the twelfth century, under the Seljuk sultans, it was a major capital, with libraries, mosques and markets, and travellers called it the mother of the world. In 1221 the Mongols took it after a siege and, according to the old chronicles, killed a huge proportion of its inhabitants, and the city never recovered. UNESCO listed the park of ancient Merv in 1999.
The koshks, which give this site its name, were fortified manor houses, built in the countryside around the cities by wealthy landowners. They were tall, square, mud-brick buildings with thick walls and small windows, with a defensive character, and some of them stood several storeys high. They are scattered across the Murghab delta, where the river fed a vast oasis with canals, orchards and cotton fields, before the Karakum desert reclaimed much of it. What you see now are eroded walls and mounds, the colour of the surrounding earth.
I should be straightforward about the practicalities. Turkmenistan is one of the most closed countries in the world, and independent travel is difficult, with visas, transit permits and guides required in most cases, and bringing a motorcycle in is complicated. The roads near Mary, the nearest large city, are flat and straight, and the surface can be rough, with sand drifts at the edges. Summer temperatures can pass forty-five degrees, and spring and autumn are the only comfortable seasons, with dust storms a possibility.
Bayramaly, about thirty kilometres away, is a small town with fuel and basic services, and Mary has hotels and restaurants. Fuel in Turkmenistan is very cheap by international standards, but access is sometimes restricted for foreigners, and it is wise to ask in advance. Take water, sun protection and a hat, because there is no shade at the ruins, and be prepared for flies and wind.