Why this ride
1430 km from Türkmenabat to Türkmenabat, about 24 h 41 of riding. It goes by way of Repetek, Mansaf Caravanserai, Tahmalaj and Konegala Caravanserai. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Amul Settlement and Konegala Caravanserai
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 1430 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 24 h 41
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: planning record, not independently verified geometry.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distances and riding times are planning figures. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Amul Settlement
Amul was the old name for the crossing that later became Türkmenabat, and the settlement sits only six kilometres from that modern city on the Amu Darya, the river the ancients called the Oxus. It is a flat, dusty place of low mounds and eroded walls, and you might drive past without noticing. What it marks is a ford on one of the great Silk Road routes, where caravans coming from Merv in the southwest met the river before heading on toward Bukhara.
Read the complete Amul Settlement write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Amul Settlement is where the day begins. Next is Repetek.
2. Repetek
Repetek has the reputation of being one of the hottest places in the former Soviet Union, and on a summer afternoon in the Karakum desert, standing among the dunes with the air shimmering, you will not doubt it. A desert research station was founded here in 1912, and the surrounding area became a nature reserve, later a biosphere reserve, protecting a typical stretch of the sandy desert of Turkmenistan. Scientists have studied the plants, animals and dunes here for over a century, and the station has been a pioneer in understanding how life survives in extreme heat and drought.
Read the complete Repetek write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Repetek comes up about 268 km into the recorded legs. Next is Mansaf Caravanserai.
3. Mansaf Caravanserai
Out in the Karakum, the great black-sand desert that covers most of Turkmenistan, the old caravan route between Merv and Amul on the Amu Darya crossed some two hundred kilometres of sand, and along it, at intervals of a day's march, stood caravanserais where travellers could rest, water their animals and find shelter. The ruins of the Mansaf caravanserai lie on this route, a crumbling square of brick walls and gateways in an empty landscape of dunes and saxaul shrubs. They are part of the Silk Roads heritage of Central Asia, and the corridor is on Turkmenistan's list of sites proposed for UNESCO recognition.
Read the complete Mansaf Caravanserai write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
At least about 532 km into the recorded legs you reach Mansaf Caravanserai. Next is Tahmalaj.
4. Tahmalaj
Nobody comes to Tahmalaj by accident. For centuries, merchants travelling the Silk Road crossed this stretch of sand and clay, stopping at caravanserais, fortified enclosures and wells along the way, some of which still stand as ruined walls in the desert. The ride names nearby sites such as the Nagym Kalas and the Mansaf caravanserai, part of a cluster of monuments along this old route, and little is known about many of them beyond their names and outlines.
Read the complete Tahmalaj write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Tahmalaj, about halfway. Next is Konegala Caravanserai.
5. Konegala Caravanserai
What I can tell you is what a caravanserai was, because the answer explains the place. Along the Silk Road, travellers needed to eat, sleep and water their animals every day or two, and rulers and merchants built fortified inns at intervals along the way, with thick walls, a single gate, a central courtyard and small rooms around the edge for people, with stables and storerooms.
Read the complete Konegala Caravanserai write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Konegala Caravanserai sits at 717 km, about halfway. Next is back through Tahmalaj.
6. back through Tahmalaj
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Tahmalaj write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Tahmalaj comes up about 796 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Mansaf Caravanserai.
7. back through Mansaf Caravanserai
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Mansaf Caravanserai write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 894 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Mansaf Caravanserai. Next is back through Repetek.
8. back through Repetek
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Repetek write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Repetek, late in the day. Next is Amul Settlement.
9. Amul Settlement
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Amul Settlement write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 1430 km.
Leg by leg
Amul Settlement to Repetek
Amul Settlement → Repetek is 268 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Repetek to Mansaf Caravanserai
Repetek → Mansaf Caravanserai is 264 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Mansaf Caravanserai to Tahmalaj
Mansaf Caravanserai → Tahmalaj is 98 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Tahmalaj to Konegala Caravanserai
Tahmalaj → Konegala Caravanserai is 83 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Konegala Caravanserai to back through Tahmalaj
Konegala Caravanserai → back through Tahmalaj is 83 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Tahmalaj to back through Mansaf Caravanserai
back through Tahmalaj → back through Mansaf Caravanserai is 98 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Mansaf Caravanserai to back through Repetek
back through Mansaf Caravanserai → back through Repetek is 264 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Repetek to Amul Settlement
back through Repetek → Amul Settlement is 268 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.