Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas and Koshk Imaret near Abdullah Khan Kala

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas

   Two ruined buildings stand a short distance apart on the plain of Merv, and both are called Kyz Kala, the maidens' fort. The larger one is a vast square block of mud brick with walls that are corrugated, with a row of vertical flutes that give the surface a strange rhythmic texture, and the smaller one is a similar building on a smaller scale. They are among the best-preserved structures from the early Islamic period at Merv, probably dating from the sixth or seventh century or thereabouts, though historians still discuss their exact date and purpose.

   Read the complete Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas is where the day begins. Next is Bairam Ali Ding.

2. 2. Bairam Ali Ding

   North of Bayramaly, toward the edge of the irrigated land of the Merv oasis, the remains of a ding stand on the flat plain: a fortified building of mud brick, often square or rectangular, with thick walls and corner towers, used as a manor, a refuge or a watch post. The oasis is scattered with structures like this, from medieval times to the more recent past, and many are associated with the defence of farmland and water channels against raiders from the desert. They are part of the wider archaeological landscape of Merv, one of the richest in Central Asia, where every mound and wall has a story, even if not all of them have been told yet.

   Read the complete Bairam Ali Ding write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Bairam Ali Ding comes up about 29 km into the recorded legs. Next is Koshk Imaret near Abdullah Khan Kala.

3. 3. Koshk Imaret near Abdullah Khan Kala

   Merv was one of the great cities of the world, and today it is a field of mud-brick walls in the Karakum desert. At its height in the twelfth century, under the Seljuk sultan Sanjar, Merv was among the biggest cities on Earth, a Silk Road oasis with libraries, mosques, markets and an elaborate water system fed by canals from the Murghab river. The Mongols destroyed it in 1221, and although a later city grew nearby, the old centre never recovered. The ancient cities of Merv, which spread across a series of walled sites from the time of the Persians to the fifteenth century, were inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1999.

   Read the complete Koshk Imaret near Abdullah Khan Kala write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 47 km into the recorded legs you reach Koshk Imaret near Abdullah Khan Kala. Next is back through Bairam Ali Ding.

4. 4. back through Bairam Ali Ding

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Bairam Ali Ding write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Bairam Ali Ding, late in the day. Next is Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas.

5. 5. Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas. That is the ride.