Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas and Yusuf Hamdani

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 State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancien.

2. 2. State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancien

   South of the Karakum and just outside the modern city of Mary, the ground is littered with the ghosts of cities. Nagym Kala, the Greater and Lesser forts, are two of the walled settlements that make up the old Merv oasis, one of the great cities of the Silk Road. The Murgab river spreads out here into a delta that has fed farmers for thousands of years, and Merv grew up where the water met the desert.

   Read the complete State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancien write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancien comes up about 36 km into the recorded legs. Next is Mausolea of Imam Bakr and Shafi.

3. 3. Mausolea of Imam Bakr and Shafi

   The Merv oasis in southern Turkmenistan was once one of the greatest cities of the medieval world. Watered by the Murghab river, which flows north from Afghanistan and fans out into the Karakum desert, it was a capital of the Seljuk sultans in the eleventh and twelfth centuries and a key stop on the Silk Road. The Mongols destroyed it in 1221, and the ruins of successive cities, spread over a huge area, now form the Ancient Merv archaeological park, inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1999. Among the ruins stand several mausolea of revered figures, small domed buildings that have drawn pilgrims for centuries and still do today.

   Read the complete Mausolea of Imam Bakr and Shafi write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   about 65 km into the recorded legs you reach Mausolea of Imam Bakr and Shafi. Next is Yusuf Hamdani.

4. 4. Yusuf Hamdani

   The Yusuf Hamdani complex lies in the Merv oasis, just under seven kilometres from Bayramaly, among low walled courtyards and a handful of new-looking domes. Unlike most of Merv, which is ruin, this is a living shrine: pilgrims arrive from across Turkmenistan and beyond, women in colourful headscarves, men in lambskin hats, many tying cloth strips to trees and leaving small offerings.

   Read the complete Yusuf Hamdani write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Yusuf Hamdani, about halfway. Next is back through Mausolea of Imam Bakr and Shafi.

5. 5. back through Mausolea of Imam Bakr and Shafi

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Mausolea of Imam Bakr and Shafi write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   back through Mausolea of Imam Bakr and Shafi sits at 103 km, about halfway. Next is back through State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancien.

6. 6. back through State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancien

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancien write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   back through State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancien comes up about 145 km into the recorded legs. Next is Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas.

7. 7. 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

   Greater and Lesser Nagym Kalas closes the day.