Why this ride
On the way it passes Tahmalaj, Thulli koshk, Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of and back through Thulli koshk. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Mansaf Caravanserai and Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 1156 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 19 h 55
- 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. 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
Mansaf Caravanserai is where the day begins. Next is Tahmalaj.
2. 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 comes up about 150 km into the recorded legs. Next is Thulli koshk.
3. Thulli koshk
Koshk is the local word for a fortified house, and around the oasis of Merv, in south-eastern Turkmenistan, dozens of these buildings survive from the early medieval period. Thulli koshk is one of them, a mud-brick structure with walls built in a distinctive corrugated pattern, like the folds of a curtain, which made them both stronger and more striking. These buildings were probably the homes of wealthy landowners, built to defend against raids, with rooms on two floors around a central hall.
Read the complete Thulli koshk write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 434 km into the recorded legs you reach Thulli koshk. Next is Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of.
4. Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of
The oasis of Merv, in south-eastern Turkmenistan, was for centuries one of the great cities of Central Asia, a stop on the Silk Road and at one point, under the Seljuks in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, possibly one of the largest cities in the world. Today its ruins are spread over a vast area of desert and farmland near the town of Bayramaly, and they form the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ancient Merv. Scattered among them are small mausolea, tombs of holy men and companions of the Prophet, and the Mausoleum of Huday Nazar is one of these, a modest brick structure that has long been a place of local pilgrimage.
Read the complete Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of, about halfway. Next is back through Thulli koshk.
5. back through Thulli koshk
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Thulli koshk write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Thulli koshk sits at 773 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 995 km into the recorded legs. Next is Mansaf Caravanserai.
7. 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
Mansaf Caravanserai closes the day.
Leg by leg
Mansaf Caravanserai to Tahmalaj
Mansaf Caravanserai → Tahmalaj is 150 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Tahmalaj to Thulli koshk
Tahmalaj → Thulli koshk is 283 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Thulli koshk to Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of
Thulli koshk → Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of is 139 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of to back through Thulli koshk
Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of → back through Thulli koshk is 139 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Thulli koshk to back through Tahmalaj
back through Thulli koshk → back through Tahmalaj is 283 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Tahmalaj to Mansaf Caravanserai
back through Tahmalaj → Mansaf Caravanserai is 150 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.