Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of and Akja Gala Caravanserai

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Gonur Tepe.

2. 2. Gonur Tepe

   Gonur Tepe lies deep in the sands north of Mary, at the end of a long track into what was once the delta of the Murghab river. Today the river runs dry long before it gets here and the desert has taken over, but four thousand years ago this was the capital of a Bronze Age civilisation that archaeologists call Margiana, or the Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex. Palaces, temples, fortifications and huge cemeteries have been excavated from the mounds, and walking among the mud-brick foundations in the silence of the desert is eerie and moving.

   Read the complete Gonur Tepe write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Gonur Tepe comes up about 218 km into the recorded legs. Next is Akja Gala Caravanserai.

3. 3. Akja Gala Caravanserai

   The Silk Road across the Karakum was never a single road. It was a series of wells, forts and caravanserais, a day's travel apart, where camels could drink and merchants could sleep behind walls. Akja Gala is one of these shelters, a square brick building with a central courtyard and rooms around it, set in sand and saxaul scrub between Merv and the Amu Darya, the river called the Oxus by the Greeks.

   Read the complete Akja Gala Caravanserai write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   about 472 km into the recorded legs you reach Akja Gala Caravanserai. Next is back through Gonur Tepe.

4. 4. back through Gonur Tepe

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Gonur Tepe write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   back through Gonur Tepe, late in the day. Next is Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of.

5. 5. Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   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

   Back at Mausoleum of Huday Nazar; the Mausolea of. That is the ride.