Why this ride
On the way it passes Mansaf Caravanserai, Tahmalaj, Konegala Caravanserai and Akja Gala Caravanserai. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Repetek and Akja Gala Caravanserai
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 1853 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 31 h 59
- 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. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Mansaf Caravanserai.
2. 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 comes up about 441 km into the recorded legs. Next is Tahmalaj.
3. 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
about 604 km into the recorded legs you reach Tahmalaj. Next is Konegala Caravanserai.
4. 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, about halfway. Next is Akja Gala Caravanserai.
5. 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
Akja Gala Caravanserai sits at 930 km, about halfway. Next is back through Konegala Caravanserai.
6. back through Konegala Caravanserai
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
back through Konegala Caravanserai comes up about 1105 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Tahmalaj.
7. 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
about 1243 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Tahmalaj. Next is back through Mansaf Caravanserai.
8. 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
back through Mansaf Caravanserai, late in the day. Next is Repetek.
9. 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
The route ends here after 1853 km.
Leg by leg
Repetek to Mansaf Caravanserai
Repetek → Mansaf Caravanserai is 441 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Mansaf Caravanserai to Tahmalaj
Mansaf Caravanserai → Tahmalaj is 163 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Tahmalaj to Konegala Caravanserai
Tahmalaj → Konegala Caravanserai is 139 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Konegala Caravanserai to Akja Gala Caravanserai
Konegala Caravanserai → Akja Gala Caravanserai is 181 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Akja Gala Caravanserai to back through Konegala Caravanserai
Akja Gala Caravanserai → back through Konegala Caravanserai is 181 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Konegala Caravanserai to back through Tahmalaj
back through Konegala Caravanserai → back through Tahmalaj is 139 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 163 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Mansaf Caravanserai to Repetek
back through Mansaf Caravanserai → Repetek is 441 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
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