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Culture
& Adventure Tours:
Turkmenistan Pure
Turkmenistan
On
this activity and heritage-combined tour we will be visiting
major cultural monuments throughout Turkmenistan such
as the ancient cities of Nissa, Merv and Konye-Urgench
as well as also meeting with the gracious people of a
country hardly know to the West. Further you will discover
mesmerizing landscapes, have an opportunity to ride the
famed Akhal-Teke horses, and join in on a moderate trekking
tour through the breathtaking Firuza valley. .
Visit the best of the Turkmen Silk Road: Ashgabat,
Kaahka,
Merv
(Mary) and Kunya-Urgench.
Duration 12 days. Accommodation 4 Stars, transportation
by air-conditioned vehicles and airplane.
| Day
1 |
Arrival Ashgabat.
Transfer to hotel. |
| Day
2 |
Morning excursion
of Ashgabat,
including a visit of the Arch
of Neutrality. From the top of the tower
there is a panoramic view of the nations' capital.
Visit the of the City
Mosque, Ashgabat's
largest Mosque,
and the memorial dedicated to the victims of the
1948 earthquake, which completely destroyed Ashgabat.
Excursion to Old Nissa
(II c. BC). This site includes the remains of the
Parthian fortress of Nissa. In ancient times this
fortress included the treasury of the Kings of the
Arshakid dynasty. Walk through the Round Hall (18
m in diameter), the Square Throne Hall (20x20 m),
the Treasury House (60 x 60 m.), and households
with the remains of ancient water pipes and ancient
khums. Visit the historical site of Anau
Mosque, which includes two historical monuments
northern and southern Anau Depe (4-3 millennium
BC) and the Annau mosque (15th c AD). |
| Day
3 |
Drive to Firuza
Canyon. The settlement Firuza is squeezed
between the steep canyon gorge of the Firuzinka
stream. Popular during Soviet times, this is the
closest one can get to the inhospitable Kopet-Dag
mountains. Accommodation in "pioneer"
camps. There we will have an opportunity to ride
horses and walk along the foothills of this impressive
mountain range dividing Iran and Turkmenistan. |
| Day
4 |
Full day exploring
in and around Firuza
Canyon. |
| Day
5 |
Drive to the underground
lake Kow-Ata at Baharden. Located 60 metres
underground in the lower slopes of the Kopet-Dag
mountains is a hot-water mineral lake. There we
can take a swim in the constant 36C waters. The
lake is at the foot of a steep 250 meters stairway,
descending through a damp and pungent chamber that
the spotlights struggle to penetrate. After our
refreshing swim we continue on to Geok-Tepe. This
village is situated 40 km from Ashgabat. There we
will visit the Goek-Tepe
Mosque and Geok-Tepe Meseum. Overnight in
camps. |
| Day
6 |
Return to Ashgabat.
Visit the National Museum of History and Ethnography
of Turkmenistan. This museum has 9 halls, each dedicated
to a particular period and theme. The museum has
a rich collection of ancient artifacts from Turkmenistan.
One of the highlights in the museum is a unique
collection of ivory rythons/ horn like vessels.
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| Day
7 |
Drive to Mary via
Kaahka.
The village Kaahka
is situated 150 km from Ashgabat.
This rich historical site includes different historical
monuments dating back as far as the 3rd millennium
BC up until the 19 century. Abiverd
is an ancient town through which once passed The
Great Silk Road. The whole area of Abiverd is 70
ha. In 1221 Abiverd
fell into the hands of Mongols and the town was
destroyed. The mausoleum
of Abu Said Makneyi was built in 11th century
and has the double dome that characterises mausoleums
of that time. The inner part of the mausoleum is
decorated with inscriptions while the portal is
laced with mosaics. The mosaics offer various colours
and pictures to the viewer. The entire mausoleum
is decorated with Arabic inscriptions upon the outer
area and designs ornate in inner areas. Dinner and
overnight in Mary. |
| Day
8 |
Full day stay in
Mary. Excursions to Old Merv
and the Historical
Museum. Visit the unique series of cities,
not built on top of each other, as is so often the
case, for instance at Damascus or Jerusalem, but
constructed on adjacent virgin sites. The sites
of the ancient town Erk-Kala (the fortress- citadel),
Gyaur-Kala, Sultan-Kala, Abdulla-khan-Kala correspond
to the different periods of Mervs' existence .The
monuments we will tour and walk through are the
Great and Little Kiz Kalas, the Kiz Bibi mausoleum,
the magnificent Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, the
Palace and keshk in the Shahriar Ark or Royal Citadel,
the mosque of Yusuf Hamdani, the Timuridiwans or
Askhab, and the Mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Zaud.
Merv
was the largest city and the capital of the wealthy
region in the Parthian state. Remains of the outer
wall Gilyakin - Chiburge are partially preserved
even today. Merv reached its highest glory during
the period of "seldjuks", especially during the
government of Sanjar sultan (1118 -1157). He made
it the capital of the of the Seldjuk state. This
museum has just opened an exhibit of archaeological
finds from sites excavated in the Mary oasis, including
material from the bronze age found at the sites
of Gonur and Togoluk as well as the cities of Ancient
Merv. The building in which the museum is housed
is in itself worth a visit as are the museums other
exhibits. |
| Day
9 |
Return to Ashgabat.
Excursion to the Carpet
Museum.
This museum has a large, impressive collection of
modern and antique carpets and carpet items, khurdjuns,
chuvals, torbas and also the second-largest Turkmen
carpets. It is also has a small carpet work shop,
where the visitor can see the process of carpet
making and take the pictures of the carpet makers.
There is a carpet shop where the visitors can buy
Turkmen carpets from various tribes. |
| Day
10 |
Flight to Dashoguz
(Tashauz).
Excursion to Kunya-Urgench.
At the far end of Turkmenistan, 150 km to the northwest
of Dashoguz
(Tashauz),
lies Kunya-Urgench
(population 31.400). The outskirt of the city adjoins
the territory of the State Historical Cultural Museum
and Reserve, covering nearly 640 hectares, and was
founded in 1985. Here one can discover several magnificent
architectural memorials of the 13th-14th c. These
include one of the tallest minarets in Middle Asia,
and various numbers of common buildings in medieval
epoch: mausoleums, medressas and fortresses. In
712, Kunya-Urgench
was overthrown by the Arabs, and took a new Arabic
name, Dgurdganiya (or Gurgandg). The city developed,
thanks to its advantageous position on the trade
routes from the south to the north and from the
west to the Volga River, and to the east in Mongolia
and China. In and around the Kune-Urgench territory
there numerous archaeological and architectural
monuments preserved, presenting considerable scientific
and cultural value. Dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day
11 |
Return to Ashgabat.
Full day free to explore, shop, or rest by the pool. |
| Day
12 |
Transfer to Airport.
Departure |
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