|
|
|
Ecological & Trekking
Central Karakum Desert & Merv
/ Margush - Off-Road
Karakum 7-day
desert adventure
The Karakum desert blankets
80 percent of the territory of Turkmenistan. With it's
incomparable vastness and warm people populating its endless
dunes, this desert bears, in every respect, the most characteristic
features of Central Asia's vibrant Nomad cultures and
stunning natural beauty.
Owing to the complete lack of infrastructure, and our
fortunate luck, the only way to explore this remote territory
is by 4WD and the heavy trucks. Our 7-day itinerary combines
an adventurous four-day off-road and trekking trip to
some of the most secluded flat-roof and nomadic settlements
in the Central Karakum.
An extension of our desert crossing will take us to the
country's most fascinating active archaeological site,
Gonur Depe. This 4,000 year-old Zoroastrian capital is
mysteriously located in the heart of the Karakum desert
and is Central Asia's sole entirely excavated city site,
allowing the visitor to stroll through the countless alleyways,
fire temples and shrines.
Day 1
Off-road drive to Damla via Erbent Oasis
From Ashgabat we start our expedition on asphalt road
leading north towards Kunya-Urgench. After a 3-hour drive
we reach our first big dunes at Erbent Oasis. At the oasis
we lunch at a Chaykhana Teahouse before departing on our
off-road adventure.
On this first day we will cover 120 km of off-road tracks,
passing the flat roof settlements of Kyzyl Takhir and
Kurkutli (of some significance during WW2 due to Sulphur
production) as well as the Uzboy riverbed. This former
riverbed of the Amudarya River divides the different tectonic
plates of the northern and southern Karakum and resembles
an endless salt-lake collecting a bit of runoff in spring.
The vegetation north to the Uzboy is somewhat better off
with stony, reddish sand and more fertile grazing grounds,
while south of the Uzboy is rich in sizzling sand covered
with saksaul and dunes.
With its harsh climate, fine sand and spirited history
of the fiercest slave-hunters in Turkestan, the Turkoman
warriors, the Karakum ('Black' Desert in the sense of
'Bad' desert!) is considered the most unforgiving desert
in Central Asia. Our track for the next 3 days is arduous,
only feasible at about 20-30 km/h and only during the
morning and evening hours. After crossing the Uzboy we
continue onwards to the settlement of Damla where we set
up camp amidst the nomadic yurts of the villagers.
Day 2
Off-road drive to Akmolla
After a hearty breakfast, we take some time to explore
the Damla. The people in these oases are unique in their
hospitable culture, traditions and dress. We will have
every opportunity to take part in felting, yurt set-up,
observing the preparation of traditional meals as well
as expanding your musical talents by learning to play
the dutar. Most buildings in the Central Karakum settlements
are flat roof and in summer yurts are pitched in front
of every house. We continue our off-road drive in the
late afternoon on a sweltering plateau cut to pieces by
the advancing dunes, only meeting scattered shepherd families
at the salt-water wells once every 50 km. After a 4-hour
drive we reach the settlements of Akmolla and Murzechirla.
In the cooler evening hours we will set up camp and make
more new friends with the Yomud tribe.
Day 3
Off-road drive to Tugay Forests
In the morning the more ambitious of us can go for a camel
ride towards the banks of the Uzboy - providing that the
herds are close-by in order fetch a couple of the riding-camels
for the trek. We'll spend the morning joining the locals
in their every-day routine- milking the camels, beating
and combing the wool and giving water to the animals using
unusual "band pumps". The villages are also
home to the beautiful Tazy- a very elegant and fast, pure
Turkmen hunting dog, as well as the muscular Alabay, used
as guard dogs all over Turkmenistan. After a siesta, we
continue our drive south in the direction of the Mary
Oasis. Our aim on this day is to reach the Tugay savannah
of the Mary canals. This variety of vegetation is one
of the most distinctive features of the Central Asian
countryside and used to stretch the entire way along the
Amudarya River. It remains home to many rare species of
animals and the endangered Bukharan Deer. Even today the
protected leftovers of these savannahs at the Amudarya
riverside are decreasing due to over-grazing and flooding
in recent years. At Tugay, along the reservoirs and canals
of the Mary cotton fields that reach far north into the
desert are newly-formed and, because of their difficult
accessibility, have incredible wildlife such as wild boars
and gazelles. While camping in the Tugay, with some luck,
we will have a chance to see some of the wildlife in the
evening and early morning hours.
Day 4
Off-road drive to Mary Oasis
 After
spending the morning wildlife watching, discovering the
area, the noon hours will be enjoyed in the shady oasis
of the Tugay. From here we continue along the canal south
towards the Mary Oasis reaching the Oasis by the evening
settling in at the Bairamaly Sanatorium where we will
enjoy the simple facilities of this Russian "rest
house" washing off the accumulated dust of our 4-day
off-road drive. We will unwind with cold drinks, listening
to the sounds of the Karakum.
Day 5
Merv & Gonur Depe
In the morning we will
have the unforgettable opportunity of visiting the ancient
city of Merv. With the magnificent Mausoleum of Sultan
Sanjar and the Gyz-Gala fortress, two of Islamic Architecture's
grandest monuments, Merv is by far Turkmenistan's most
recognised heritage site. It impresses with its vast size
of over 2,000 ha and comprises of 5 different city-sites
from 3 millenniums. With its numerous monuments and shrines
from the Muslim period remaining, Merv offers the visitor
a glimpse far back in time. The site has recently been
included on the UN list of World Heritage monuments. After
a short catnap we get back to our vehicle and continue
to Gonur Depe, the main site of Zoroastrian Margush or
Margiana. Located some 60 km north of Merv, it is the
centre of a great 4000-year old fire-worshipping civilisation.
Perhaps older than Mesopotamia and known only to a few
experts, Margush is famous for it's rare seals and unusual
burial practices. The capital temple-city of Togolok is
the sole entirely excavated site of this size in Central
Asia and the visitor can stroll through its ancient alleyways
and shrines littered with shards. We will camp and dine
with the international team of archaeologists enjoying
the wide-open spaces and the same spectacular stars enjoyed
by civilizations thousands of years ago.
Day 6
Gonur Depe, return to Mary
In the morning we will
take some time to investigate the Necropolis with burials
from various time periods, significant for its style of
burial sites that have not been discovered anywhere else
in the world. We will also explore the capital-settlement
of this unique site before returning to Mary itself staying
in a hotel for our final evening on the trip.
Day 7
Road drive to Ashgabat
 We
return to Ashgabat by way of a 350 km drive along the
asphalt road crossing Tedjen and the Kaakhka region. The
latter is located at the foothills of the Eastern Kopetdag
mountain range and is loaded with ancient monuments. En
route we will rest at the Meane Baba Mausoleum, a monument
to the 11th century Sufi teacher of the same name. Distinctive
for its remarkable tile-work on the outer walls and the
simplistic beauty of its interior, it serves as an important
shrine to worshippers and Sufis who come here to pray.
We will picnic with the pilgrims for lunch and then continue
on via the 18th century fortress of Persian ruler Nedir
Shakh. As one of the best remaining fortress ruins in
Turkmenistan, Nedir Shakh is astonishing with its precision
and magnificent setting. We reach Ashgabat in the late
afternoon with the rest of the day left to rest, sit by
the pool or explore the city on your own. |
|
|
