Dashoguz Region, Turkmenistan

Dashoguz

Turkmenistan's northernmost region, heart of ancient Khorezm, home to the UNESCO ruins of Konye-Urgench and the gateway to the Darvaza gas crater.

Dashoguz is the administrative center of the country's northernmost province, set on the historic land of Khorezm along the lower reaches of the Amu Darya. For centuries this oasis region was a vital junction of Silk Road caravan routes, and its name, roughly "stone spring" in Turkmen, recalls its role as a watering point for travellers crossing the Karakum. The modern city grew from a cluster of clay houses in the early 20th century into a tidy provincial capital of fountains, parks and tree-lined avenues. The region's greatest treasure is Konye-Urgench (Kunya-Urgench), a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving the ruins of the medieval capital of Khorezm. Among its monuments rise the soaring Kutlug Timur Minaret, at around 60 metres one of the tallest in Central Asia, the elegant Turabek Khanum mausoleum with its richly tiled cupola, and the conical-domed tomb of Sultan Tekesh. Scattered across the desert nearby lie the fortresses of Izmukshir and Kyrk Molla and the eroded walls of Devkesken. Dashoguz is also the main staging point for journeys to the famous Darvaza gas crater, the "Gates of Hell" that burns in the Karakum desert to the south. To the north and west, the Kaplankyr Nature Reserve and the Sarykamysh lake protect a stark plateau landscape inhabited by gazelles, saiga antelopes and migratory birds. Together, monuments, desert and wildlife make Dashoguz one of Turkmenistan's most rewarding regions for travellers drawn to deep history and wide horizons.

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