Turkmenistan Silk Road Adventure: Ashgabat to Farap in 7 Days

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast you will visit of Ertogrul Gazi Mosque it honors Ertogrul, the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Then visiting “Altyn Asyr” trade market and “Gulustan” market (so called Russian bazaar). After lunch at 14:00 drive to Darvaza- Gas Crater, which is a huge flaming crater, located 280 km to the north of Ashgabat. En route visiting one of the village Erbent to observe the rural life of Turkmen people. Continue with moving to the Water, Clay and Gas Crater. In the evening enjoy the spectacular and fascinating view of the gas crater. Barbeque style dinner. Overnight in tent or yurta with sleeping bags.

After breakfast, drive to the Nissa Historical Park - located on a natural high platform at the foot of the Kopetdag Mountains. Nissa owes its importance to the early Parthian rulers, who took control of the area in the 3rd century. B.C. Then visit the underground lake Kov-Ata, located 107 km from Ashgabat.The Turkmen name Kov-Ata means Father of Caves. At first glance, this underground space looks like a magnificent auditorium: the total length of the cave is 230 m, the height reaches 20 m, and the width in some places reaches 57 m.The bottom of the cave is covered with lumps of dissolved limestone (stalagmites), and the warm, gushing water is clear and emerald in color. The water has a constant temperature of 33-37°C. (You should take a swim in the lake). Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast drive to Mary Region. On the way visit Seyitjemaleddin Mosque. Located in the city of Anau, 12 km east of Ashgabat along the Ashgabat-Mary highway. The Seyit-Jemallidin Mosque is a complex structure that once included a mosque, madrasah and the mausoleum of Sheikh Jemal ad-Din.On the Turkmen land the famous Seyit-Jemallidin mosque, widely known as “Seyit-Jemal ad-Din”, a well-known monument that preserves the unique architectural traditions and artistic styles of the Iron Age. The monument was built in the 15th century during the reign of Abul Qasim Babur, a Timurid descendant in Khorasan. This mosque amazed many Muslim architects of the East with its external beauty and architectural features. Then visit Abiverd.One of the most important cities of Northern Khorasan is a medieval settlement Abiverd. Hafiz-i-Abru said that Abiverd settlement consisted of dozens of villages and several cities. The city wall is a rectangular area of 42 hectares.There also were found ancient coins, ceramics products of IX-XII centuries, as well as a lot of metal handicrafts: various women's jewelries, buckles. According by them, we can say that there were shops of jewelers and tinkers. During the excavations archeologists found huge wells and reservoirs, indicating a highly-developed irrigation of Abiverd. The first investigation was took place in 1928 under the lidership A.A. Semenov, who first made a plan of the city, citadel and remains of the city wall. In addition to Semenov’s scientific works, there are also archeological materials collected by the members of the expedition from different parts of Abiverd. Visit Nedir sha fortress.The Nedir Shakh fortress was built by Nedir-Shah’s order in the 18-th century. The fortress was surrounded by moat. The southern wall of this historical monument was damaged, however the other walls have been preserved to our days. In the northern corner of the fortress one can see a hill 10 meters high. From the top of this hill the whole fortress and its surroundings could be seen. In the middle of the fortress there are the ruins of the palace. Arrival in Mary city. Check-in hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast drive to Yekegowak Cave. On the way visit The Talhatan-baba Mosque is an outstanding monument of the 12th century. The mosque is located on the cemetery of the medieval village of Talhatan, 40 km southeast of Ancient Merv. It is considered one of the well-studied landmarks. The mosque has a rectangular plan measuring 18x10 meters. Continue to Tagtabazar Yekegowak Cave. Visit Yekegowak Cave Complex. Tagtabazar -is a district where once passed great caravan routes from Iran &Khorasan. Yekegowak -is a unique and spectacular cave that doesn't have any analogs anywhere else. The word "Yekegowak" from Turkmen's language means "One orifice" because it's only one entrance. The emergence of this cave is a mystery and there are many versions of how it appeared. According to one of the caves was dug by the legions of the Alexander Macedonian army. Consequently, people used the cave as a dwelling. Inside the cave, there are blocs of rooms similar to modern ones where one can see bedrooms, kitchens, and others. The cave consists of two floors. Return to Mary city. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast drive to Gonurdepe (90 km from Mary city). Gonur-depe is the largest settlement in Margian. According to different sources, the area of the ancient city was from 20 to 50 hectares. The construction of necropolis dates back to II-I centuries BC. During the excavations there were found a lot of home appliances: different kinds of silver jewelry, various vessels, mirrors, ceramic vases etc. These artifacts refer to III millennium BC. Gonur-depe complex was located on a small hill of right bank of the Murghab river bed, and the main necropolis Gonur was on the left bank of the River. Gonur is one of the important tourist sites in Turkmenistan, where thousands of tourists come from all over the world. Visit to Ancient Merv. It was located at the road crossing of the Great Silk Road, quickly became one of the largest and biggest cities of the ancient world, and was one of the most important capitals of Islam along with Baghdad, Cairo and Damascus. Guided tour: Gyz Gala, Erk Gala, Soltan Gala, Soltan Sanjar Mausoleum, Ibn Zeid Mausoleum. Return to Mary city. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast drive to Repetek Nature Reserve. The Repetek Nature Reserve is only a one hour journey (70km) from Turkmenabad; This sandy desert reservation, formed in 1912, it is located to the southwest of Turkmenabad, and is remarkable for its exhaustive information on the ancient nature of the Karakum desert and its climatic conditions. There are large sand dunes, shifting sands and dry lake beds, attracting the attention of scientists to Repetek. The vegetation of Repetek is dominated by such small shrub species as saxaul (white and black), kandym, sand acacia and cherkez. The animal life of Repetek is also rich and diverse. There are almost 1.5 thousand species of invertebrates; including beetles, butterflies, spiders and other small creatures. Then drive to "Farap" border.