Program #2 (Turkmen Part)

Duration: 6 days/5 nights
Route: Bukhara - Mary - Ashgabat - Turkmenbashy - Ashgabat - Dashoguz - Kunya Urgench - Nukus

Day 1. Bukhara - Farab border - Turkmenabat - Mary

Arrival to Farab border. Change bus & guide at the border. Drive to Mary- is the second largest city in Turkmenistan and lies about 350km east of Ashgabat. It is a capital of Mary Region known as the province of Margiana in ancient times. Mary (Merv) was once known as the “Pearl of the East” and was the second city of Islam after Baghdad between the 8th-13th centuries before it fell victim to the most horrific slaughter by the Mongols. Merv changed its name to Mary in 1937 and has grown into Turkmenistan’s largest city.

Arrival to Mary & accommodation at hotel.

Day 2. Mary - Ashgabat

Morning drive to Merv & SS:

• Merv ‘pearl of east’ one of oldest inhabited cities Central Asia. It was rebuilt over the centuries spread more than 100 sq km. Merv is site of no less than five cities from different periods, each built beside last. Sultan Sanjar mausoleum impresses with size & solidity, Gayir Kala has an area of 360 ha, har regular planning, right contour of walls and for gates one to each part of the world, Erk Kala & Kyz Kala.

  Continue SS:

• Mary regional museum - features traditional Turkmen life and culture including displays on weddings and carpet weaving. Evening we have a flight to Ashgabat.Arrival & transfer to hotel. Overnight

Day 3. Ashgabat - Turkmenbashy

Today before to leave for Turkmenbashy we have a halh day city tour around Ashgabat with visiting an interesting places such as:

• Ark of Neutrality
• Presidential Square
• Carpet museum
• State Hippodrome – familiarize with Akhalteke horses

In the evening we remove to the airport to catch a flight Ashgabat-Turkmenbashy. Turkmenbashy (formerly called Krasnovodsk), 654km from the capital of Turkmenistan with population of about 70.000. It is situated on the Caspian Sea and has some magnificent sandy beaches. One hundred twenty six years ago Colonel N.G.Stoletov founded a town which he named «Krasnovodsk». It became the administrative centre of the Caspian region and retained that status until 1917.

Now it became a major transport centre with developed oil refining and building industries. Nearby facilities for mining building stone and natural resources (for example-salt, etc.) turned this town into a major transit centre for raw materials. Moreover, one can spend an unforgettable time on the Caspian sea-shore.

Arrival & transfer to hotel.Overnight.

Day 4. Turkmenbashy - Ashgabat

Morning sightseeing tour includes

• Caspian Sea cruise by motor launch for 1 hour
• Museum of History

Transfer to the airport for an evening flight Turkmenbashy-Ashgabat

Day 5. Ashgabat

Full day SS of Ashgabat:

• Nisa (III c) Parthiandates capital inhabited till the 19c. Grandiose architectural complex consisting of ceremonial hall, treasure house and residences. Anau is the medieval city located 12km in the south–east of Ashghabat is well known by it’s medieval mosque called “Seitjemal – ad – din”. Among an insignificant number of the Timurids epoch monuments on the territory of Turkmenistan the mosque of Seyit Jemaletdin in Anau was the most brilliant one. According to the inscriptions on its facades and its interior it was built when Khorosan was ruled by Abu Kasim Baber Bahadurhan (1446/1457). Its construction was financed by his vezir Muhammed Khudaiot, who chose the site near the grave of his father Jemaletdin, Anau was born.

  Continue SS:

• National Museum of Turkmenistan – museum has a large historical section, which includes Bronse Age, Antiquity and Middle age sections and very interesting golden exhibits.

After dinner night tour with guide.

Day 6. Ashgabat - Kunya Urgench - Dashoguz

Early morning leave for Dashoguz by T5-101 at 06:00. Dashoguz region is located in the northern part of Turkmenistan and lies on the left coast of the lower stream of Amudarya River. Northern part of the region is taken by the ancient delta of the Amudarya River, Sarykamysh Lake and hollow and south-eastern outskirts of Usturt plateau. Climate of Dashoguz region is sharply continental with hot and dry summer while the winter is cold. The major part of its territory is covered by the desert with poor vegetation – saksaul, sedge, wormwood.

Drive to Kunya Urgench. Start SS:

• Mausoleum of Fakhr At-Din – Built in 12-13 centuries, it is small, almost square erection crowned with the 12 sided marquee.
• Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum – 1172-1200y. – mausoleum presents semi-cubic erection, crowned with the high conic cupola.
• Turebek Khanum Mausolum – Turebek Khanum wife of the Urgench governor Kutlug Temur.
• Mausoleum of Najmitdin Kubra and Sultan Ali
• Kutlug Timur Minaret – 60m in height the minaret was built in 1320-1330 by golden horde khan Kutlug Temur.

Drive to Khiva via Dashoguz border. Change guide & bus at the border.