Central Asia | Turkmenistan - Uzbekistan - Kyrgyzstan
Day 1: The Central Asian adventure begins with the journey to Turkmenistan. In Ashgabat, obtaining a visa upon arrival at the airport should normally be possible (as of May 2023). However, flights from Europe via Istanbul arrive very late, resulting in a rather long night and a rather tired morning.
Day 2: Ashgabat, the fascinating capital of Turkmenistan, is a unique experience in itself... there are only white cars and houses (the "White City"), everything is incredibly clean and tidy, which can give it a somewhat sterile feel. However, there are also exciting sights that can easily be seen in a day. These include the Carpet Museum , the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque , the magnificent Ertogrul Gazi Mosque , and the ruins of Nisa (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the ancient royal city of the Parthians. In the early evening, we'll take a day trip by plane to Mary.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Timur is very much present in Uzbekistan from this point onward, as an incredibly cruel military leader, yet he is still venerated in large parts of the country with statues and monuments. With the founding of the Timurid dynasty, Timur aimed to restore a vast Islamic empire. It is certain that during his reign he established one of the largest empires ever to exist in Central Asia. The territory of his empire encompassed not only Central Asia but also Afghanistan, Pakistan, part of India, Iran, Iraq, the entire Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan), Syria, and part of Turkey. Timur's rule was characterized by tyranny and brutality. Battles in Anatolia, where he let enemy soldiers die of thirst, and the massacre of all people in Sivas, bear witness to his reputation. The murder of civilians and even hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war are almost unimaginable atrocities. His beheading of countless enemies is particularly memorable. On the other hand, Timur was also a patron of the arts and surrounded himself with artists and scholars. Despite this reign, Timur is revered today in Uzbekistan as a kind of national hero, as he significantly influenced the geographical and cultural development of Central Asia and, in particular, the importance of Uzbekistan.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.
Timur is very much present in Uzbekistan from this point onward, as an incredibly cruel military leader, yet he is still venerated in large parts of the country with statues and monuments. With the founding of the Timurid dynasty, Timur aimed to restore a vast Islamic empire. It is certain that during his reign he established one of the largest empires ever to exist in Central Asia. The territory of his empire encompassed not only Central Asia but also Afghanistan, Pakistan, part of India, Iran, Iraq, the entire Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan), Syria, and part of Turkey. Timur's rule was characterized by tyranny and brutality. Battles in Anatolia, where he let enemy soldiers die of thirst, and the massacre of all people in Sivas, bear witness to his reputation. The murder of civilians and even hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war are almost unimaginable atrocities. His beheading of countless enemies is particularly memorable. On the other hand, Timur was also a patron of the arts and surrounded himself with artists and scholars. Despite this reign, Timur is revered today in Uzbekistan as a kind of national hero, as he significantly influenced the geographical and cultural development of Central Asia and, in particular, the importance of Uzbekistan.
Day 3: Not far from the town of Mary lies the ruined city of Merv (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities of the ancient Silk Road, with a turbulent and bloody history. The excavations offer a glimpse into the lives of the Central Asian peoples before the spread of Islam. During a walk through the city, the Great Kyz Kala, the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum, and the Ashgabat Mausoleum are particularly worth seeing. In the afternoon, the flight back to Ashgabat departs.