Turkmenistan – part 1

Visited: September 2024

Duration of visit: 5 days

Capital city: Ashgabat

Population: 6.4 million (2024)

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

• Crossing the Caspian Sea, navigating from Alat port in Azerbaijan to Turkmenbashi.
• Early morning walk on the cliff above spectacular Yangykala Canyon.
• Stopping in residential neighborhood of Balkanabat and tasting delicious local food.
• Walking around the cemetery in Nohur village, while observing graves, marked by the horns of mountain goats.

Most of the foreigners book a standard two- or three-days tour, which includes the capital Ashgabat and Darvaza Gas Crater. I wanted more, therefore I crossed the Caspian Sea by ferry from Alat port in Baku to Turkmenbashi and continued overland toward the east, visited Yangykala Canyon, Balkanabat, Nohur, the capital Ashgabat and finally the main Turkmen landmark The Gates of Hell in Darvaza.

In this article I describe the following topics of my trip to Turkmenistan – part 1: navigating the Caspian Sea, spending the night in inhumane conditions, spectacular Yangykala Canyon, feast in Balkanabat, Horns of mountain goats at cemetery in Nohur, Kow-Ata Cave disappointment.

More articles about my adventures in Turkmenistan are available here:

The starting point for crossing the Caspian Sea is in the port of Alat, about an hour’s drive south of the Azerbaijani capital, Baku.

To learn more about my two-day waiting experience in Azerbaijan before embarking on the Turkmen ship Bagtyyar, which carried me to Turkmenbashi, please visit the following link.

We finally departed the port of Alat just before the sunset on Day 3.

The navigation was smooth, the food onboard simple. The cabin was comfortable, small toilet offered the luxury of hot shower, which was highly appreciated after two days abstinence.

The Turkmenbashi International Seaport was a proper introduction to the unreasonable, oversized or underutilized buildings in Turkmenistan. The largest port on the Caspian Sea, built in 2013 at a cost of US$2 billion, is a mix of excessive buildings that accommodate infrequent users with underused high-end technology and a lack of staff who is also poorly trained and unaccustomed to working under pressure.

About 50 passengers from our ship were received by only one clerk, who slowly enrolled the passengers into the system. He was soaking wet, and we were sweating too, due to inoperative air conditioner. When it was my turn, I was directed to the far opposite part of the port where, after waiting for half an hour and paying 50.00 US$, a Turkmenistan visa was stuck in my passport.

I returned to the original official who entered the information into the system and welcomed me to Turkmenistan.

Fortunately, Ales noticed that the deadline on our visas was wrong. It took another hour for the sweaty official to correct the error in the system to avoid interrogations and misunderstandings when we would leave the country at the end of the trip.

Since tourists can’t travel alone in Turkmenistan, I booked a tour package that would include everything: transport, accommodation, food and entrance fees. When buying a bottle of water and ice cream, I calculated the price in dollars at the official exchange rate of 3.5 Turkmenistan Manat (TMT) for 1.00 US$.

While water was reasonably priced at 1.00 US$, locally produced ice creams seemed to be overpriced at more than 2.00 US$. Our driver, Boris, explained that the exchange rate at the black market is actually 20 TMT for 1.00 US$, which puts the costs in local currency into a completely different perspective – 5 times cheaper.

The black-market exchange rate had made Turkmenistan one of the cheapest countries in the world: 20 liters of gasoline for 1.00 US$, 1 liter of water at 0.25 US$, a lunch in high-end restaurant for less than 5.00 US$, etc.

When we were finally ready to start, Boris explained to us that we would probably arrive late at our first stop – the Yangykala Canyon. I was too hungry to skip the main course of the day and required the first stop in a restaurant. The food was delicious. Lentil soup, fruit salad and fish in a prestigious restaurant at the shores of the Caspian Sea, with magnificent view over the calm sea and some swimmers on sandy beach.

We also stopped in a local supermarket, which was offering a wide selection of vegetables, fruits, bread, diary products, sweets and all other stuff. Many customers and pleasant vendors at every department created a vibrant atmosphere.  We topped off our grocery shopping with a bottle of local vodka at a specialty liquor store, loaded all the goods into the trunk of our Toyota Hillux pick-up, and headed out for the dessert in the late afternoon.

It was already getting dark when we stopped on an abandoned bus stop for a pee and last photos.

“The sand storm is coming, we are not going to sleep in a tent. I found a refuge, where we can spend the night,” were the indications of Boris.

It was almost 9:30pm, when we reached a simple house on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

Brick walls, a broken window and an iron door provided us with shelter from the strong wind that kicked up the desert sand. Carpets were laid on the floor, on which we spread a plastic tablecloth and placed all the purchased goods. We spiced up the simple dinner by drinking local vodka, which was particularly undrinkable because it wasn’t chilled.

To avoid asthma issues, my friend preferred to spend the night in the Toyota instead in the basic shelter with broken window, which was not sealed enough to detain the sand and dust. Boris and I spread pillows on the floor, drank another glass of vodka, lay down on the floor and fell asleep.

Despite the fact that I woke up several times during the night, I was full of energy in the morning and after an early breakfast, I was ready for the first landmark of Turkmenistan – Yangykala Canyon.

I didn’t know what to expect from Yangykala Canyon, as the basic description and simple photograph in the excursion program could serve as an interpretation of the various dimensions of the natural wonder.

The first view of the canyon opened in front of us when Boris parked the vehicle on the rim of the cliff. It was simply fantastic. Not even in my wildest dreams did I expect something like this.

Yangykala Canyon, carved out of limestone 5,5 million years ago by the disappearing Tethys Sea, offers a surrealist scenery in the forms of shapes and shadows. The cliffs that separate the valley floor from the vast table-like surface of the canyon are striking shades of pink and white. The jagged edges, pillars and structures jutting out from all angles reminded me of Bryce Canyon in the United States.

If the seldom-seen and little-known canyon was located in a more normal country, it would be viewed by a huge number of visitors and would be known all over the world. The remarkable illumination, tranquility, and seclusion left a profound impression on me.

I walked around, meditated, took tens of photos and slightly regretting missed the sunset on the previous day. How magical that would be.

Our next stop was the regional capital of Balkanabat, home of our driver Boris. We stopped in a local restaurant to savor more of the Turkmen specialties. My friend ordered quality local meat, while I enjoyed a delicious soup and a vegetarian option with salad.

We halted at a remarkable white marble Balkan Velayat Central Mosque, which was opened in 2020 and blessed by the president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow himself. The Central dome of the mosque is crowned with a Golden Crescent, while, four minarets decorated with motifs typical of Islamic culture rise 63 meters. We were not allowed to visit the prayer hall for three thousand people, but rather continued the road trip to Nohur village.

The village of Nohur fills a small depression valley in the mountains of the Kopet Dag Range, with just about two thousand people, at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,100 meters above sea level. Tucked deep into the mountains, its dusty roads and the clay walls of its houses covered in grapevines and pomegranate trees are a refuge from the harsh desert of Turkmenistan.

Far away from Turkmen mainland, Soviet modernization hardly penetrated into the village and traditional lifestyle flows unabated among the local tribe – Nohurli. They consider themselves to be descendants of the legionnaires of Alexander the Great and they speak a dialect unrecognizable to other Turkmen speakers. This is also what I was told in a spontaneous conversation I had with the local religious leaders.

During a short tour of the village, we first visited the herbal market, where a few men were selling selected herbs for cooking or making tea. Mighty ancient plane trees are said to be centuries old, with a hollow into which several people can fit. On the main road, I spotted watermelon and melon vendors who kindly offered me chilled pieces of delicious fruit to try. I bought a delicious melon for only half a dollar.

The village’s cemetery stands out as the main landmark of Nokhur. The graves, adorned with the horns of mountain goats, reflect burial traditions deeply rooted in animism, with elements of Zoroastrianism also present.

The goat horns are believed to ward off evil spirits, while the stones are inscribed with steps to assist the deceased in their journey to heaven.

As I wandered through the cemetery, I noticed that all the tombs were aligned in the same direction. The different sizes of the horns probably testify to the importance of the deceased, or to the hunting skills of them or their descendants. Nowadays it is very difficult to catch animals with big horns, as they have retreated high into the mountains.

There are no hotels in the village, but a simple guesthouse offered us a shelter for the night. The host cooked a basic dinner; delicious meatless soup, fruits and sweets with indispensable tea. The kids offered embraided bags for sale as a souvenir.

Highlights of the first school day (1^st September) were broadcasted on television. A celebration in the capital was prepared for the great leader, with an emphasis on high-tech innovations in schools, universities and the army. Laptops, intelligent solutions, modern equipment and advanced technology are implemented for all generations of hardworking students.

The president stood still, listened, saluted and spoke a few words. The concerted clapping, attentive listening and writing down of the president’s instructions seemed like a platitude that turns away from the reality around the country.

The next morning was a complete waste. Visiting a Kow-Ata Cave and horse stables were disappointments, which should have been skipped and replaced with more time in Ashgabat.

“Kow-Ata means Father of caves. At first glance, this underground area appears like a magnificent auditorium. The bottom of the cave is covered with lumps of dissolved limestone (stalagmites), and its warm and gushing water is clear and emerald colored. The water has a constant temperature of 33-37°C.”

The formal description of my guide couldn’t be farther from the reality. Walking down the stairs in dimly lit cave brought me to a dark area where I came across the remains of Kow-Ata Underground Lake; a lagoon in which bat droppings, bird feathers and garbage were floating. Totally unsuitable for bathing in the pleasantly warm water as previously promised.

Akhalteke horses have a reputation for speed and endurance, intelligence, and a distinctive metallic sheen.

The shiny coat of the breed led to their nickname, Golden Horses. These horses are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest existing horse breeds. There are currently about 6,600 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan, although they are also found throughout Europe and North America.

By visiting a private stable in the Gokdepe region, I got to watch the aforementioned horse skills in a short performance. We were sited along a table, offered, tea, fruits and sweets, while 4 horses were presented on the green area in front of us.

I’m not exactly a horse expert, but my amateur eye noticed the rather limited abilities of relatively small horses. My friend really wanted to leave as he thought the show was ridiculous, torturing animals that looked malnourished. We did not seriously consider offers to ride or take photos with the horses.