Driving to Konye-Urgench from the border city of Daşoguz |
Gateway to one of the towns along the highway between Daşoguz and Konye-Urgench |
Welcome to Srozmetow, Turkmenistan |
Welcome to Boldumsaz, Turkmenistan |
3 of the 5 regional symbols used on the Turkmenistan flag |
A wedding procession, one of several we saw |
A canal built during the Soviet era relinks Konye-Urgench to the Amu-Darya River |
The gateway to Konye-Urgench |
Köneürgenç, Türkmenistan |
Billboard for TMCELL on the edge of Konye-Urgench |
Konye-Urgench's WWII memorial |
Konye-Urgench sport center |
Billboard for Türkmenbaşybank, Konye-Urgench |
The historic remains of Old Urgench are in two separate areas |
Konye-Urgench, the former capital of Khwarezm, a UNESCO World Heritage Site |
Pathway leading to the northern set of mausoleums |
Most of the visitors to Konye-Urgench are from Turkmenistan. There were very few international tourists |
Sultan Ali Mausoleum, 16th C, Konye-Urgench |
Nejameddin Kubra (1145-1221) Mausoleum |
Sultan Ali Mausoleum, 16th C. |
Layout of the architectural complex of mausoleums, Konye-Urgench |
Nejameddin Kubra was killed by the Mongols in 1221. His mausoleum was constructed in the 14th C. |
Mausoleum of Sultan Ali, Konye-Urgench |
Mausoleum of Sultan Ali, 16th C. |
Sultan Ali Mausoleum across from Nedjameddin Kubra |
Nedjameddin Kubra was a mystic who founded the Kubravid School of Sufism |
Nedjameddin Kubra Mausoleum |
Entrance to the Nedjameddin Kubra Mausoleum |
14th C. tiles, Nedjameddin Kubra Mausoleum |
Tilework with Arabic calligraphy, 14th C. |
Panel with missing tiles, Nedjameddin Kubra Mausoleum |
Tile decorations, Nedjameddin Kubra Mausoleum |
Najm-ad-Din al-Kubra Mausoleum, 14th C. |
Arabic calligraphy, Kunya-Urgench |
Pilgrims still come to the tomb of Ahmed Ibn Omar Najm-ad-Din al-Kubra al-Khorezmi |
Entrance to the Nedjameddin Kubra Mausoleum |
Piryar Vali - 17th Century |
Side view of the Piryar Vali, Konye-Urgench |
Mausoleum of Sultan Ali, Konye-Urgench |
Minor tomb, northern architectural zone, Konye-Urgench |
Rear quarter view of the Nedjameddin Kubra Mausoleum |
For photography, the southern facing Mausoleum of Sultan Ali is better situated |
According to the guide, the Nedjameddin Kubra Mausoleum served as the model for all the other tombs of this style in the region |
Behind the Mausoleum of Sultan Ali |
Nedjameddin Kubra Mausoleum |
A pair of beehive tombs with an withered ancient tree |
Turkmen women circling under the sacred tree for luck |
Mysticism is alive in the Islam of Turkmenistan |
Turkmen pilgrims in Konye-Urgench |
Ger (yurt) of the Central Asian nomads |
Matkerim-Ishan Mausoleum, 20th C., Konye-Urgench |
Outside the Konye-Urgench Museum |
Konye-Urgench Museum |
Konye-Urgench Museum |
Northern zone of Old Urgench |
Türkem sign with the ancient monuments of Old Urgench |
Lunch at the house of the guide |
The simple house of the guide's family with large garden in the rear |
The outhouse behind the garden |
Crossing the Soviet canal, Konye-Urgench |
Turabeg Khanym Mausoleum, 14th C |
Mausoleum of Turabek Hanum, 14th C. |
Most of the outer dome has been destroyed leaving only the inner dome intact |
Some scholars believe Turabek Hanum is a 12th C. throne room rather than a mausoleum |
Façade of Turabeg Khanum with 21m high portal |
Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanym, south façade |
A foreign tourist is still something of a spectacle in Turkmenistan, even at some of its most famous sites |
Turkmen guys in front of the Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanym |
The Turkmen have a very definite Asian look |
Domestic tourists in Konye-Urgench, Turkmenistan |
The mausoleum was built in the 14th C. by Kutlug Timur for his wife, Turabeg Khanum |
Mausoleum with a bright blue sky |
Portal to the Turabeg Khanum Mausoleum |
The foyer, Turabeg Khanum Mausoleum |
Decorative tiles - majolicas |
The interior dome of Turabeg Khanum - 20m high |
The dome is covered with 365 stars representing the days of the year |
The exquisite dome of the Turabeg Khanum Mausoleum, Konye-Urgench |
Stone lattice window, Turabeg Khanum Mausoleum |
Stone lattice window, Turabeg Khanum Mausoleum |
One of 24 open and closed arches representing the hours of the day |
Entrance to the burial chamber (closed) |
Young Turkmen touring Konye-Urgench |
The entire brick structure was once covered in ornate tiles |
The dome of the Mausoleum of Konye-Urgench, |
Another niche that was also once covered by tile |
Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanum (with my guide) |
One can only image the splendor of the building before it lost most of its exterior tiles and main dome |
Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanum from the southwest |
Exterior detail, Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanum, Konye-Urgench |
Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanum, one of the major monuments of Old Urgench |
Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanum with the afternoon sun |
The centuries have taken a toll |
Remains of the 14th C. tiles, Turabeg Khanum |
Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanum from the southeast |
Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanum from the southeast |
Kutlug Timur Minaret, 11th C. |
60m high Kutlug Timur Minaret looks a bit like an old smokestack |
Young Turkmen boy, Konye-Urgench |
Mausoleum of Sayit Ahmet, a 19th C. structure built for a holy man who died around 1308 |
Seyit Ahmet is credited with converting the Mongols of the Golden Horde to Islam |
Mausoleum of Seyit Ahmet, who died around 1308 |
Cenotaph, Mausoleum of Seyit Ahmet, Konye-Urgench |
Mausoleum of Seyit Ahmet |
Carpet in the Mausoleum of Seyit Ahmet |
Dirt trail leading towards the Gutlug Timur Minaret |
Looking back at the Mausoleum of Turabeg Khanym |
Detail of the geometric patters of the Kutlug-Timur Minaret |
Genghis Khan left only 1 minaret of the great mosque standing |
Base of the Kutlug-Timur Minaret, 12m in diameter, Konye-Urgench |
Kutlug-Timur Minaret |
144 steps reach the top, but climbing is forbidden |
A small section was added to the top of the original minaret |
Kufic script on the Gutlug Timur Minaret |
A ladder is needed to reach the entrance to the minaret |
Entrance to the Gutlug Timur Minaret |
Local tourists gathered around the base of the Gutlug Timur Minaret, Old Urgench |
Gutlug Timur Minaret, Old Urgench |
Base of the Gutlug Timur Minaret, Konya Urgench |
60m tall Gutlug Timur Minaret |
Soltan Tekesh Mausoleum, 12th C. |
Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum, 12th C. |
Pathway leading from the minaret to the Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum, Konye-Urgench |
Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum, Konya-Urgench |
Conical tiled roof of the Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum |
Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum |
Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum, 12th C. |
Detail of the Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum |
Looking back at the Gutlug Timur Minaret |
Detail of the Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum |
A glimpse inside the Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum |
Back side of the Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum |
Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum with the distant Gutlug Timur Minaret |
Restoration of the Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum |
Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum with the Gutlug Timur Minaret, Konye-Urgench |
Kyrk Molla - Forty Mullah's Hill - the site of the unsuccessful last stand against the Mongol invaders of Genghis Khan |
Il Arslan Mausoleum, the oldest of Konye-Urgench's monuments, 1172 |
Il Arslan (r. 1156-1172) was the father of Sultan Tekesh |
The 12-sided dome of the Mausoleum of Il Arslan is unusual |
Il Arslan Mausoleum, Konye-Urgench |
Il Arslan Mausoleum, Konye-Urgench |
Il Arslan Mausoleum, Konye-Urgench |
Inside the Il Arslan Mausoleum, Konye-Urgench |
Il Arslan Mausoleum, Konye-Urgench |
Another group of tourists from Turkmenistan |
Local tourists |
...they don't get many foreign visitors here... |
Turkmenistan boy taking photos of the foreign tourist |
Stump of the Ma'mun Minaret - built in 1011, rebuilt in the 13th-14th C, destroyed by earthquake in 1895 |
Portal of a building on the edge of Konye-Urgench's southern archaeological zone |
Portal, 11th-12th C., Konya-Urgench |
Detail of the portal |
...a bit over restored on the back side... |
The distant mausoleums and great minaret of Konye-Urgench |
Not much remains of the former capital of Khorezm after destruction by both Genghis Khan and Tamerlane (Timur) |
Annoyingly, the driver skipped Kyrk Molla in his haste to get us back to Dasoguz... |
A last view of the Gutlug Timur Minaret as we leave for Dasoguz |
Donkey cart, Konye-Urgench |
Soviet-era World War II monument, Konye-Urgench |
İoluňyz Ak Bolsun! Zyıaratyňyz Kabul Bolsun! |
Goodbye Konye-Urgench! |
The road back to Dashoguz |
Road construction, Turkmenistan |
Ancient Fortress of Boldumsaz destroyed by the Mongols |
Turkmenistan license plate (Dashoguz) |
Flag of Turkmenistan on the license plate |