Right near the northern border lies Konye (“old”) Urgench. Once the second-largest city in Central Asia, the capital of Khorezm was destroyed first by Genghis Khan, again by Timur, and finally by the movement of its water source, the Amu Darya (Oxus) River. Most of the inhabitants moved to the new city of Urgench near Khiva, now across the border in Uzbekistan.

Despite its ruined state, Konye Urgench has several amazing monuments. One mausoleum has an almost complete dome of original tile. A 62-meter minaret still stands, the largest ancient structure in Central Asia.

The area has attracted pilgrims for many years. In another not-very-Islamic tradition, women roll down a dusty hill hoping to be blessed with fertility.

After visiting the site, we crossed back into Uzbekistan. The border crossing was much shorter and the baggage checks uneventful. We were back from the twilight zone.

———— end of detailed Turkmenistan postings ————–