Anau
A village east of Ashgabat with a Neolithic tell and the ruins of a mosque known for its dragons.
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Anau holds two things: a tell excavated in 1904 by an American expedition that produced some of the earliest evidence of farming in Central Asia and gave its name to a variety of ancient wheat, and the ruins of the mosque of Seyit Jemaleddin of 1456, which carried a pair of dragons in tilework above its portal, unheard of in Islamic architecture. The 1948 earthquake brought the building down and what stands is fragments.
What you actually see
- The mosque ruins - fragments of the 1456 building brought down in 1948.
- The dragon tilework - the pair of dragons that once flanked the portal.
- The tell - the mound excavated in 1904 with early farming evidence.
- The wheat association - the ancient variety named after the site.
When to go
April to May and September to October are the comfortable months. Summer heat is severe with no shade. The site is open at all times.
Honest expectations
Very little of the mosque survives and the dragons are known mainly from photographs and fragments. There is no interpretation on site. The tell is unimpressive to look at.
Nearby
Ashgabat is west, and Abiverd is east.
What to pack for Anau
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
