Dehistan

Dehistan, also called Mashad-i Misrian, was a substantial city on the plain south of the Balkan mountains and a trading centre from the tenth to the fourteenth century, watered by a canal system from the Atrek and abandoned around the fifteenth century when the water failed. Two brick minarets still stand - the Abu Jafar Ahmed minaret of the early eleventh century, with bands of Arabic inscription, and a second at the corner of the mosque courtyard - along with the two 18-metre portal columns of the mosque of Khorezmshah Muhammad, decorated in brick and turquoise glaze, and the walls and mounds of the town spread across the plain. A necropolis with mausoleums lies a short distance away.

Highlights

• The two minarets - medieval brick towers still standing on the plain.
• The mosque portal - the great arch of the Khorezmshah mosque.
• The city mounds - walls and building remains spread across the site.
• The necropolis - the mausoleums a short distance from the town.

When to go

April to May and September to October are the workable months. Summer heat here is extreme. Tracks can be soft after rain.

Things to know

Access needs a four-wheel drive and a driver who knows the route; there is no public transport. There is no shade, water or facility. Nothing is interpreted on site.

Nearby

Balkanabat is north, and Gozli Ata is far northwest.

Key facts