Gonur Depe

Gonur Depe sits far out in the Karakum north of Mary, on a channel of the Murgab that has long since dried, and excavation from the 1970s under Viktor Sarianidi revealed a walled complex of the late third and early second millennium BC with palace, temples, water systems and elaborate burials, including chariots and animal sacrifices. Sarianidi argued it was a centre of the culture he named Bactria-Margiana. He is buried at the site.

What you actually see

• The walled complex - palace, temples and water systems laid bare by excavation.
• The elaborate burials - graves with chariots and animal sacrifices.
• The dried channel - the old Murgab course the settlement depended on.
• The excavator's grave - Sarianidi buried at the site he spent decades on.

When to go

April to May and September to October are the workable months. Summer heat in the open desert is dangerous. Spring can leave the track soft.

Honest expectations

Access requires a four-wheel drive and a driver who knows the route; there is no public transport. There is no shade, water or facility at the site. Mud brick walls erode fast and much is protected under cover or backfilled.

Nearby

Mary is south, and Merv is southwest.