Izmukshir

Izmukshir, sometimes called Zamakhshar, was a walled town in the Khorezm oasis whose ramparts still stand as a ring of eroded earth several metres high, enclosing an area now under cultivation and scrub. It is associated with the twelfth-century scholar al-Zamakhshari, who was born here and whose commentary on the Quran was read across the Islamic world. Nothing stands inside the walls, and the site is unexcavated and unmarked.

What to look for

• The ramparts - a ring of eroded earth walls several metres high.
• The enclosed ground - the town area now under cultivation and scrub.
• The Zamakhshari association - the birthplace of the twelfth-century scholar.
• The Khorezm oasis - the irrigated country the town stood in.

When to go

April to May and September to October are the comfortable months. Summer heat is severe. Spring can leave the tracks muddy.

Good to know

Nothing survives inside the walls and the site reads as an earth ring. There is no interpretation at all. Reaching it needs a driver who knows the turning.

Nearby

Dashoguz is nearby, and Konye-Urgench is west.

Key facts