Darvaza Gas Crater — Door to Hell

Turkmenistan was the section of the journey that refused to behave. In ten days it moved from white-marble Ashgabat to the Caspian edge, from canyon dust to crater fire, from Merv’s ruined city walls to Dayahatyn’s brick arches and the Amu Darya.

This hub keeps the five Turkmenistan posts in one place. Start with the full route below, jump to the episode that fits your mood, or use the map when the geography begins doing its usual Central Asian magic trick: making every place look close until the road explains otherwise.

Dayahatyn Caravanserai entrance

We woke up in Mary before sunrise, still carrying Merv dust in our shoes and a healthy respect for ruined cities that refuse to stay politely in the past. The previous part is live here: Turkmenistan Overland - Part 4 | Old Nisa, Mary and Merv by Silk Road Motorway.

This final Turkmenistan leg follows the road east from Mary to Turkmenabat and historic Amul, then turns north toward Dayahatyn Caravanserai before returning to the Amu Darya. It is a compact geography lesson delivered by canals, roadworks, fortress walls, desert tracks, Seljuk brick and enough bouncing to remind several internal organs of their job descriptions.

Great Kyz Kala, Merv, Turkmenistan: Monumental ribbed mud-brick köshk on the ancient Silk Road

From the Darvaza Gas Crater, our Turkmenistan route turned back toward Ashgabat, then west to Old Nisa and east toward Mary and Ancient Merv (MAP). This part follows the old Silk Road through Parthian ruins, Kopet Dag border country, the M37 corridor, operating sections of the new Ashgabat–Turkmenabat motorway and the brick bones of a city that once made medieval mapmakers feel useful.

If you missed the previous leg, catch up on the fire, fury and practical heat management at the Darvaza Gas Crater in Episode 3. For the complete five-episode route, our Turkmenistan Silk Road summary ties the country together before we dive into Nisa, Mary and Merv.

Darvaza Gas Crater - Door to Hell

In this episode, we leave the marble city of Ashgabat and head north across the Karakum Desert toward Darvaza Gas Crater. The road supplies potholes, camels, an unexpected lake, kebabs, Alabai dogs and old gas-exploration hardware before the fire finally appears. Apparently the desert had prepared a full itinerary.

Missed the previous leg? Catch up with Turkmenbashi, Yangykala Canyon, Balkanabat, Nokhur and Köw-Ata in [Episode 2].

Yangykala Canyon: Crocodile's Mouth

Our overnight train in Turkmenistan Overland Part 1 | Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi via the Trans-Caspian Railway had delivered us to the Caspian coast. Part 2 put us back on four wheels, this time in a local Toyota Hilux aimed toward the western Karakum.

The pavement did not take this personally. It simply stopped appearing with any reliability. Beyond Turkmenbashi came desert tracks, free-ranging camels, Yangykala's banded cliffs, a night with a family in Nokhur and the long descent into Köw-Ata Underground Lake.

Our Ashgabat - Turkmenbashi overnight sleeper train at Ashgabat Railway Station

We had a little bit of experience in Central Asia when we visited Mongolia at its eastern end previously. When we started talking about the other end of Central Asia, i.e. Turkmenistan, they said this was a mysterious, closed-off and untouched country. They weren't wrong. But they forgot to add: "utterly magical."

After 10 days traveling through Turkmenistan (MAP), we came away with a country that could move from white-marble avenues to Timurid ruins, desert roads and the Caspian Sea with very little warning. This is Part 1 of our five-part Turkmenistan journey, and the first blog leg of our 2025 Silk Road/world-overland expedition. We begin in Ashgabat and finish at dawn in Turkmenbashi after an overnight train across the Karakum.