Things to do & places to visit in Dasoguz Province, Turkmenistan

Dasoguz Province #3 destination in Turkmenistan 2023. The average rating score is 4.22 based on 144 traveler reviews, of 21 attractions. Timezone: Asia/Ashgabat, current date and time: Saturday, May 11, 2024, 10:50.

Top things to do (8)

Top destinations in Dasoguz Province 3

Top places to visit (21 attractions)

5.0 Nedjmeddin Kubra Mausoleum (1 review)
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Religious Sites

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4.5 Kunya-Urgench - UNESCO World Heritage Site (43 reviews)
- Amazing Historic Sites
Historic Sites

You really need a guide to get the background about these ancient buildings, which seem randomly plopped in the desert. On a good day, the photo ops are superb. Some of these buildings are hundreds of years old and still contain original tiles and decorations. Some are holy places that are revered by the locals, like mosques and burial grounds, and you can see them performing prayer rituals. Unfortunately there is no lodging nearby, and you will probably have to stay in Dashogus, the closest major town. There are also no food stalls and very few restroom facilities, so proper planning is advised. See more..
4.5 Kutlug Timur Minaret (19 reviews)
- Awesome!
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks

This minaret is quite impressive. It is ringed with eighteen bands of decorative mud brick and blue majolica tiles. See more..
4.5 Turabek Khanum Mausoleum (19 reviews)
- Tiles .... and tiles
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks

Have got nothing to say; I was impressed. The quality of the decoration is awsome and the tiles ... I have to say that I liked them more than the ones in Isfahan in Iran. This is probably the only place in the world whicha, fter having admired the level of perfection of the Iranian Mosque, was was able to impress me See more..
4.5 Konye Urgenc (12 reviews)
- Great site
Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks

The monuments just to the south of the town of Konye Urgenc are a must-see in Turkmenistan. The mausoleum is a great example of the architecture typical of the Uzbek region, and on the other side of the road, the other sites are spread across an easily walkable distance in impressive cohabitation. The sight as you look back past the leaning minaret to the mausoleum where you started is well worth the journey here. Come on a warm autumn day and enjoy the stroll, as well as the companionship of the friendly local tourists also out to make the most of their historical sites. There is a fair chance you will end up in somebody's photo album, and you can make their day as much as they make yours... See more..
4.0 Il Arslan Mausoleum (12 reviews)
- Conical Dome
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins • Points of Interest & Landmarks

This mausoleum is different in that it has a twelve sided conical dome. The building has been restored but it is one of the oldest in the area. See more..
4.0 Gate of the Caravanserai (5 reviews)
- Imagination run wild
Spent < 1 hour Ancient Ruins • Points of Interest & Landmarks

The Gate of the Caravanserai is a former giant gate for Silk Road merchants and travelled to come into the city and stay for the night(s), rest up, and do business. It is an imposing gate that would most likely have been very encouraging to see after a long day trekking in the desert. Take the time to see it and imagine the stories that walked through the gates. See more..
4.0 Konye Urgenc Museum (2 reviews)
- Small Delight
Spent 1-2 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks
I hesitated to go to this museum as the Lonely Planet was rather scathing, but am very glad I overcame that reluctance. I don't know what LP expect in North West Turkmenistan, but for me this was a little gem. The museum is delightfully laid out in an old mosque, with each room off the courtyard used as a different display area, and there are English labels in each room. On a warm day, the courtyard itself is a cool haven, and on top of that the staff were charming. Don't miss this as you rush back from the main Konye Urgenc site to the south of the town! See more..
4.0 Local History Museum (1 review)
Open now - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours History Museums

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4.0 Gorogly Park (1 review)
- The Turkmen Don Quixote?
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Parks

The Gorogly Park is also known as Koroghlu Park. It is named after a mythical hero of Turkmen. The park is not the most attractive, as it is a huge open paved area, at the end of which are columnar designs and the sculpture of Gorogly on his horse, Kırat. The sculpture shows Gorogly holding a bow and arrow in the act of shooting, and Kirat in full flight. The sculpture is mounted atop a grey base, which has a tablet with the name on it. The epic of Gorogly takes place in the 16th century. Gorogly was sitting next to the river Aras, when it started to foam. He didn't realise the significance of it and did not drink, but Kirat drank from the water and became immortal. He them formed a band of 40 men, and fought against the wicked rulers. He uses hit and run tactics, fleeing to nearby countries to hide when large armies are sent to capture him. The nature of the battles change however, and with the introduction by the enemy of gunpowder and cannons, he realises that the days of the "steppe" warrior are over. He disbands his followers and wanders off alone and dejected. This story teaches the readers great values such as honesty, bravery and comradeship. We thought that it was similar to Dox Quixote, in that the hero realises that the romance and chivalry that existed in the world has passed and the new customs are not to his liking. Many streets in Turkmenistan have been named in honour of Gorogly, but this is the only sculpture which we saw during our visit. Other nearby attractions are the Victory monument, which you can reach by crossing the road, and walking north through the park, the tall flagpole opposite the victory monument, the Library to the right of the flagpole and the Museum. See more..
4.0 Victory Monument (1 review)
- Impressive monument
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

The Victory monument is located in a small park behind the public library. It has four sides which taper to a point at the top. It has a bronze colour and was shining brightly, thus was very noticeable. The lower section of the monument is curved with the top design being similar to a yurt (ger). The years of WW2 i.e. 1941 and 1945, were shown in gold letters on a beam at the base of the monument. There is no vehicular access to the park, so if visiting, you will have probably have to park near to the Library or Museum and walk to the monument. On the ground directly beneath the monument, was a gold star which was once an "eternal flame". The flame was not burning when we visited. Most towns and cities in Turkmenistan have a war memorial, but this was the tallest that we had seen. We were the only visitors in the park. The tall flagpole opposite the monument, the museum and two other sculptures can be accessed on foot within the park. See more..
4.0 Mamun II Minaret (1 review)
- Monument to the Mamunid Empire
Closed now - 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins • Points of Interest & Landmarks

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3.5 Sultan Tekesh Mausoleum (12 reviews)
- Sultan Tekesh
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins • Points of Interest & Landmarks

So many mausoleums and temples so little time! The mausoleum for Sultan Tekesh in Kunye Urgench is smaller than Turabek but nonetheless interesting and presumably the tomb of the founder of the Khwarezm Empire. If you aren’t interested in the history of the Sultan buried there then the architecture should hold your attention and let you know that some amazing feats were done with some of these buildings long before we had our modern technology. See more..
3.5 Seyit Ahmet (5 reviews)
- Pilgrims gifts
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks

Other reviews said only Muslims are allowed inside. We did not encounter any restrictions. Inside there was a cloth where small gifts were offered. See more..
3.5 Kyrk Molla (3 reviews)
- Pilgrimage hill
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins

Possibly one of the most overlooked parts of Kunye Urgench and all its wonders is Kyrk Molla, a sacred hill about 12meters high that was a bunker type structure. People do pilgrimages to Kyrk Molla to pray for different things, women for fertility mostly we were told and some of the findings at the site date back 1500+ years ago so it has been in use in some form or another for a long time. It is interesting to see the remaining structure, hear the stories and learn about how life was lived all those years ago. See more..
3.0 Sweet Well (2 reviews)
- Ancient water system?
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites

On the compound of the Gutlug Timur minaret, in the north western section, are two dome shaped structures. The dome which is to the left has a set of stairs which leads below it. A well is located below the dome. We were disappointed, as it seemed as if it was a recent or heavily refurbished structure. We had visited quite a few sardobas in Turkmenistan and didn't think that this was of ancient design. The typical design of a sardoba, was with an opening in the top, which seemed strangely absent in this dome, but was on the nearby dome. There were two local women using a bucket to catch water. It seems as if it is a popular spot for pilgrims to take a drink, but is probably not recommended for tourists. The Seyit Ahmet mausoleum is passed before reaching the minaret compound, and the Sultan Tekesh mausoleum is a short walk south on the path. See more..
3.0 Fortress of Boldumsaz (1 review)
- Ancient 12th Century Fortress
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins • Points of Interest & Landmarks

The Fortress of Boldumsaz is also known as the baslumhan-cay fort ruins. It is approximately 11km outside of Boldumsaz. We first learned about it while visiting the Dashoguz museum. On the way to Konye Urgench, we decided to take a few photos as it was near to the main AS-381 road. Unfortunately, this fortress was not being preserved and little was left to be seen. We took a few photos from the car when we stopped on the side of the road. It is said to have been active during the time that the mongols invaded, and was destroyed by them whilst on their way to Konye Urgench. It seems to have been rebuilt but abandoned again later on. Tamerlane also destroyed many of the forts in this area, and we assumed that this may have been one of the causes of the fort ruins. Not a must see, but if you are interested in military history, a few photos may be taken. If you continue into Boldumsaz, the city gate, statue of the president and war memorial are the other attractions. See more..
3.0 Sultan Ali Mausoleum (1 review)
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Religious Sites

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3.0 Piryarvali Mausoleum (1 review)
- Mausoleum of a Kubra disciple
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Religious Sites

The Piyarvali mausoleum is at the western end of what is known locally as the 360 complex. It is 2.5km north of the archaeological site, and in the center of town. The complex is built on an old graveyard. It is divided into two sections. To the east lies the museum and Matkerim Ishan mausoleum, and to the west, the Nedjmeddin Kubra mausoleum, Sultan Ali mausoleum and Piryarvali mausoleum. The Piryarvali Mausoleum is reached by walking along the path between the bowing portals of the Kubra and Ali mausoleums. It is a simple brick structure with a basic portal design, which is 6.5 meters high and 7.5 meters across. A white window was located above the wooden doors, which were closed when we visited. The interior of the mausoleum contains tributes to three local shieks and Piryarvali. This is probably the least impressive of the mausoleums in the complex. It was restored in 1989. Piryarvali was known as a disciple of Nedjmeddin Kubra, who founded the Sufic Kubra order. We thought that the distinguishing feature of the mausoleum was the many tombs surrounding it. The tombs are not marked, but were said to be of famous persons of that era, including Shyh Setdar, Sheker Gendji and Daniyar Weli. The brother of Piryarvali is also said to be buried here. The son of Piryarvali, Pakhlavan-Ata, is probably more well known, as he was a famous wrestler and poet. This is not a must see, but if you are visiting the holy complex, it will just take a few minutes to view the mausoleum. We thought that the best photos of the nearby "bowing" mausoleums were taken from this area. See more..
3.0 Nedjmeddin Kubra Mosque (1 review)
- Green mosque
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites

The Nedjmeddin Kubra Mosque is known by locals as the Green Mosque. It is one of the few modern structures in the town of Konye Urgench. It is located in the center of town, approximately 1.5km north of the architectural complex. There are buses and taxis in town which are on this route. The mosque is square shaped, has minarets at each side and is painted in three shades of green. The dominant colour is a dull green, but the borders of the building are highlighted in mint. The dome and tops of the four minarets are painted a bright emerald green. On each side of the mosque, there are seven portal shaped openings for lighting. The main entrance is to the left at the front, and to the right of the door are three windows of basic design, above which is the name of the mosque. We took photos whilst passing through town and didn't try to enter the mosque. Nejameddin Kubra lived between 1145–1221, and was a famous teacher, poet and philosopher who founded the Sufic Kubra order, and established the Kubravid’s School of Suficsm. He wrote books which are still available today. He was beheaded by the mongols during the invasion of 1221, and his tomb is 1km north of the mosque, and considered the holiest place in the city. Other attractions may be found near to Kubra's tomb complex, including the Matkerim Ishan mausoleum, Konye Urgench museum, Sultan Ali mausoleum and the Piryar Vali mausoleum. See more..
3.0 Matkerim Ishan Mausoleum (1 review)
- Mausoleum of 19th century religious teacher
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites

The Matkerim Isham mausoleum is 2.5km north of the archaeological site of Kunye Urgench. It is located at the northern end of the car park, which facilitates access to the Dash Mosque Museum, which is to the right, and a short path to the left which leads to the Sultan Ali mausoleum and the Nedjmeddin Kubra mausoleum. The mausoleum is a simple square shaped brick structure, with a dome atop. It is actually a seven sectional structure, with the lower two levels being square shaped. In the middle at the top of these levels were small white windows. The next two levels were octagonal in shape. This was topped by two circular levels and finally a dome. We didn't try to enter this building as we were short on time and took a few photos before visiting the other attractions mentioned above. We regret not visiting the museum, as our guide had stated that we were short on time. Matkerim Ishan taught at the madrasa, and was much respected. He died in 1886, and his son Madamin Ishan continued teaching. The mausoleum was erected in the honour of both. Madamin Ishan died in 1912. The nearby dash mosque was completed in 1908, and Madamin would have taught here until his death. This is not a must see, but is a great stop in town after the long drive to the city and probably best to visit here first, including the museum, before heading to the archaeological complex. A nearby attraction is the bright green Nedjmeddin Kubra Mosque, which is a 10 minute walk south west of this site. See more..