Turkmen Sahra area
Turkmen Sahra is a beautiful and pristine area in northeast Iran. It covers many parts of Golestan and North Khorasan provinces. It is including cities like Gonbadkavus, Turkmen port, Kalaleh, Aq Qala, Maraveh Tapeh, Simin Shahr, Gomesh Tapeh, Negin Shahr, Alum warehouse. Due to its attractive geographical location and tourist attractions, this northern region has a lot of tourists sightseeing every year and enjoying the pristine nature.
Differences in culture, race, religion, climate and vegetation is one of the most unique features that can be seen in different cities and provinces of Iran. Turkmen Sahra is a clear example of these differences that a trip to it will bring you a pure and unique experience. It is not just a special city, but it is a vast region in the north and northeast of Iran that has its own beauties reflected in every corner of it. In this article of Chiyakotravel, we take a look at it:
Turkmen Sahra location
As mentioned above, Turkmen Sahra is located in the northeast of Iran, and reaches the Caspian Sea from the west and the Republic of Turkmenistan from North. It is adjacent with North Khorasan, Bojnourd, and Gaz valley from the east. It ends by wooded foothills of the northern Alborz from the west.
Turkmen Sahra is a sedimentary and fertile plain that its boundaries start from Gonbad-e Kavous, Bandar-e Turkmen, Aq Qala, Maraveh Tappeh, Kalaleh, Simin Shahr, Gomsh Tappeh, Negin Shahr, Anbar Alum, Dashli Borun and Faraghi and end in Glidagh. By reviewing this route on the map, you will fully understand that this area is actually part of Golestan and North Khorasan provinces.
The lush plains and horses with long ridges and the famous Turkmen breed which are known all over the world, are one of the main sights that you will see when traveling to this area and along the roads. Most of the inhabitants of this region are Turkmen and Sunni Muslims, and the passage of time and modern life today has not been able to change the way women and men dress. Beautiful clothes with large ornaments and full of colorful jewels, as well as men with big white hats, is one of the beauties of the trip to the Turkmen Sahra, which you can capture part of its appearance and beauty with your camera.
Turkmen Sahra attractions
Turkmen Sahra is definitely an area that can make an exciting and relatively adventurous journey from many aspects. As you are open to going to any area you want and enjoy your nature. The area has unique natural and historical attractions because of its vast expanses. Its attractions are including the world’s tallest brick tower to the thousand valleys, the mysterious stone cemetery and genuine Turkmen horses. Alongside these attractions, the rich culture and music of Turkmen people is also a precious heritage for Turkmen. In this region, one can drown between the sounds of turquas and design and color of women’s clothing.
Historical attractions
Turkmen Sahra is one of the oldest regions of northern Iran, which dates back to more than seven thousand years ago, and therefore you can visit beautiful and extraordinary historical attractions in its various cities. The most famous historical and religious attractions of the Turkmen Sahra include the following:
Tomb of Khalid Nabi
There is a winding road that leads to a mountain called Gogj-e Dagh over which there is a tomb full of narratives called Khalid Nabi. It is no exaggeration to say that this area is like a painting that you take every step of the way in the land of dreams. The beauty of nature is that you want to climb all the hills and valleys up and down, smell the yellow flowers and embrace every piece of stone you see. Here’s a snippet of Turkmen. The nature around the Khalid Nabi shrine where one side of the green hillsides and the other side the heathen lakes can definitely conquer your soul.
Mysterious cemetery
There are some stone statues near the tomb of Khalid Nabi that make this piece of Turkmen Sahra look like a cemetery. According to legends, there are some of these stone figurines were enemies of Khalid the Prophet who were under God anger and became stone. Some narratives also say that Khalid bin Sanan found a shelter there escaping from sun tribe people at the summit of Mount Gogj-e. So he converted to become stone. So that they will not captured by enemies. As you can see, there are many stories about this mysterious cemetery in the area. The cemetery dates back a thousand years and now registered as a national artifact. Unfortunately, in recent years there has been a great deal of damage to these historic statues. Don’t miss a visit to this mysterious monument in your trip to Iran before it will completely destroyed.
Gonbad city or Dome: In the city of Dome, you can also buy jewelry such as gold and silver. For that you need to go to North Saadi Crossroads, and you will see an old man working in a workshop with his sons. Note that in order to buy, you must first order your product and go to the delivery deadline to get your product. If you also want cheaper jewelry, you can go to the Atabay shop on Imam Khomeini Street.
Gonbad-e Kavus: Gonbad-e Kavus which is the tallest brick tower in Iran, is the symbol of the Gonbad city which is located on an soil hill. This historical monument is a relic from the fourth century AH and was built by order of Qaboos bin Vashmgir. The all-brick building and architecture used in this monument, as well as the two inscriptions in Kufic script that have been installed on it, can be one of the great choices for lovers of Iranian architecture and history. One of the advantages of this tower is its excellent location which is located a short distance from the main street of the city, and after visiting the tower, you can buy excellent and unique souvenirs from the shops around it.
Bandar Turkman or Turkmen port: There are many shops selling rugs and Jajims and handicrafts on the crossroads of Gorgan Railway to Turkman Port that you can buy from them.
Shopping from the markets of Turkmen Sahra
During your travels to this tourist-friendly climate you can go to its urban areas and use its weekly markets. You can also make good purchases in the cities of Gonbad-e Kavus and Turkmen port.
Market Day: In urban areas, there are weekly marketplaces held on Saturdays in Azadshahr and Simin Shahr, Sundays in Kalaleh, Mondays in Turkman port, Thursdays in Aq Qala and Fridays in Gonbad. In these markets, you can buy a variety of foods such as gourmet, fresh or dried fish and smoked turkeys and Turkmen clothing.
What to buy from Turkmen Sahra?
Shopping and sightseeing in the market is one of the best parts of the trip and fortunately there are a variety of things to buy in the Turkmenstan Sahra. Turkmen jewelry, which is famous all over the world and is also used in their local clothes, is the first and best thing you can buy. Local costumes, long scarves and floral and cotton fabrics, as well as the region’s famous carpets and rugs, are other great souvenirs of the region.
Land of noble horses
One of the reasons for Turkmen desert fame is horses living in. Turkmen horses have been known for their speed, endurance and courage in the past. In Achaemenid Darius Corps, these horses were also part of the victories of Darius’s troops. Chardin says in his travelogue: Iran’s horse is the best and most beautiful horse in the East and taller than English horse. On a trip to Turkmen Sahra go to one of the horse breeding centers and meet this lovely creature. Chiyakotravel is representing some horse-back riding tours in this area to enable you visit these amazing horses and experience riding them.
The best time to travel
It does not matter if you want to spend great and unique days in the Turkmen Sahra or go to any other corner of the world, in any case you should know the best time to travel to that region. The special weather conditions of the region and having very hot summers and cold winters, make us see its most beautiful face in early to mid-spring. The misconception that most people have about this region is that its climate is similar to other cities in northern Iran. It should be noted that the difference in rainfall in the region is very different from cities like Babolsar and it can be said that they are completely opposite. The highest rainfall in this region is in February and the lowest in July.
Natural Attractions
One of the main reasons for choosing Turkmen Sahra for travel in Iran is its excellent and pristine nature, which brings nothing but greenery. The natural attractions of this area are a lot, and in the following we will mention only a few examples of them:
Turkmen port harbour
In the west of Bandar-e-Turkmen city, you can see the only remaining pier from the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea. Shopping at the local beach markets and sitting on the rocks by the beach and watching the sunset and the sea waves is one of the best experiences you can get in this area. Of course, if you want an exciting trip, you can take motor boats or pedal boats and raise your adrenaline in the Caspian Sea.
Kaboudval Waterfall
Kaboudval is the only mossy waterfall in Iran, which is located in the Turkmen Sahra region in Aliabad Katoul. You must have a lot of energy to visit the beauties of this waterfall, because walking and climbing many stairs are waiting for you. The towering trees and the greenery of the path and hearing the sound of water that can be heard all the way are some of the beauties of your trip that you should not easily miss.
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Mahur Hill | a thousand valleys hill
When you go to visit the tomb of Khalid Nabi, if you look to the north of the shrine, you will see an area with many hills and small green valleys which are in fact the hills of thousand valleys. There are more than 17 peaks in this area, the height of which is over 3600 meters, and the rest are less high, and their juxtaposition has created an extraordinary complex. The best time to travel to these amazing hills is May and they can be said to be a piece of paradise.
Other natural attractions of Turkmen Sahra include Gonbad Wetlands, Golestan Dam, Afrachal Dam, Ashuradeh Island, Hivehchi village which are just a few number of green and wonderful areas of this region.