Nohur

For centuries the people of Nohur lived apart from the rest of the country, and they still keep their own dialect and traditions. A local legend says they descend from the soldiers of Alexander the Great. Houses are built of stone, gardens climb the slopes, and the graves in the old cemetery are marked with the horns of mountain goats, a symbol of strength and protection.

Your guide walks with you through the village lanes and the cemetery and explains the customs behind them. Please ask before you photograph people: Nohur is a living village, not a museum.

Nohur is about two and a half hours by road west of Ashgabat. Most tours visit it on a day trip together with the Kow-Ata underground lake. On longer tours we stay overnight in a local guesthouse. Rooms are simple, and dinner is cooked by the hosts if you order it in advance.