Visiting a grocery store in Dasoguz

Our first stop in Turkmenistan was Kunya-Urgench a historical area that is now a religious pilgrimage site The area attracted many locals who found us Western travelers to be quite a fascination. Everyone seemed to want pictures with us, but many were afraid to ask so they would just stand nearby and look curious until I asked for pictures and they eagerly agreed and took their own too.

In the end of the 10th century this area was the capital of the huge and prospering Khorezm state which occupied the entire area of the Amu Darya river delta in northern Turkmenistan and western Uzbekistan, including Khiva where I had just come from.

It stood at a good geographical location - the crossing of two major caravan routes: to the east, to China, and from the south - to the northwest, to the Volga. It quickly expanded, turning in to a true center of civilization. In the beginning of the 11th century Kunya - Urgench became so well-known that eclipsed the glory of Bukhara. Scientists and poets, who glorified the city as "the capital of thousand wise men", flocked there.

During entire 13th century Kunya - Urgench had been a heart of "the Islamic World" until its governor rebelled against Genghis Khan. Mongols completely destroyed the famous city, razed it to the ground. That is why contemporary Kunya - Urgench is considerably wrecked. Many historical buildings of Kunya-Urgench have remained from the times of Khoresm dynasty. They can serve as examples of the variety of Islamic architecture of Central Asia since the ruins represent types of construction designs and rare dome shapes.

It was interesting to visit this area in contrast to the Uzbekistan sites we went to, because Turkmenistan believes in leaving these historic buildings in as they found them vs renovating them back to their original grandeur. Somehow that stirred me and made me think more broadly about preservation.