Canyons of Yangikal
Yangikala Canyons are amazingly beautiful natural landscapes located in the northwest of Turkmenistan. The name “Yangikala” translates as “fire fortresses”. Indeed, the picturesque canyons are surrounded by steep walls of purple-red, ochre, yellow, white and fiery red colors. They look very spectacular in the wee hours of the evening, when the setting sun colors everything around in gentle warm tones.
Video: Yangikala Canyons
General Information
Very long ago, the canyons of Yangikal represented the bottom of the Kara-Bogaz-Gol bay. Then the sea water receded and hills and cliffs similar to mountain plateaus appeared on the surface. Constant winds and rains mottled their slopes with deep folds and potholes, and in some places, as a result of natural erosion, bizarre earthen castles and towers were formed. Today, traveling through ancient canyons is like walking through a huge sculpture park, which are “built” from well-compressed soil.
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Trips to the canyons of Yangikala are very popular with amateur photographers and jeep safari enthusiasts. The bottom of the canyons is flat in many places, so off-road vehicle races are even organized here. In these places it is good to stay in tents. In addition, tourists can spend the night in the pilgrims’ center, which is located at the tomb of Saint Ghazli Ata. This place also has burials from the ninth to tenth centuries.
Most travelers try to visit the beautiful Kemal Ata Canyon. Here runs a spring to which sheep and camel herds are driven for watering. In the canyon you can see a small well 3-4 meters deep with slightly brackish water and huge rounded stone formations that look like giant dinosaur eggs. Remarkably, in many places they are embedded directly into the slopes.
.How to get there
Yangikala Canyons are located on the territory of the Balkan velayat (region) of Turkmenistan, 160 kilometers east of the city of Turkmenbashi and 165 kilometers north of Balkanabad. From these cities, tourists reach the “fire fortresses” by rented transportation.
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