Karakum Desert - The Black Sands of The Silk Road

Over the course of more than 1,500 years, traders travelling the Silk Road needed to traverse the Karakum desert in order to reach their destinations or pursue adventure. But Karakum was—and remains—so much more than a dramatic landscape or a simple journey waypoint.

This was a thriving cultural heartland that bore countless heritage traditions and continues to offer up unending secrets from the sand, fascinating and delighting people around the world to this day. Read on as we touch upon the essence of Karakum, exploring some of the desert and region's most fascinating features.

The Black Sands of Karakum

The word Karakum—sometimes also spelled as GaraGum—consists of two parts; the first of which “Kara,” means black, while the second, “Kum,” means sand. Although the pale dunes of this breathtaking region may seem contrary to its title, beneath them lie the dark shale-rich sands from which the desert gets its name.

The Karakum desert is vast, spanning around 70% of modern-day Turkmenistan and covering some 350,000 km2 (140,000 miles2) of undulating terrain. This arid landscape has long been home to civilization and was once crisscrossed by the routes that made up the Great Silk Road. It was a time in which travellers measured their progress across the desert by the wells that they encountered—which are among the world's deepest handdug water resources, sometimes descending hundreds of meters.

An Encounter With the Gate to Hell

The Karakum desert is home to Darvaza, a haunting phenomenon commonly known as the “Gate to Hell.” While the name “Darvaza” translates simply to mean gate, this unusual feature was transformed in the 1970s.

As a natural gas crater that constantly emits methane, Darvaza was intentionally ignited in 1971 and has burned ever since. Particularly evocative at night, Darvaza offers visitors the chance to peer into the figurative hellfire, making it ever-popular with tourists.

The Great Vanished City of Merv

As the Silk Road's routes across the Karakum desert brought prosperity to the region, much of it concentrated in the sprawling, multi-route-straddling, and breathtakingly beautiful city of Merv.

This was the place for traders from the West to make vital exchanges with traders from the East—among the city's gardens, arches, glass domes, and tiled facades. As a spectacular array of materials and goods arrived, so too did people, manifesting a rich and multifaceted culture that produced mathematicians, poets, astronomers, doctors, scientists, and talented artisans.

Sadly, this phenomenal hub of commerce and intellect was largely destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century, and while the city was partially revived in the centuries that followed, it never returned to its former prosperity. Today, the imposing ruins of Merv draw countless visitors, while its ancient traditions are honored in the nearby modern city of Mary--Turkmenistan's largest Southern trading bazaar.

The Unforeseen Impacts of the Karakum Canal

Surrounding Mary, local cotton cultivation and crafts rely upon irrigation from the Karakum Canal. Contrasting with its ancient setting, this waterway is a relatively recent invention— built in the mid-20th century, during Soviet rule of the region, and extended in the 1970s and 80s. While the waters of the Karakum Canal facilitated a wave of modernization, its construction also left a tragic legacy.

As one of the longest canals in the world, the Karakum Canal runs from the Amu Darya river to the Caspian coastline, stretching some 1,400 km (870 miles). The Amu Darya had once poured unfettered into the Aral Sea, and the result of its substantial diversion was that the sea began to shrink. Lakes and wetlands dried up while increasing soil salinity left many previously abundant areas infertile, forever altering the soul of Karakum.

Every Journey is Eased By a Bowl of Lagman

While the events of Karakum may ebb and flow just as the sands do, a reverence for history ensures that once a tradition is established, its practice is sure to live on. One such delight is served in a bowl and boasts an interesting backstory. Perhaps most strikingly, because native Turkic words do not begin with the letter L, it is easy to imagine that the prized local dish Lagman's origins have something to do with the Silk Road.

This popular preparation of hand-pulled noodles—cooked with vegetables in a simmering soup of meat broth—can be attributed to the way that not only crops and ingredients but also recipes travelled the Silk Road. Lagman's borrowed name and roots can be traced to the Chinese dish lamian (拉面), which was long ago adapted to Karakum's local palates and produce.

Continue Exploring With Karakum Home

As we continue on our quest to impart the fascinating history and vibrant contemporary culture and craft of both Karakum and the wider Silk Road region, we encourage you to also follow your curiosity! Discover curated homeware collections from independent creators, inspired by the Great Silk Road and its ever-evolving legacy—only here at Karakum Home.