Ayaz Kala and the Desert Castles of Khorezm, Uzbekistan

Pronounced ‘keezil koom’ and meaning ‘red sand’ in Turkic, the Kyzylkum Desert covers 115,000 square miles of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and is the 15th largest desert in the world. Unknown to many, the world’s largest open-pit gold mine is hidden in these rose sands.

This area contains the incredible 2500-year-old ‘Golden Ring of Khorezm’ (or ‘Fifty’) fortresses that once guarded passing Silk Road caravans from raiding Turkmen tribes. These ruins include Ayaz Kala, Kizil Kala, Toprak Khala and Janbas Kala.

These fantastic ruins rise out of the desert like mighty crowns of sand and once stood at the crossing of four main trade routes, including the northern branch of the Great Silk Road. Wandering among the ruins, it’s easy to imagine the trains of camels that once entered these mighty walls, laden with goods from East and West.

Built on the edge of the Kyzlkum Desert at different points between the 4th century BC and the 7th century AD, they formed part of a protective ring against nomadic raids. This was once a very wealthy area with sophisticated inhabitants – a wine press and golden statues have been discovered hereabouts.

The fortress of Ayaz-Kala, translating from the Turkic as ‘frosty’ or ‘cold’ castle, dates to the medieval period. It was probably founded during the Afrighids epoch of the Kushan Empire, around the end of the 7th and the beginning of the 8th century AD. Walls were built from pressed clay bricks and you can see the remains of the arched floor in those parts.

Abandoned for 1,300 years, the fortresses were rediscovered in the 1940s by the archaeologist S.P. Tolstov, and are now listed by UNESCO as the Golden Ring of Ancient Khorezm.

Visit Ayaz-Kala and it’s contemporaries on a tailor-made Silk Road adventure.