One of the world’s least visited and most intriguing countries, Turkmenistan rewards the curious traveller with ancient cities, vast deserts and a culture unlike any other. Ashgabat, its gleaming capital, dazzles with grand white-marble buildings, golden domes and monumental boulevards. Nearby lie the Parthian fortresses of Nisa, while to the east the great oasis city of Merv, once among the largest cities on the Silk Road, spreads across the plains. In the north, the elegant minarets of Konye-Urgench rise above the desert, and beyond the cities the Karakum’s dramatic canyons and famed Akhal-Teke horses await.