DEAR FRIENDS,

We are ready to supply all the travel services you desire while exploring the Silk Road in Turkmenistan.

For those interested in history and culture, Turkmenistan's five thousand years of civilization has plenty to offer.

Our company is well known in Turkmenistan as one of the in national and international tourism. We have contracts with the most popular hotels and restaurants and have good discounts for individuals and groups. Tourism has been our business since 1992. Over time our resources have grown domestically and internationally. Our main office is conveniently located in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. We also have branch offices in Mary, Dashouguz, Turkmenabad and Turkmenbashy. We also have a number of foreign partners if your travel interests include other countries.

Ten-years of experience and consistent up-to-date information gives our guides the ability to ensure your travels are safe, efficient and comfortable. Our staff also offers in-depth knowledge of the history and culture reflected in all sites of interest in Turkmenistan.

We offer you the following tours and excursions in Turkmenistan on the Silk Road:

• Old Nisa, the capital of the Parthian Empire (25 km from Ashgabat), mentioned in the Zend-Avesta - holy book of Zoroastrianism. In the 4th century B.C., Parthia was a part of Alexander the Great’s Empire. Then it became an independent state. It was a large city and the family residence of kings. The peak of Parthia’s military success and political might was achieved in the second and first centuries B.C. Its territory stretched from Syria to India. The Parthian army defeated the army led by the Roman commander Crassus, famous for his defeat of a slaves’ revolt headed by Spartacus. Now you can see the remains of the royal fortress.

• The ancient city of Anau (20 km from Ashgabat) existed here during the Parthian period (around 500B.C.). The fortress was founded by the Sasanian King Khosrov Anushirvan (6th century A.D.). A remarkable architectural ensemble was built here, one which continued to attract visitors up to 1948 when it was destroyed by an earthquake. Even today, we can still admire the ruins of a magnificent mosque and imagine what it was like five centuries ago.

• Oriental Market (The Tolkuchka Bazaar) in Ashgabat should not be missed. This colorful bazaar is where practically the entire country comes together to trade on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Anything and everything is sold here from camels and cars to antiques, carpets, and jewelry.

• On Sundays, from the last Sunday in April till the end of May and from the last Sunday in August till the end of October, you can watch races of the beautiful and graceful Akhal-Teke horses at the Hippodrome.  You can also ride horses or camels.

• For those who prefer active holidays, we offer horseback trips on more than 10 walking trails in the mountains of the Kopet-Dag, such as "Following Alexander The Great", where you will enjoy the beautiful natural scenery of the Archabil Gorge and Geok-Dere situated in the mountains. We can arrange excursions to the private Ahal-Teke horse farms near Ashgabat where tourists may enjoy riding horses.

• The Bakharden underground lake Kow-Ata (100 km from Ashgabat) lies in a cave on the northern slope of the Kopet-Dag. The lake is 13m deep, 72m long, 30m wide and is 60m under the ground. Its water maintains a constant temperature between 33-37°C and contains 30 chemical elements. This unusual composition and high temperature make it a great place to swim.

• In April, May, September and October it is possible to visit The Heart of the Kara-Kum (250 km from Ashgabat). When visiting Turkmenistan for the first time one is struck by a desert which is without signs of life. Ribbed sand dunes as high as a multi-story building or endless sandy expanses with bushes of twisted saxsaul-tree are a typical landscape. Above the sky is pale; faded from the heat. You will be served lunch in a traditional dwelling (yurt).

• The Kaakhka region, located at the foothills of the Eastern Kopetdag Mountain Range, is an area extremely rich in ancient buildings and artifacts.

• Meaneh Babah Mausoleum, a monument to an eleventh century Sufi teacher, is unique because of its extraordinary tile-work on the outer walls and the beauty of its simple interior. The Mausoleum as a day-trip from Ashgabat.

• The ruins of an eighteenth century fortress of a Persian ruler named Nedir Shakh are astonishing in their grace and beauty. Both monuments and several other important sites such as the Zoroastrian fortress Altyn Depe and pre-Islamic monument Abiverd, a full day is necessary to reach these monuments.

• Merv is by far Turkmenistan's most recognized heritage site. It impresses in its vastness of 2,000 ha including five different city-sites from three millennia and with numerous monuments and shrines remaining from the Muslim period. Merv has recently been included into the UN List of World Heritage Monuments. The important architectural monuments include Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum and Gyz Gala Fortress.

• Gonur Depe, the main site of Zoroastrian Margush, is located some 70 km north of Merv and is the center of a great four thousand year fire-worshipping civilization famous for its seals and unusual burial practices. The capital city-site is the only entirely excavated site of this size in the country and visitors can explore the ancient alleyways and shrines. Merv and extremely well set-up Mary Museum require at least a day to visit and can be reached overland from Ashgabat or Bukhara in one day. Margush is a four-hour off-road ride to the north. It's a day trip very worth your time especially when the archaeologists are on site in spring and autumn.

• Kunya-Urgench, once the capital of the Khorezm Empire, is a center of World Heritage including Gutluk Timur, the tallest minaret of Central Asia and the Turabek Khanum Mausoleum. Its twelfth century dome is probably the most spherical and perfect of the Turan, and is one of very few tiled domes of that age worldwide. Kunya Urgench strikes with its characteristic conical domes later to be copied in Bukhara.  

• Lesser known Izmukshir is an ancient city of Zarnakshar, birthplace of the great tenth century philosopher Az-Zamakshari and one of the largest and most picturesque fortress ruins of the Khorezm Empire.

• Dekhistan is a unique site located in Western Turkmenistan close to the Caspian Sea. It is the scenic remains of ancient Misirian and its tenth and twelfth century mausoleums. Also here is Turkmenistan's earliest Islamic mosque.

• Daya-Khatyn, a caravanserai of the Seljuk period on the Silk Road. It is a unique architectural monument of the eleventh century.

• Repetek International Biosphere Reserve is located deep in the Kara Kum Desert and occupies 35 thousand hectares. Its flora and fauna is extremely rich. Desert woods – acacia, white and black saxsaul-trees and kandym are rare plants. The Karakum's animal world is of great interest too. It includes some 200 kinds of birds. In addition there are foxes, desert deer, steppe and dune cats and lizards.

Excursion to the Dinosaurs' Footsteps in the Koughitang Mountains not far from Magdanly (Gaurdak). (1,200 km from Ashgabat, two hours by plane). You can visit the Dinosaurs’ Plateau with well preserved footprints of antediluvian reptiles, the famous Karliuck caverns, the forty Maidens Ravine, a mountain lake named Kainar-Babah, and the highest peak of Turkmenistan – Airy-Babah (3,197 m).

LATIF Co. Ltd. provides its clients with the following services:

• Visa Support

• Entry travel pass (required by government)

• Registration at the local Police Department

• Transportation (airport-hotel-airport) and escort to and from borders

• Multiple transport options (a/c cars, mini-vans and Mercedes coaches)

• Hotel booking and meals in Turkmenistan

• Booking of domestic and international flights and railway tickets

• Excursion services throughout Turkmenistan

• Professional tour guides and escort services

• Organization of V.I.P. services

• Horse and camel riding tours

• Arrangements of all kinds of services for business travelers and delegations

• Organization of adventure tours to the Karakum Desert

We sincerely hope you will discover Turkmenistan with us and we look forward to seeing you among our respected guests.