Ak Kala — The White Fortress of Khorezm

About This Destination

Ak Kala (“White Fortress”) is an ancient stronghold located within the Köneürgenç Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve in the Dashoguz Region of Turkmenistan. It stands on the right (eastern) bank of the Daryalyk Channel — the old course of the Amu Darya River — about 3.2 km south-southeast of Kunya-Urgench city and roughly 30 km southeast of Saparmurat Turkmenbashi village.

History

The fortress was built upon the ruins of a Golden Horde city that had been destroyed by Timur (Tamerlane) in the late 14th century. The preserved remains include fortification walls over one kilometer long, semicircular towers, and gateway structures made of small adobe bricks. The system of loopholes (defensive openings) shows evidence that the fortress was adapted for early firearms, marking a transition between medieval and early modern warfare. Historians believe that Ak Kala, which adjoins the wall of Tash Kala, served as a fortified residence of the Uzbek Khans of Khorezm during the 16th–17th centuries. Although no full archaeological excavation has yet been conducted, the site stands as a rare monument of post-medieval military architecture in Turkmenistan and an enduring witness to the shifting powers of Central Asia’s steppe empires.

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