The ridges of the Koytendag Mountains (that means “mountains of deep canyons” in Turkmen) rise in the south-eastern Turkmenistan, in Lebap Velayat. This is a place of the amazing beauty, where the desert neighbours with the spurs of the Hissar Mountains, on which routes the cliffs and gorges, ‘coloured’ with reddish shades of rocks, are formed. A visit to this corner of nature leaves a lasting impression on travellers. In order to preserve the local unique landscapes and rare species of flora and fauna, the State Nature Reserve, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, was established on July 11, 1986. The reserve incorporates four natural areas, including Garlyk Sanctuary, Hojapil Sanctuary, Hojaburjybelent Sanctuary and Hojagarawul Sanctuary.
The Koytendag State Nature Reserve remains a green oasis surrounded by arid plains. The unique corners of nature and diversity of rare flora and fauna of this place excite biologists and sophisticated travellers. The scarp slopes of high canyons are supported by juniper - the most adapted to the arid climate plant. Honeysuckle shrubs, bristling with thorns of polster plants, can be found on the sunbeaten rocky plateaus. In spring, high in the mountains, these places brighten with delicate flowers of saffron, wild iris and onions, and at the bottom near the mountain rivers and waterfalls rare maidenhair can be found. The wildlife of the Koytendag Mountains is diverse - argali, Turkestan lynx and other animals listed in the Red Book and the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan live there.
Among ungulates inhabiting in the Koytendag State Nature Reserve – markhor is of particular interest. Markhor means ‘snake eater’. However, markhor’s diet is not particularly different from the preferences of other ungulates. This agile animal perfectly adapted to the life among stone cliffs, each of its movement is precisely balanced. Among the most impressive birds of prey are hawk, steppe eagle, long-legged buzzard. There one can find an unusually attractive Paradise Flycatcher. Among reptiles living there are cobra, viper, lizard. The key species and famous local endemic is Koytendag cave fish - a small fish with no eyes and scales, which lives in underground reservoirs of solutional caves. Research scientists of the State Nature Reserve study the living conditions and the status of populations of the local fauna.
The Koytendag State Nature Reserve is rich in the monuments of nature, one of which is an ancient grove of relict unabi trees - an isolated population of older trees. The history of the grove, which is considered as a sacred place, is related to a local legend. Once, a traveller decided to take rest, but there were no trees nearby, then he stuck his staff into the dry lifeless land. A spring welled out and a strange tree grew there at first, and then the unabi grove arose. The system of karst caves, some of which are tens kilometres in length, is another miracle of the Koitendag Reserve. They have not yet been sufficiently studied , and the mysterious labyrinths of caves have not revealed all their secrets, but even the facts that are known can catch the imagination. The karst lakes and chasms filled with water prove that the extensive underground hydro system exists in the Koytendag Mountains.
The plateau with the footprints of ancient pangolins, which lived there 150 million years ago, when the warm shallow marine area with its rich flora stretched out there, is a place of interest for scientists and tourists. Later, the footprints of huge reptiles were covered with drifted materials, soft limestone hardened together with the footprints of dinosaurs, and tectonic processes lifted the rock with the unique prove of the prehistoric past of the planet.
Each of the picturesque gorges in the Koytendag Mountains has its particular natural monument. The Hoja-karaul-dere gorge is the house for the 800-year-old mulberry tree. Local residents gave the name to this tree – Kyzyl-tut-baba. The Umbardere gorge welcomes travellers with coolness of the thirty-metre waterfall. The Daraydere gorge is the longest gorge - 29 kilometres in length. A small river runs at the bottom of the gorge. Ayrybaba at 3,139 metres above the sea level is the highest peak of the country. In some places, snow covers the mountain remains till the middle of summer.
The Koytendag State Nature Reserve remains a green oasis surrounded by arid plains. The unique corners of nature and diversity of rare flora and fauna of this place excite biologists and sophisticated travellers. The scarp slopes of high canyons are supported by juniper - the most adapted to the arid climate plant. Honeysuckle shrubs, bristling with thorns of polster plants, can be found on the sunbeaten rocky plateaus. In spring, high in the mountains, these places brighten with delicate flowers of saffron, wild iris and onions, and at the bottom near the mountain rivers and waterfalls rare maidenhair can be found. The wildlife of the Koytendag Mountains is diverse - argali, Turkestan lynx and other animals listed in the Red Book and the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan live there.
Among ungulates inhabiting in the Koytendag State Nature Reserve – markhor is of particular interest. Markhor means ‘snake eater’. However, markhor’s diet is not particularly different from the preferences of other ungulates. This agile animal perfectly adapted to the life among stone cliffs, each of its movement is precisely balanced. Among the most impressive birds of prey are hawk, steppe eagle, long-legged buzzard. There one can find an unusually attractive Paradise Flycatcher. Among reptiles living there are cobra, viper, lizard. The key species and famous local endemic is Koytendag cave fish - a small fish with no eyes and scales, which lives in underground reservoirs of solutional caves. Research scientists of the State Nature Reserve study the living conditions and the status of populations of the local fauna.
The Koytendag State Nature Reserve is rich in the monuments of nature, one of which is an ancient grove of relict unabi trees - an isolated population of older trees. The history of the grove, which is considered as a sacred place, is related to a local legend. Once, a traveller decided to take rest, but there were no trees nearby, then he stuck his staff into the dry lifeless land. A spring welled out and a strange tree grew there at first, and then the unabi grove arose. The system of karst caves, some of which are tens kilometres in length, is another miracle of the Koitendag Reserve. They have not yet been sufficiently studied , and the mysterious labyrinths of caves have not revealed all their secrets, but even the facts that are known can catch the imagination. The karst lakes and chasms filled with water prove that the extensive underground hydro system exists in the Koytendag Mountains.
The plateau with the footprints of ancient pangolins, which lived there 150 million years ago, when the warm shallow marine area with its rich flora stretched out there, is a place of interest for scientists and tourists. Later, the footprints of huge reptiles were covered with drifted materials, soft limestone hardened together with the footprints of dinosaurs, and tectonic processes lifted the rock with the unique prove of the prehistoric past of the planet.
Each of the picturesque gorges in the Koytendag Mountains has its particular natural monument. The Hoja-karaul-dere gorge is the house for the 800-year-old mulberry tree. Local residents gave the name to this tree – Kyzyl-tut-baba. The Umbardere gorge welcomes travellers with coolness of the thirty-metre waterfall. The Daraydere gorge is the longest gorge - 29 kilometres in length. A small river runs at the bottom of the gorge. Ayrybaba at 3,139 metres above the sea level is the highest peak of the country. In some places, snow covers the mountain remains till the middle of summer.
