the long stairs down into the Köw-Ata cave, towards the lake at the bottom
In the foothills of the Kopet Dag Mountains, not too far away from Nokhur, is the Köw-Ata Cave. “Köw-Ata” roughly translates to “Father of Caves” in Turkmen, and indeed it is quite a structure, stretching over 250 meters. There are several entrances, but from the main one it is a 60-70 m descent, along a sparsely lit wooden staircase, to a large subterranean lake at the bottom. And there are changing cubicles, where we switch into our swim gear, to take a plunge in the warm, sulphuric water. Which – obviously – heals all our current ailments.
next: to Ancient Merv
the entrance to the cave
the way down is well-lit
the lake at the bottom, a pleasant 37o C
and then the way up again….
