Yaki Deshik
35.950000,62.950000
Location
In Panjdeh area
Description
General description and location
The finest example of a man-made troglodyte cave dwelling in Murghab Valley (note 1) is the complex, tripple storied cluster of man-made rock chambers excavated from the sandstone hill called Yaki Deshik (note 2). ETYMOLOGY: -Yaki Deshik- means "Two Holes" (LAESSOE 1885: 589; SIMPSON in LAESSOE 1886: 96). More often than note, Penjdeh (LAESSOE 1885; William SIMPSON in LAESSOE 1886: 96) is spelled Panjdeh (ADAMEC 1991: 184; NYROP & SEEKINS 1986 figure 3; YATE, Charles Edward 1888: 193). SITUATION: In Turkmenistan part of the Murghab (Morghab) River valley, and in a prominent hill on the right (northern?) bank of the Murghab near the point where the river leaves the foot of the hills and about four miles (6.5 km) east of New Panjdeh (note 3). CAVE DESCRIPTION: On ground level, a 46 m long vaulted tunnel (note 5) gives access to fifteen lateral rooms (note 5), some with attached back-chambers and each with one small attached room, usually square and with a round pit, 0.8 m wide and 2.4 to 3m deep. The entrances leading from the central passage to each room is about 1.2 m long, 0.8 m wide and 1.2 m high. A staircase from the first room, on entering on the left-hand side, leads to the 2nd storey with three rooms at odd angles (note 6) from where stair cases gain the 3rd storey with rooms of somewhat rougher construction. The finest example of a man-made troglodyte cave dwelling in Murghab Valley (note 1) is the complex, tripple storied cluster of man-made rock chambers excavated from the sandstone hill called Yaki Deshik (note 2).
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1885 February: F. de LAESSOE (1885: 583-584) explored and surveyed the cave dwelling after having had the lower entrance dug out.
Caves nearby
Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
---|---|---|---|
0.0 | Bash Deshik | ||
23.4 | Maruchak (Caves at) | ||
88.8 | ASHAB-i- KAHF, Alti Khwaja (Cave at) | ||
165.1 | ZARMAST, Maymana (Cave at) | ||
165.1 | ZARMAST POT n° 1 | ||
165.1 | ZARMAST POT n° 2 | ||
165.1 | LULI (Ghar) | ||
175.1 | Qezel Qala, Shu Bakhtu, 1st (Cave on the) | ||
175.1 | QEZEL QALA,Shu Bakhtu, 2nd (Cave at) |