Yaki Deshik

General description and location

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

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).