Travel Guide Gonbad-E Kavus

The town of Gonbad-e Member, an ancient market and ancient regional capital before Gorgan, is located inside the land, at the birth of the steppe. Built on a site much more exposed than its rival, Gonbad-e Member - 125 000 inhabitants - has never seen the devastation inflicted by the nomads of Turkmenistan and by Mongolian invasions. From his ancient splendour, Gonbad-e Member retained only one witness: an impressive burial tower to which the city owes its name. The road crossing the small town is also the main street. It is bordered by a vegetable market and numerous shops of crafts produced by Turkmènes nomads: Couvertures for the horse or camel, large, colourful pompoms harnesses, very beautiful nomades carpets, window frames and doors in rustic weaving for tents… The population of this very modest village is essentially Turkmen. In the streets, the Islamic attire and the black chador are sometimes replaced by long fleuris fleuris and awful with vivid colours. The faces of the inhabitants have Asian traits." Constrained eyes like those of the Turkmen, animated with a supernatural and captivating splendor, they effrayaient and attracted everything at a time. '——— Sadegh Hedayat (1903-1951)