Mountain · Turkmenistan
Ayribaba
Ayribaba is the highest mountain in Turkmenistan. Its long stony crest reaches 3 138 metres in the far east of the country, above the dry steppe. Caves and deep gorges cut into the range.
Picture credit: Eric Gilbertson (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Ayribaba?
Ayribaba is part of the Koytendag Range, Pamir-Alai.
You will find it in: Turkmenistan.
Summit: 37.788° N, 66.557° E
The story behind it
Ayribaba is the high point of the Koytendag range, a wall of pale limestone standing on the edge of Turkmenistan where the country meets Uzbekistan. Rain that falls on the ridge disappears into the rock instead of running away, and over a very long time it has hollowed out some of the largest caves in the region, halls hung with gypsum crystals that shine when a lamp is held up. On the dry outer slopes only juniper trees, thorny cushions and tough grasses survive, and wild goats with long curved horns pick their way along ledges where no path exists. Below the mountain lies a flat rock surface covered with the footprints of dinosaurs, pressed into mud that later turned to stone. Deep gorges cut into the range hold small streams and narrow strips of green shade.
Find it on the globe
Ayribaba is there as a small peak with its own shape — a horn, a ridge, a volcano — standing on the surface. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
It sits at its real coordinates, not near them — the same numbers listed in the facts above. Switch off the layer for this kind of place and it disappears again; the buttons for that are down the right-hand edge.
Questions children ask
How high is Ayribaba?
Ayribaba stands 3 138 metres above sea level and tops every other summit in Turkmenistan. The land at its foot is low and dry, so the crest looks even taller than the figure suggests.
Which country is Ayribaba in?
Ayribaba rises in the far east of Turkmenistan, in central Asia, where the Koytendag range forms the boundary with Uzbekistan. The region lies a long way from the big cities and is reached by desert roads.
Can you climb Ayribaba?
Ayribaba can be walked up over long slopes of stone and scree, without climbing gear, but the way is hot, waterless and hard to find. The area belongs to a nature reserve near a national border, so a permit and a local guide are required.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
Last checked: