A respected Sufi teacher in the early 14th century, Gozli Ata had a large following until his untimely death at the hands of Mongol invaders. His mausoleum, located in a natural depression of rocky desert, is now a popular place of pilgrimage.

Gozli Ata’s wife is buried in an adjacent mausoleum and, according to custom, visitors must first pray at her last resting place. A cemetery has sprung up nearby; gravestones here contain a notch in the top where water can collect to ‘feed’ the soul of the deceased.

Gozli Ata is 135km north of Balkanabat; an experienced driver is needed to find it.