After spending lots of time in the cities, I decided to go into the desert and take some of the paths the caravans took hundreds of years ago. Out there are also ruins of ancient forts such as Ayaz Qala.
The forts, or caravanserai, as this one, Topraq Qala, were scattered around the region. A few remains of the mud brick buildings can still be seen and accessed even after hundreds of years. There's a system behind them: they're always exactly one day's walk apart. The caravans back in the old days traveled on foot back and forth between them to transport the goods from one relay station to the next.
The fort Topraq Qala once must have been a very impressive sight for ancient travelers and merchants. It's located on top of a hill that gives a great view and strategic advantage over the plains around it. Hundreds of years of erosion, wind and scarce rain that does fall in the desert periodically have taken their toll on the mud brick structure though.
