Uzboy River

The Uzboy river (sometimes spelled Uzboj) was a distributary of the Amu Darya that ran in Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert until it unexpectedly dried up in the 17th century, eradicating the agricultural community that had prospered along its banks. (It was once part of the ancient Dahistan area.)

The Uzboy river, now a dry river channel and a site for ancient digs, once flowed 750 kilometers (470 miles) from a branch of the Amu Darya River to the Caspian Sea through Sarykamysh Lake. Parthians established their northernmost stronghold on one of Uzboy's steep banks, which formed here a small and attractive canyon, some two thousand years ago, when the river was still full of water and navigable.

Its remains are today known as Igdi-gala. The fort's walls were constructed of flat stone slabs and were defended by direct-angled towers. Igdi-gala was crucial for controlling the rivers from India to the Black Sea, and it played a significant role in relations with nomad steppes and the Parthian empire. This river is one of the longest rivers in Turkmenistan.

Length: 750 km