This was another town on the Silk Road that today lies isolated in the desert in the far north of the country. Its name comes from the Turkmen language and means ‘stone well’. Situated at the northern end of the Karakum Desert in the oasis of Khiva, Dashoguz was founded at the beginning of 19th century as a fortress for the control of the region. The waters of the nearby river Amudarya and of some of its tributaries allow for intensive cultivation of cotton and of jute and the town itself is home to a thriving textile industry.