Barkdiz

Barkdiz, also called Karineyn, stood on the Murghab upstream from Merv. Medieval geographers described a settlement on high ground beside the river, hemmed in by desert sands. Its position on the road from Merv toward Balkh and Herat made it a stopping place for caravans; hiring out pack animals was an important local occupation. Traces of a large baked-brick caravanserai and finds spanning many centuries testify to the traffic that once passed through this riverine oasis.