Mazar Tagh

Mazar Tagh is a rocky ridge rising from the sands of the Taklamakan beside the Khotan River. The river carries water north from the Kunlun Mountains through the desert, making its banks an exceptional corridor of vegetation. An old fort stands on the ridge where it meets the water. Tibetan and Khotanese documents found near the fort recall the soldiers and officials who occupied this remote post during the Tibetan empire.