The cliffs at Yangykala rise up to about 100 metres from the flat plain around them. The different coloured bands in the rock are layers of sediment — sand, shells and mud — that were laid down one by one when the sea covered this land millions of years ago. Over time the water withdrew and wind and rain sculpted the rock into the shapes you see today.
Because the canyon is so remote and rarely visited, the silence there is very striking. Visitors say that apart from the wind, the only sounds are birds calling from the ledges. The rock changes colour as the sun moves, shifting from pale yellow in the morning to deep red and purple at sunset.
Fossils of ancient sea creatures — shells, corals and the bones of long-extinct fish — have been found in the canyon walls. Each layer is a page in a very old book telling the story of a completely different Turkmenistan, one that existed long before humans arrived.
The area around Yangykala is part of a wild and wind-swept landscape called the Ustyurt Plateau. Herds of gazelles sometimes cross the plain near the canyon, and eagle owls nest in the cliff faces. There are no visitor facilities — people who make the journey carry everything they need with them.