Uly Balkan

The Great Balkan or  Uly-Balkan is a mountain ridge in the western Turkmenistan. Uly-Balkans is translated from Turkmen as 'chain of large mountains'. There is also a nearby Small Balkan (Turkmen. Kichi-Balkan).

The Great Balkan is separated by a dry channel from the Small Balkan and the western end of the Kopetdag ridge. The length of the ridge is about 70 km and the height up to 1880 m (Mount Arlan). Desert (up to 800 m), semi-desert and mountain-steppe landscapes juniper woodlands dominate. Shrubs grow in shaded gorges. Peculiar landscapes are the slopes of Mount Syunt, sometimes completely covered with rare species of plants. The red and orange canyons of Yangi-Kala and Yangusu are also stunning sights.