Kopet Dag in Chāh Gaz

The Kopet Dag, Köpet Dag (Koppeh Dagh) is a mountain range on the frontier between Turkmenistan and Iran, extending about 650 km (404 mi) along the border, east of the Caspian Sea. The highest peak of the range in Turkmenistan is southwest of the capital Ashgabat and stands at 2,940 m (9,646 ft). The highest Iranian summit is 3,191 m (10,466 ft).

This mountain range has a ski resort officially open by the former president of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov. Despite the lack of snow in the Kopet Dag mountains, Niyazov was determined to build a world-class ski resort there.<ref>Ski Turkmenistan! Google Earth Community, accessed on October 2, 2008.</ref>

20140925_Turkmenistan_0126 Nisa — Dan Lundberg @ Flickr

Topography

The Kopet Dag Range is a region characterized by foothills, dry and sandy slopes, mountain plateaus, and steep ravines. The Kopet Dag is undergoing tectonic transformation, and is subject to severe earthquakes. Earthquakes exceeding seven on the Richter scale have been recorded.<ref>Oct. 5, 1948 - More than 110,000 people were killed by 7.3 quake. Staff (11 January 2005) "World's worst natural disasters since 1900" CBS News</ref>