What is "dev-kesken"

Dev-Kesken, or Dev Kesken qala, is an archaeological site in the Dashoguz region of northern Turkmenistan, 62 km west of Koneurgench. Its name means the "castle carved out by demons". It is located on a 30 or 40 km-long peninsula of the Ustyurt Plateau that is part of the Karakum Desert, surrounded by a vast and bleak wilderness. It cannot be reached from the main road and the area itself requires an escort from soldiers at a local checkpoint. Dev-Kesken, specifically, is the remains of a citadel (a fortified town) within the larger site of the ruined city of Vazir. Little is known about Vazir's early history, but the ruins collectively date back to the 4th to 3rd centuries BCE.