The Merv

The Merv

The Merv Oasis (40 km from Mary) is one of the most ancient regions of Central Asia, the first to master irrigation. Therefore, it is not surprising that one of the largest cities of the ancient world, Merv (Margush, Margiana, Maru), grew up here. The origin of Merv is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is known for sure: the first written mentions of it appear in the Avestan chronicles around the 8th-6th centuries BC. The chroniclers did not skimp on bright epithets, calling it "the soul of the king", "the mother of the cities of Khorasan", and, finally, "the city on which the Universe rests". Omar Khayyam, As-Samani, Imamaddin Isfahani and other great thinkers of the Middle Ages lived and worked here. Modern ruins include at least five ancient settlements - Erk-Kala, Gyaur-Kala, Sultan-Kala, Abdullakhan-Kala and Bayramalikhan-Kala. Most of them are badly damaged, some are just heavily eroded earthen mounds, but even taking this into account, Merv continues to be one of the most unique historical monuments. Among the most interesting historical monuments, one can note the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar Dar-al-Akhir (1140 AD), whose name is associated with the former heyday of the Great Seljuk Empire. With a height of almost 40 m, the monument amazes the imagination. The legendary dome, built from two thin brick shells, gives this medieval "skyscraper" a special uniqueness. Other famous Merv monuments: Sultan-Kala, the citadel of Shazriar-Ark, the ruins of the walls of Abdullakhan-Kala (XV century), the ruins of the fortress and towers of Bayramalihan-Kala, the ruins of the Kyz-Kala fortress (VI-VII centuries AD), the mausoleums of Al-Hakim ibn Amir al-Jafari and Buraidah ibn al-Hussein al-Islami (XV c, a place of pilgrimage), the mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Zeid (XII century), the Talkhatan Baba complex with the mausoleums of Talkhatan Baba, Imam Kasim, Imam Shafi and Imam Bakr of the Seljuk era, the Yusuf Hamadani mosque (XIII century, modern reconstruction was carried out in the 19th century), the ruins of the Yerk-Kala fortress (VI century), the ruins of a Christian temple and Buddhist monastery in Gyaur-Kala (ancient Antioch Margiana), the ruins of the Beni Makhan mosque (7th-12th centuries), the high walls of the fortress-like structures of Big and Little Kyz-Kala, the Kyz-Bibi mausoleum, as well as numerous remains of baths, palaces, ceremonial halls and other structures. Also worthy of attention are the mosques of Dandankan and Talkhatan-Baba. (12th century), the keshk (fortified house) of Akuyli-Koshuk (9th-13th centuries), the Haram-Keshk castle (9th-13th centuries), the Durnali settlement (1st-2nd centuries), and the Gebekly settlement. Many archaeological finds discovered during excavations of ancient cities can be seen in the beautiful Historical Museum of Merv. Nowadays, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as the best-preserved ancient center of the Great Silk Road.