History of Mary Mary is considered the fourth city in Turkmenistan by population, today over 200 thousand people live here. It is located in the middle of the desert, in a large oasis. Mary was founded by the Russian military in 1884. The city was built near the ancient Merv, which is more than two thousand years old. Once upon a time, Omar Khayyam, Al-Khwarizmi, Enveri, As-Samani and other famous people lived in Merv. Today, Mary is considered the largest city in the country in terms of cotton growing and an important center for gas production. It is the gas industry that is the main source of income for Turkmenistan. Mary has unique museums. For example, the Museum of Turkmen Carpets exhibits the works of masters who pass on secrets from generation to generation. The patterns and designs of the carpets - Tekin, Ersarin, Yomud and Salor - differ from each other. The city also has a history museum with a large number of archaeological monuments. And at the stud farm in Mary, they breed one of the most famous breeds of racehorses in the world - Akhal-Teke horses. In Mary, there is a protected historical and architectural zone "Bayramali". It includes ancient settlements that were once the capitals of Merv. The most curious are: Gyaur-kala (3rd century BC - 8th-9th centuries AD) with the remains of an ancient Buddhist monastery and a Christian church, Sultan-kala (9th-12th centuries), Erk-kala (1st century BC), Abdullakhan-kala (15th century) and Bayramalikhan-kala (18th century). One of the main attractions of Mary is the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar (1118-1157). The 40-meter architectural monument is crowned with a well-preserved dome. Other attractions of Mary - the ancient fortress of Shazriar-Ark, the remains of the fortress walls of Kaz-Kala, ancient mausoleums and mosques - will not leave even the most sophisticated traveler indifferent. Also in Mary is an Orthodox church built in 1900. The Pokrovskaya Church is built of red brick in the traditional Russian style. And not far from the city is the mosque-mausoleum of Talkhatan-Baba of the 11th century. It has survived to this day almost in its original form. Not far from Mary is the ancient settlement of Durnali. Buildings from the 9th-12th centuries have been preserved here, although the settlement itself existed much earlier. Archaeologists have found coins from the 2nd-1st centuries BC on the territory of the settlement. Near Durnali, 2 kilometers away, there are well-preserved parts of the Akuyli-Koushuk castle. The entire first floor, built of mud brick in the Middle Ages, has been preserved almost completely. Even the layout of the rooms has been preserved here.