Ancient Merv

Ancient Merv is the oldest and best-preserved oasis city on the Great Silk Road. For about 4,000 years it stood at the crossroads of trade between China, Persia and the Mediterranean, and in the 12th century, as the capital of the Seljuk Empire, it was one of the largest cities in the world.

The site lies near the town of Bayramaly in the Mary region and is made up of several walled cities built side by side over the centuries – Erk Kala, Gyaur Kala and Sultan Kala. Merv was destroyed by the Mongols in 1221, but its ruins still spread over more than 1,000 hectares.

In 1999 the State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv" became the first site in Turkmenistan inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Highlights

• The 12th-century Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar
• The ancient citadels of Erk Kala and Gyaur Kala
• The corrugated walls of the Great and Small Kyz Kala
• The Mausoleums of the two Askhab companions of the Prophet