A mosque in Anau that was erected, according to the interior and exterior inscriptions, in 1456, when Abu-l-Kasim Baber Bahadurkhan ruled in Khorasan (1446-1457). Construction of the mosque was financed by Bahadurkhan’s vizier, Muhammed Hudaidot, who also selected a site of construction–near the grave of his father, sheikh Jemaleddin, a native of Anau. Before that, sheikh Jemaleddin had never been mentioned in the fifteenth-century Sufi sources. But, having examined the inscriptions on the face of the mosque, academician G.A. Pugachenkova proposed that thanks to the polysemantic character of the language the author of the lines managed to immortalize his father. He took the first part of his father’s name–“Jemal” (i.e. beauty)–and used it in the word combination “Dor-ul-Jamal,” which has two meanings: “the house of beauty” and “the abode of Jemal.”

Conceived as a large religious complex, this mosque comprised ziaratkhna (a room for funeral prayers), khanaka (a winter room of the mosque) and several khujras (cells in the madrasah, caravanserai and khanaka). The peculiarity of the building’s composition–asymmetrical left and right wings; vaulted domes, different from one another; spatial lightness of the interior–might be accounted for by its positioning on the descending land surface, next to the former fortress. The square central hall (with the sides of 10.5 meters) was crowned with a dome. In the corners of the mosque there were spiral stairs, heading to the second- and third-level bypass galleries. From the north, the hall had a large vaulted arch, which was embellished with a high and beautiful portal, refined with decoratively cut and polished brick, glazed dark- and light-blue tiles, and panels with the Arabian epigraphy on them. Below the arch there was a mosaic picture of two coiling dragons, heraldically facing each other, and apple tree flowers on the background–ancient local composition and scene. In later periods, the Seyit-Jemaleddin mosque was partially reconstructed. By the nineteenth century, the subsidence of land had already damaged the building heavily, and during the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake it was destroyed completely. Now, only lower parts of the portal and some fragments of the walls are extant.

Awaza
The port city Turkmenbashi is the only one large port in whole Central Asia, providing a link with European countries. Surrounded on the east by the crescent of low mountains, in the west it looks in the turquoise-blue waters ofthe Caspian Sea. The surrounding desert landscape looks more like a moon landscape. Most excursions into the mountains and the coastal resort towns begin from this dusty, and even somewhat sleepy town.

The coast of the Caspian Sea is famous for its wonderful sandy beaches, clean, crystal water, abundance of sea flora and fauna, which allows to enjoy water kinds of sport. City of Khazar and the suburb of Turkmenbashi – Awaza, the health resort, in the sanatoriums and preventoriums prophylactic events of different kinds of pneumonia, are more popular among the vacationers. There is also a number of coastal tourism recreation centers. The beautiful subtropical zone of the country – Sumbar valley with green trees and the famous oak-old in the village Garrygala is located in Balkan province.

Awaza – a resort in the east of the Caspian Sea, the national tourist zone ofTurkmenistan, at 12 kilometers from Turkmenbashi city.

“Awaza” – heavenly sea corner which stretches for 16 kilometers. 6 hotels of world class and health complexes have been built for today. It is planning to open 60 hotels of different categories.

Awaza is becoming a sea resort zone. Beautiful hotels are functioning on the territory of Awaza, standards-based pensions, health complexes, child health centers, sport centers, health spas, children’s health centers, sports, cultural and entertaining centers.

7 kilometers canal was excavated on the territory of Awaza, and cozy restaurants and cafes are situated on both sides of the canal.

DINOSAURS Plateau
The plateaus of dinosaurs is one of the important sights of Koytendag where remained the footsteps of huge fossil pangolins. The plateau of dinosaurs settles down on a northwest slope of a mountain ridge, near the Hojapil settlement. The impressive sizes of the accurate footsteps of the three-fingered legs of the ancient animals settle down in some numbers. They belonged to several individuals of the various age. As results of the spent researches scientists have come to conclusion that the footsteps are left by the herbivorous animal and some predatory dinosaurs living here approximately 140-150 million years ago. According to the footsteps the sizes of the foot of a prehistoric pangolin made 70×65 cm, the width of a step reached 1,5-2,2 meters.

The huge animals went leaning against hind legs. The forepaws were essentially more shortly and weren’t used while walking that allowed the scientists to make the conclusion that growth of fossil dinosaurs reached 6-8 meters at length of a body of 5-10 meters and weight of a body of 5-10 tons. Among the variety of the hardened footsteps the attention of the researchers was paid to the footsteps of the small sizes which length does not exceed 45 cm.

The numerous footsteps of dinosaurs remained on a plateau surface were the source for the origin of numerous legends. One of them says: these footsteps have been left by a mythical racer of sacred prophet Ali. The hoofs of a racer have been put in the special form of three-fingered configuration. According to another legend these footsteps belong to Alexander the Great’s fighting elephants. The rumour says: during the victorious campaign to India the lord of the world crossed a high-mountainous plateau on the surface of which the footsteps of impressive sizes of terrible fighting elephants were printed. The stay of Alexander the Great in these land confirms one more interesting fact, the extensive lowland in the desert Kyzyl Kum territory, stretched from the foothills of Koytendag ridge, carries the name “Iskenderin berki” (“Alexander’s Fortress”). Nowadays with all-round assistance and active support of Esteemed President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the purposeful measures are carried out on inclusion of the given unique nature monument into the world heritage list of UNESCO.

Gas Crater
The gas crater is located near the Derweze village. It is in the middle of the Karakum Desert, about 260 kilometres north of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. The gas reserve found here is one of the largest in the world. Since 1971, the natural gas coming from the crater, continuously light day and night.

Not far from the burning crater are two more similar the failure of a similar origin. These craters are off, the gas pressure is much weaker. At the bottom of one of the craters – bubbling liquid mud light gray on the bottom of another – turquoise liquid.

Kowata Cave and Underground Lake
This cave is situated 100 kilometers far from Ashgabat. There is a lake, which breathe warm stream, in the depth of 60 meters from entrance into the cave. Long steps with 350 stairs lead to it.

Medicinal water of the lake contains sulphur, iodine, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulphate, aluminium, bromine, iron, stibium – in total 38 elements. Swimming in the water has favorable influence on organism, improves blood circulation, and helps to cure such diseases as rheumatism, cold, renal and skin diseases, soothe the nervous system. Temperature of water in the lake is from 33 up to 38 degrees all the year round. Length of the lake is 80 meters, width – 30 meters, depth – up to 16 meters. It is one of the largest underground lakes in the world. Sunrays never touched warm velvet of its waters.

Bidding defiance to the time, the underground lake creates in tourists the feeling of displacement to another world owing to bewitching sounds of water and mysterious twilight in the cave.

Garrygala
Garrygala – this is truly a gem of Turkmenistan – a garden of flowers, fruit, fantastic nature of the subtropics. Sumbar valley is famous for not only the climate of grace and “lunar” landscape of the surrounding mountains, but also the hospitality of its inhabitants.

The modern village has an ancient history. There are a lot of monuments of history, culture and nature. Sumbar valley called natural monument – an oak-old resident of 1888, his height – 20 meters, trunk diameter – 4,5 meters.

In Gara Gala etrap situated Syunt-Hasardag biosphere Reserve, Parkhai place with hydrogen sulfide hot spring water has healing properties. For therapeutic baths are equipped with the cab, opened swimming pool.

At 24 km from the district centers stretched Gerkez village – the birthplace of the great classic of the Turkmen literature, Makhtumkuli. There is a museum of Makhtumkuli.

A unique natural monument is Aidere Gorge, located 50 km from the district centers of Gara Gala etrap , its length is 30 km, the occupied area – 20 hectares. Here there are 800 species of plants and trees.

MYANE BABA
Almost a thousand years ago over the burial place of the popular in Central Asia the Sufi Sheikh Abu said Abul Khayra Mehney (967-1049) is one of the most famous representatives of Islamic mysticism, was erected the magnificent mausoleum. He made a single complex with located opposite the building of the mosque and was located on the outskirts of the small town of Mehne (now desert area Kaka etrap of Akhal province, 200 kilometers east of Ashgabat, near the famous archeological monument of the bronze age Altyn Depe).

The mausoleum stands on the spot where according to legend, there was a khanaka – the house and the Sufi monastery at the mosque, founded by the legendary Sheikh Meana Baba. Hence the glory of Abu said, who at the turn of X-XI centuries his sermons gained incredible popularity in all strata of society with the same reverence he was treated by the peasants, artisans, scientists, poets, generals and rulers.

XI century, marked by the formation of a powerful Turkmen state led by the Great Seljuk dynasty, was also the heyday of the architecture. The mausoleum of Meana Baba is considered a milestone on the path of creative development portal-dome group of Central Asian tombs. Elongated portal (peshtak) with deep arched ayvan – the main feature of this monument. Time has changed the whole look of the mausoleum with the exception of the interior. If in the XI century inside and outside dominated by the brick texture of the masonry and brick decor, three hundred years later, in the XIV century the portal was lined with mosaic in blue tones.

In the interior dome of the hall was done painting color: on the walls – flowers and floral motifs, while the side of the dome is a complicated geometrical ornament with figured medallions. The lower part of the walls of the interior were decorated with a panel of majolica tiles in the form of eight-pointed star with floral ornament and epigraphy.

In the great hall of the mausoleum area of 100 square meters with deep arched niches, the tomb of Saint Sheikh. In recent years there had been hundreds of muslims from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and many other countries in the world.

For centuries he was in a state of disrepair due to weathering of the binder solution and the weakening of the brickwork. Earlier, in 2005, the State historical and cultural reserve “Abiverd”, is in charge of this monument, organized large-scale works on strengthening of bearing structures of the mausoleum.

Nisa
The ruins of ancient and medieval town Nisa are located not very far (only 18 km) from the Ash¬gabat in the foothills of Kopetdag mountains in Bagir village. The Parthian Fortresses of Nisa consist of two parts Old and New Nisa, indicating the site of one of the earliest and most important cities of the Parthian Empire, a major power lasted almost 600 years from the mid-3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD. Archaeological excavations in two parts of the site have revealed richly decorated architecture, il¬lustrative of domestic, state and religious functions. They conserve the unexcavated remains of an ancient civilization, which skilfully combined its own tradi-tional cultural elements with those of the Hellenistic and Roman west. Situated at the crossroads of im¬portant commercial and strategic axes, this powerful empire formed a barrier to Roman expansion while serving as an important communication and trading center between the East and the West, the North and the South.

Traces of human activity dating back to the IV-11 millennium BC show that long before the beginning of the Parthian Empire the area of Nisa was already colonized by sedentary population. It is believed that there was a large settlement there as early as the 1st millennium BC. According to the legend, during the time of Darius Hystaspes (VI c. BC) settlement be-came a frontier fortress, which barred the way to in-vade from the North warlike nomads.

In the IV century BC Achaemenid Empire col-lapsed under the Greco-Macedonian armies. Under the Seleucids – successors of Alexander the Great – formed independent states of Bactria, Parthia and Khorezm.

The dynamic development of these states is well described in the writings of ancient authors. Some ancient sources, such as Isidorus of Kharax, mention the city of Parthaunisa as an administrative and economic center for the Arsacid dynasty. From their royal residence (Old Nisa) and the adjacent city (New Nisa), the Arsacid dynasty carried out huge conquests over a very large territory stretching from the Indus to the Euphrates. Parthaunisa was divided into two parts by the range of Kopetdag Mountain. One of them is located on the territory of modem Ahal region in Turkmenistan.

It is not until 247 BC apamstribe (or parns), be-came the big association of nomads who lived in the Karakum. It was founded by Arsaces I (reigned c. 250 BC – 211 BC), and was reputedly the royal necropolis of the Parthian kings, although it has neither been established that the fortress at Nisa was a royal residence nor a mausoleum. Greek Seleucid governor of the satrapy was killed, Arzak was declared a king of independent Parthia that took the territory of Hyrcania (area south-east of the Caspian Sea), which subsequently arose the first capital of the Parthian Empire – Gekatompily.

Parfavnisa city became the administrative and economic center of ownership of Arsakid dynasty. There was arranged a burial-vault of their first kings. Suburbs of Parfavnisa was surrounded by cob wall 7 km long and the entire area with surrounding villages was also covered by the ring of walls.

The name of the site, Mithradatkert, and an indication of the date of its foundation are known from an inscription written on one of the 2,700 administrative ceramics (ostraka) found at Nisa. Mithradatkert means «the fortress of Mithidrat, referring to King Mithradat I (174-138 BCE). Under the Mithridates I (174-136 gg. BC) on the site of Old Nisa royal fortress was erected by Mitridatkert (approx. 14 hectares) with 43 towers. From the perspective of the ancient art of the castle is an impregnable stronghold. In the 11-1 centuries BC, in the heyday of the Parthian empire, Nisa achieved the status of royal sanctuary. Possibly there was a necropolis of Arsakids dynasty’s members.

Numerous archaeological discoveries made in the mid-twentieth century relating to the 111-1 centuries BC such as mins of temple, monumental clay sculptures, marble statues, a collection of iconic rhytons ivory with relief ornaments, decorations and small plastic metal and terracotta, weapons, uten¬sils, economic documents (mainly accounting wine products) written Aramaic alphabet in the Parthian language, etc. proof the period of blooming forth of Parthia.

In 226 BC, however, the Parthian kingdom collapsed. Ardashir, the Parthian governor-general in Persia at the beginning of the Sassanid dynasty, checked Parthian expansion and conquered their cities and territories. Destruction and diminished populations in Nisa led to its partial abandonment, although it continued to be an important center until the Islamic period (12th-14th century CE). Great authority of Parthian culture leading archaeo¬logical researches in Nisa over the years D.Sc. V.N.Pilipko notes: «… by the end of their reign Sassanids achieved their goal the memory about the Parthians it should seem disappeared forever. People who spoke the Parthian language, and called themselves the Parthians vanished. But the nation, as such, did not really disappear. Changing its name, language and customs, this nation continues to live on this land and there is a good deal of Parthian blood in the veins of the Turkmens of the time. Successive link of many generations living in the lands of Southern Turkmenistan, more clearly trace through the study of local culture and it largely explains the keen interest of the present population in the culture of ancient Parthia, which sees it as an integral part of its own past. 

According to the opinion of the researchers, the monuments Old and New Nisa, keeping invaluable information about the material culture and art of one of the greatest ancient world power, are the key to the knowledge about Parthian culture. In 2007 UNESCO as a unique object of a long ago vanished civilization declared Nisa a World Heritage Site. A large number of elements of architectural decor of the buildings of Old Nisa are the unique.

Koneurgench – Khorezmshakh civilization
In the Middle Ages in Gurgenge (now Old Urgench in northern Turkmenistan) was formed a unique artistic and intellectual environment, attracted a pleiad of fine scientists and healers, philosophers and poets, artists and builders, pottery, wood carving and stone craftsmen. It was the capital of the Khorezm region, which activities flourished famous school of architecture. The tradition of architecture expressed in the design and craftsmanship of Koneurgench has been influential in the wider region to the south and southwest. The new art and design ideas for a long time «dictated fashions in the architecture of Central Asia and the Caucasus. Even after the disaster of Mongol invasion in the XIII century, the genetic code of the masters of this school has not been interrupted. A few decades later, the city was rebuilt and the talent of architects of this city revealed during the Golden Horde Empire. Prosperity of this architectural school was interrupted at the end of the XIV century, when it won its independence from the Golden Horde and was destroved by the Samarkand’s amir Timur. Famous masters of Old Urgench had to move to Maverannahr where they created marvellous architectural monuments which keep their distinctive style.

This area on the south side of the modem city Koneurgench has remained a vast deserted land with hilly formation of broken bricks, ceramics and clay. In this vast silent space it is able to discern proudly lonely silhouettes architectural structures, some remains of ancient fortified settlements of Gurandj, Urgench and Koneurgench, including a mosque, the gates of a caravanserai, fortresses, mausoleums and a 60 m in height minaret.

On the sample of Koneurgench monuments one can see all variety of methods and decor of Islamic architecture of Central Asia. There are constructions from adobe and burned bricks, plain unicameral dome constructions upgoing to ancient chartak and buildings with complicated compositions, sometimes with a long history of development, repair and reconstruction. These monuments also demonstratethe evolution of methods of treatment of inner surface of domes from celiular sails to stalactite those times called “muqamas” and brought to the highest perfection by local masters. The best monuments of this city are distinguished by high degree of decorativeness. They provide prominent examples of classical arabesques in monochrome terracotta and bright colorfulness of enamel.

The origins of the settlement go back to the V century B.C., and existed here until the XVII century. Archaeological excavations carried out on the hill known as Kyrkmolla revealed the contours of a powerful ancient fortress, built on earlier cultural thicker ceramic V-11 centuries BC. Sure, here is the original core of the city with a strong fortification. This corroborate the supposition of academician S.P.Tolstov that Urgench (the city was called so till the XVI century) was mentioned in the Avesta as Urwah (or Urga). In the Chinese chronicles of the Han dynasty (1 century AD.) Urgench was also mentioned in transcription «Yuegan». The next record, again in Chinese sources, refers to the VII century. In this period revival of Khorezm began. The life revival stoped dead in the IV (left bank of Kunyauaz, Izmykshir, Diyarbekir, Shakhsenem, etc) was revived. In 712, Koncurgcnch was invaded by Arabs and named Gurgenge. Being at the crossing of trade routes from the south to the north-west – to the Volga River, and to the east – in Mongolia and China, the town prospered, becoming a major centre. The beginning of the eleventh century during the reign of Mamun I was filled with military events, the long marches, complex political intrigues. A brief reign of his eldest son Ali ibn Mamun was replaced by another brilliant period of the reign of his son Mamun ibn Mamun. That is the time of prosperity of Gurgenge when it eclipsed Bukhara’s fame and become a centre of scientists, where developed a unique court «Academy» of Mamun.

The great encyclopaedist Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni (973-1050) and a brilliant scientist, physician and philosopher Abu Ah ibn Sina (980-1037), known in the West as Avicenna were the pair of the city. This prosperous period in history of the city did not last long: the enlightened monarch Mamun 11 died in 1017, when Khorezm was conquered by Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. Another quarter of a century victorious Seljuks seized power over all the possessions of the Ghaz- navids. Since 1044 Khorezm is only a province of the Great Seljuk Turkmen state.

In 1097 there was an event that marked the beginning of the last dynasty of Khorezmshakhs -the Anushteginids dynasty. Seljukids appointed Qutb al-Din Muhammad I as a ruler of Khorezm. He had been ruled for 30 years and until his death was a loyal subject of Sultan Sanjar, who then did not hesitate to approve his son Atsyz on the throne of Khorezmshahs. However, the Atsyz eventually began to show independence, repeatedly engaging in military confrontation with Sandzhar. Atsyz persistently carried out a policy of «gathering lands», anciently economically gravitate to Khorezm, and gradually subdued the entire north-western part of Central Asia. His grandson Tekesh ibn Il-Arslan in 1194 finally freed Khorezm from Seljuk and expanded their possession to the size of the medieval empire. Under the Tekesh son Ala-ud-Din Muhammad II the state of Khorezmshahs reached the highest power: it stretched from the northern regions of the Caspian to the Persian Gulf and from the Caucasus to the Hindu Kush. AH this brilliant period Gurgenge was the imperial center, where nourished arts, crafts and trade.

In 1221, after half-year siege, Gurgenge was taken and destroyed by the Mongols. However, thanks to its convenient location, the city was rebuilt and described as the finest city of the Turks with fine bazaars and impressive buildings. After joining to the possession of Juchi, and then becoming almost independent in the system Golden Horde Khanate, Khorezm entered into a prosperous phase, which lasted until Timur’s campaigns. This is evidenced by Ibn Battut who arrived in Urgench in 1333 and called it the largest and most prosperous Turkic city. The city was at that time the capital of the vast eastern province of the Golden Horde, and experienced the most brilliant period of its history. Kutlug Timur and his wife Tyurabek Khanum played a special role in its development in the first half of the XIV century. Under the patronage of the famous personalities in Urgcnch was built some marvelous beauty and important significance objects, such as a hospital, a mosque and khanaka. Under their auspices was carried out the restoration of surviving monuments of pre-Mongol period, finished or repaired the minaret by mosque-namazga dated to the XI c., that became one of the highest in the world (about 60 m), and built up a large area within the city walls, which is preserved by 10 km length shaft. It stretches north from the Ak-gala fortress, encircles the entire territory of the current reserve and turns south to the Khorezm-bag fortress. At the south wall flowed the waters of Amudarya (Channel Daryalik).

After 1360 in Urgench Turkmen Sufi dynasty settled independent from the Golden Horde. It suffered heavily from destruction by the Timurid troops between 1372 and 1388, and never gained its previous position again. The best artists, architects, builders and craftsmen had to move to Samarkand. In spite of attempts to restore the city, occurred in 1391, the city has not recovered, because since the XV century began the global processes, that didn’t promote the revival of the city. First, the Amu Darya River changed its course and moved away from the city for about 40 km. Secondly, the political and economic center of the region shifted from Khorezm to Maverannahr (area of Samarkand and Bukhara). Finally, the development of sea routes between Europe, India and China, as well as the discovery of America led to the gradual disappearance of the transcontinental caravan trade and caused a general decline in the economy of Central Asia, which find itself at the periphery of world civilization.

Almost nothing left from the once great Gurgenge, and its ruins have since become known as the Old Urgench (Turkm. “Koncurgenc”). The city experienced modem development took place outside the old town, since 1831 when the Yab Khan channel had been dug here (north of the mausoleum of Najm al-Din al-Kubra). Its coasts formed small village countryside, which became the basis of the present city.

Today Koneurgench is a dynamic city with modern infrastructure. The territory of the old city was announced by the Government of Turkmenistan as the State Historical and Cultural Museum, which architectural and archeological monuments were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. Turkmen specialists together with international experts have been constantly working here to study and preserve the unique architectural heritage of the city.

Merv
Merv has reached its apogee in the XI-XII centuries when it has become one of the Great Seljuks Empire. The city center has moved to the territory of Sultan Kala with its citadel Shahriyar Arcs. Merv stretched along from north to south because of the annexation of new residential areas and camps. At the intersection of the roads, in the heart of Sultan Kala were located square in plan walled Kremlin, the cathedral mosque and the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar.

The beauty and richness of Merv, its bazaars attracted politicians, famous medieval scientists from all around the world. Its famous libraries attracted scholars from all over the Islamic world.

After the death of Sultan Sanjar, the last Seluk ruler, and the disintegration of the empire of the Great Seljuk , Merv become a part of Khorezm.

At the end of XII-XIII centuries during Khorezm epoch the trade and culture of Merv were revived. This brilliant flowering came to a violent end in 1221-22, when it was sacked by the Mongols, who slew many of its inhabitants (according to medieval historian Juvayni about 1 milion 300 thousand people) and destroyed the complex water system. By surviving sources, when in 1221 the eighty thousand Mongol army came to Merv, Tuli Khan, the son of Genghiz Khan “for six days he looked on the shaft walls, moat and city minarets, wondered at strongholds of Merv and had doubt about success”.

Anciet Merv is a series of towns that succeeded one another throughout the course of history: Erk Kala fortess citadel, Gyaur Kala, Sultan Kala, Abdullakhan Kala and Bayramalykhan Kala. At the beginning of the XIX century the new city moved to the modern location of Merv city.

Ancient Merv represents a system of sites built at different times following the changing course of riverbed of the Murgab river and its gradual shifts from the east to the west. New sites were constructed after old ones were abandoned and never again occupied, thus becoming unique “memory keepers”.

Margiana-(Margush)
The ruins of Ancient Merv are adjacent to the north-eastern outskirts of the present Bairamali city, located 25 km to the east of the provincial center Mary in Turkmenistan. The State Historical and Cultural Park «Ancient Merv» is the oldest and most completely preserved oasis city along the Silk Roads in Central Asia, which fertile valley referred to ancient and medieval written sources. It originates r tire Paropamiz mountains and hidden under the aesert sands of Kara-Kum.

In the second millennium BC on the fertile an as of the ancient delta of the Murgab River arena 70 km north of the ruins of Merv) one of the r iaest centers of world civilization called Margush a as bom and flourished. Fertile silt coming from mountains, abundance of water and mildate climate a a created favourable conditions for good crops and n e progress of the ancient economy continued for several centuries. The real name of that state on the Murgab River in the ancient times remains unknown. This name is derived from the word Murg that makes up the basis for the name of the life-giving water maery – the Murgab River. Margush is still the oldest known name of the country, which is contained in the famous Behistun inscription of Achaemcnid’s king Darius 1. In the part of the Avesta, the sacred book of the Zoroastrians, called the Videvdat the Merv oasis appears under the name Mouru, Mourv. The ancient Greek historians that came to know Central Asia named this country Margiana for easier pronunciation. In the Middle ages under the influence of the Arabic language the country was called Merv and nowadays this is name of Mary administrative region of Turkmenistan.

The Holly Murgab River, feeding the oldest farmers’ fields, the founders of the original civilization of ancient Eastern type, not only gave the name of a fertile oasis, but forced people to leave their settles and to follow the river. Its riverbed as well as the riverbeds of many world rivers was gradually moving westward and the people followed the river. Only in the early 1970s, a largescale archeological research and excavations began to depth of the desert and discovered many hundreds of settlements here. Archaeological discoveries of the second half of the XX c. in the north Afghanistan and Southern Turkmenistan gave exact proof for close relations between Margiana and Baktria. Archaeological research showed that in the second millennium BC center of life has shifted from agricultural oases of piedmont zone of Southern Kopct-dagh plains of Turkmenistan to the ancient delta of Murgab river and fertile valleys of Bactria, that include northern Afghanistan, the south-westem parts of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and south-eastern parts of Turkmenistan.

The general description of the architecture of the territory of Margiana leads one to opine that it represented a unique monumental complex of palaces and temples, the large known monuments of the Bronze Age, and there come into existence an original, unparalleled in ancient Eastern world architecture. Those migrants who stayed in the area of the Murgab River built the monumental palaces and temples, melted metals, and created pieces of art not inferior to those from the advanced centers of the world. All the creations of these people clearly testify that in the present Kara-Kum desert there existed a Among the sands of the eastern Kara-kum the archeologists found and excavated the monumental castles and temples that demonstrate mature building art and monumental architecture. Its plan and decoration are in no way inferior to any other analogous buildings of this period. This gives strong arguments in favor of the hypothesis of the existence of an independent architectural school in southern Turkmenistan in this period.

The features of its distinctive architecture are the following: isolated plan, strict orientation to the cardinal points, symmetry. Such required planning elements as the courtyard, the bypass corridor (or the system of corridors) the citadel walls, crowed by towers of square or round form were also used there. The unique plot, mosaic decor and performance technique of the Gonur Depe, make it possible to guess that tradition of architectural mosaic of medieval Khorasan’s masters rooted in the artistic culture of ancient Margiana that was the center of ancient oriental civilization in Bronze Age along with the Egypt, Harappa, IVlesopotamia and China. Obviously Gonurdepe was the capital of this great agricultural civilization. At the beginning of the first millennium BC the capital Margush had already been abandoned. According to the archaeological data life here moved to Yaz-Depe and later to the oldest centre of Merv – to Erk-Kala fortress. The earliest Archaeological evidence testifies the existence of namely urban area, not only populated area in Erk-Kala at the middle of the first mil. BC. It has been suggested that Erk-Kala was one of the developed cities of Ahamenids Empire.

Erk-Kala is not yet completely studied and possible future archaeological discoveries and researches will shed light on many pages of its history, which has reen completely forgotten in the Middle Ages, and fiat has become the cause of many legends about the oldest centre of Merv.

Medieval author Ibn Faqih-Haniadansky gives r.c of these legends, reporting that Merv has been ruft by Alexander the Great (known in the East under the name Iskender Zulkamayn), and that the citadel in it has been constructed by the legendary king Tahmuras, who has taught his people to spin sheep wool, to make clothes and to weave carpets. But now it is clear that Alexander the Great had not build a new city here, but has strengthened the existing walls and named it Alexandria Margiana. This is present settlement Erk-Kala, the walls of which form a circle in plan. The Greek soldiers have been settled here. Subsequently, after the breakup of Alexander’s empire under the rule of the Seleucid monarch Antiochus Soter town border growing, new walls strengthening in foim almost square with small distortions. The eastern territories soon became the part of the Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid king Antiochus 1 Soter (281 -261 BC) rebuilt it and named it Margiana Antiochia; it is identified with Erk Kala and Gyaur Kala. He began a massive expansion of the city at Merv: the earlier city of ETk Kala was converted into a citadel and a vast new walled city was laid out. It was occupied for some 1500 years, throughout the Parthian and Sasanian periods and into the early Islamic period. The Parthians (from c 250 BCE), and then the Sasanians (from 226 CE), developed Merv as a major administrative, military and trading centre. The defences were repeatedly rebuilt and strengthened and the vitality of the city is reflected in the numerous building programmes and in the wealth of objects recovered from the excavations within Gyaur Kala.