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glory starting from the 7th century with the reign of Arabs, but especially
during the Seljuk Turks period.
FIGURE 2 Painted Clay Vessel representing the life of a ruler, 5th century, Turkmenistan
National Museum, Ashkhabad (Pugachenkova, 1967).
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
According to a narrative communicated to us by Mahmud Kashgari, Merv
was established by Turkish ruler Alp-Er-Tunga. However, the famous Per-
sian epic Shahnameh written by Firdawsi argued that the third Persian
ruler Tahmures is the one who established the city. According to Avesta,
the holy writing of Zoroastrians, Merv, along with Balkh, was one of the
most fertile lands created by the god Ahuramazda.
On the other hand, the Khorasan province, where Merv is located, be-
ing on the border, has for thousands of years witnessed fights for domi-
nation between the Turk and Persian nations. The wars between Turks
and Persians in West Turkestan are vividly told in Avesta and Shahnameh.
In Avesta, the city of Tura (Turk) tribe is named Kanha, and the Turk-
ish ruler Franrasyan. Kanha in Avesta is described as “Kang-kü/Kang-ki”
in Chinese sources, and as “Kangar/Kangli” tribe in Turkish and lately
as the “Kengeres family,” who has grown from this tribe to become the
ruler family of Turkestan cities. The Turkish ruler Franrasyan was named
as Frasyab or Afrasyab by the 9th century Muslim writers, and as Alp-
Er-Tunga in Turkish epics and documents (Esin, 1978). The Turkish epic
of Alp-Er-Tunga tells about this great ruler of Turks. It is the common
opinion of old Muslim and Persian writers who tell about the old Persian
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