Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sanjar, grandson of Alp-Arslan, died in
1157, reputedly of a broken heart when,
after escaping from captivity in Khiva, he
came home to find that his beloved Merv
had been pillaged by Turkic nomads.
The mausoleum is a simple cube with
a barrel-mounted dome on top. Originally
it had a magnificent turquoise-tiled outer
dome, said to be visible from a day's ride
away, but that is long gone. Interior deco-
ration is sparse, though restoration has
brought back the blue-and-red frieze in
the upper gallery. Inside is Sanjar's simple
stone 'tomb' although, fearing grave rob-
bers, he was actually buried elsewhere in
an unknown location. The name of the ar-
chitect, Mohammed Ibn Aziz of Serakhs, is
etched into the upper part of the east wall.
According to lore, the sultan had his archi-
tect executed to prevent him from design-
ing a building to rival this one.
Shahriyar¨Ark¨
RUiN
The Shahriyar Ark (or Citadel of Sultan
Kala) is one of the more interesting parts
of Merv. Still visible are its walls, a well-
preserved
koshk
(fort) with corrugated
walls, and the odd grazing camel.
Mosque¨of¨¨
Yusuf¨Hamadani¨
MOSQUE
North of the Shahriyar Ark, outside the city
walls, lies the Mosque of Yusuf Hamadani,
built around the tomb of a 12th-century
dervish. The complex has been largely re-
built in the last 10 years and turned into an
important pilgrimage site; it is not open to
non-Muslims.
ancient settlements, currently being ex-
cavated around
Gonur¨Depe
(Gonur Hill;
admission 3M, camera 4M)
, has stunned the
archaeological world for its vast area and
complex layout.
The discoveries were first made in 1972
by Russian-Greek archaeologist Viktor Sa-
rianidi, who still works at the site, continu-
ally uncovering new findings. Sarianidi
considers Gonur to be one of the great
civilisations of the ancient world and while
this claim may be disputed, it is a fascinat-
ing site. What is certain, is that Gonur is
one of the oldest fire-worshipping civilisa-
tions, parallel to the Bactrian cultures in
neighbouring Afghanistan. The first agri-
cultural settlements appeared in the area
around 7000 BC, developing a strong ag-
riculture. It is believed the city was slowly
abandoned during the Bronze Age as the
Murgab River changed course, depriving
the city of water. The current excavations
have been dated back to 3000 BC.
Sarianidi believes that Gonur was the
birthplace of the first monotheistic reli-
gion, Zoroastrianism, being at some point
the home of the religion's founder, Zoro-
aster. The adjacent sites have revealed four
fire temples, as well as evidence of a cult
based around a drug potion prepared from
poppy, hemp and ephedra plants. This
potent brew is almost certainly the
hao-
ma
(soma elixir) used by the magi whom
Zoroaster began preaching against in Zo-
roastrian texts.
The excavations are ongoing and dur-
ing your visit you may have a chance to
speak with the archaeologists and inspect
the most recent findings. There is signifi-
cant effort being put into conservation,
although the work being done (sealing the
ruins with mud bricks) is covering up some
of the most photogenic portions of the city.
The
Royal¨Palace
and
necropolis
are the
most fascinating sites to visit.
Gonur is a two-hour drive from Mary
and you'll need at least two hours there. A
4WD is required as the final 20km of road
is little more than a rough track in the dirt.
You can organise a trip through any travel
agency or call Yevgenia Golubeva (p388) in
Mary. Expect to pay 120M to hire a driver,
and a further 90M for an in-depth guided
tour.
There is nowhere in the area to buy
food or water, so pack a lunch before
setting off.
8
Getting¨There¨&¨Away
The only way to see the Merv site without an
exhausting walk is by car. From Mary expect
to pay 25M for a car and driver for four hours
(the minimum amount of time needed to see
the main monuments). Buses go between Mary
and Bairam Ali every half hour or so; the jour-
ney takes about 45 minutes. Guided tours are
available from any travel agency and this is the
way most people see Merv. Yevgenia Golubeva
(p388) in Mary includes Merv on her tour of
the area.
Gonur
Long before Merv raised its first tower,
Bronze Age villages were assembling
along the Murgab River in what is called
the Margiana Oasis. The greatest of these
