State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv”

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Ancient Merv: A Testament to Centuries of Civilization Along the Silk Road

The State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv,” inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, stands as a testament to centuries of civilization along the ancient Silk Road. Situated in modern-day Mary, Turkmenistan, Merv is one of the oldest and best-preserved oasis cities in Central Asia, spanning over 4,000 years of human history.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Merv is the oldest and best-preserved of the oasis-cities along the Silk Route in Central Asia. The remains in this vast oasis span 4,000 years of human history. A number of monuments are still visible, particularly from the last two millennia.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (ii): The cities of the Merv oasis have exerted considerable influence over the cultures of Central Asia and Iran for four millennia. The Seljuk city in particular influenced architecture and architectural decoration and scientific and cultural development.

Criterion (iii): The sequence of the cities of the Merv oasis, their fortifications, and their urban lay-outs bear exceptional testimony to the civilizations of Central Asia over several millennia.

Encyclopedia Record: Merv

Merv, also known as the Merve Oasis, was a major Iranian city in Central Asia, located on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium BC until the 18th century AD. It changed hands repeatedly throughout history. Under the Achaemenid Empire, it was the center of the satrapy of Margiana. It was subsequently ruled by Hellenistic Kings, Parthians, Sasanians, Arabs, Ghaznavids, Seljuqs, Khwarazmians and Timurids, among others.

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