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class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hellenistic_era"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>Hellenistic era</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hellenistic_era-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Parthian_era" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Parthian_era"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Parthian era</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Parthian_era-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sasanian_era" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sasanian_era"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.3</span> <span>Sasanian era</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sasanian_era-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Arab_conquest_and_influence" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Arab_conquest_and_influence"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.4</span> <span>Arab conquest and influence</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Arab_conquest_and_influence-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Turkmens_in_Merv" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Turkmens_in_Merv"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.5</span> <span>Turkmens in Merv</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Turkmens_in_Merv-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Mongols_in_Merv" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Mongols_in_Merv"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.6</span> <span>Mongols in Merv</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Mongols_in_Merv-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Uzbeks_in_Merv_and_its_final_destruction" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Uzbeks_in_Merv_and_its_final_destruction"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.7</span> <span>Uzbeks in Merv and its final destruction</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Uzbeks_in_Merv_and_its_final_destruction-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Nineteenth_century" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Nineteenth_century"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.8</span> <span>Nineteenth century</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Nineteenth_century-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Remains" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Remains"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Remains</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Remains-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Remains subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Remains-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Organization_of_remains" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Organization_of_remains"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Organization of remains</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Organization_of_remains-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Erk_Gala" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Erk_Gala"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.1</span> <span>Erk Gala</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Erk_Gala-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Gäwürgala" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Gäwürgala"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.2</span> <span>Gäwürgala</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Gäwürgala-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Soltangala" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Soltangala"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.3</span> <span>Soltangala</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Soltangala-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Shaim_Kala" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shaim_Kala"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.4</span> <span>Shaim Kala</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Shaim_Kala-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Abdyllahangala" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Abdyllahangala"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.5</span> <span>Abdyllahangala</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Abdyllahangala-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Demographics" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Demographics"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Demographics</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Demographics-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Economy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Economy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Economy</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Economy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Geography" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Geography"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Geography</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Geography-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-International_relations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#International_relations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>International relations</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-International_relations-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle International relations subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-International_relations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Twin_towns_–_sister_cities" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Twin_towns_–_sister_cities"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.1</span> <span>Twin towns – sister cities</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Twin_towns_–_sister_cities-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Gallery" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Gallery"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Gallery</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Gallery-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-References-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle References subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Citations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Citations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10.1</span> <span>Citations</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Citations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sources" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sources"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10.2</span> <span>Sources</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sources-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Merv</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 63 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-63" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">63 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86" title="مرو الشاهجان – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="مرو الشاهجان" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C9%99rv" title="Mərv – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Mərv" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-azb mw-list-item"><a href="https://azb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88" title="مرو – South Azerbaijani" lang="azb" hreflang="azb" data-title="مرو" data-language-autonym="تۆرکجه" data-language-local-name="South Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>تۆرکجه</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AD" title="মার্ভ – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="মার্ভ" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ba mw-list-item"><a href="https://ba.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Мерв – Bashkir" lang="ba" hreflang="ba" data-title="Мерв" data-language-autonym="Башҡортса" data-language-local-name="Bashkir" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Башҡортса</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Мерв – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Мерв" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merw" title="Merw – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Merw" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9C%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B2" title="Μερβ – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Μερβ" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88_(%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1_%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C)" title="مرو (شهر باستانی) – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="مرو (شهر باستانی)" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fy mw-list-item"><a href="https://fy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Western Frisian" lang="fy" hreflang="fy" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Frysk" data-language-local-name="Western Frisian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Frysk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%A9%94%EB%A5%B4%EB%B8%8C" title="메르브 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="메르브" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%84%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%BE" title="Մերվ – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Մերվ" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5" title="मर्व – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="मर्व" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id badge-Q70893996 mw-list-item" title=""><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marw" title="Marw – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Marw" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%91_%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%94" title="מרב העתיקה – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="מרב העתיקה" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ka mw-list-item"><a href="https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%9B%E1%83%94%E1%83%A0%E1%83%95%E1%83%98" title="მერვი – Georgian" lang="ka" hreflang="ka" data-title="მერვი" data-language-autonym="ქართული" data-language-local-name="Georgian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ქართული</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Мерв – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Мерв" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ky mw-list-item"><a href="https://ky.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Мерв – Kyrgyz" lang="ky" hreflang="ky" data-title="Мерв" data-language-autonym="Кыргызча" data-language-local-name="Kyrgyz" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Кыргызча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-la badge-Q70893996 mw-list-item" title=""><a href="https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria_Margiana" title="Alexandria Margiana – Latin" lang="la" hreflang="la" data-title="Alexandria Margiana" data-language-autonym="Latina" data-language-local-name="Latin" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lv mw-list-item"><a href="https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merva" title="Merva – Latvian" lang="lv" hreflang="lv" data-title="Merva" data-language-autonym="Latviešu" data-language-local-name="Latvian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latviešu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mervas" title="Mervas – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Mervas" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mai mw-list-item"><a href="https://mai.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9A%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD_%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF_%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%86_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9C" title="प्राचीन मर्भ राज्य एतिहासिक आ सांस्कृतिक निकुञ्ज – Maithili" lang="mai" hreflang="mai" data-title="प्राचीन मर्भ राज्य एतिहासिक आ सांस्कृतिक निकुञ्ज" data-language-autonym="मैथिली" data-language-local-name="Maithili" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>मैथिली</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ml mw-list-item"><a href="https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%AE%E0%B5%86%E0%B5%BC%E0%B4%B5%E0%B5%8D" title="മെർവ് – Malayalam" lang="ml" hreflang="ml" data-title="മെർവ്" data-language-autonym="മലയാളം" data-language-local-name="Malayalam" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>മലയാളം</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mt mw-list-item"><a href="https://mt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Maltese" lang="mt" hreflang="mt" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Malti" data-language-local-name="Maltese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Malti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-arz mw-list-item"><a href="https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86" title="مرو الشاجان – Egyptian Arabic" lang="arz" hreflang="arz" data-title="مرو الشاجان" data-language-autonym="مصرى" data-language-local-name="Egyptian Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>مصرى</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mzn mw-list-item"><a href="https://mzn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88" title="مرو – Mazanderani" lang="mzn" hreflang="mzn" data-title="مرو" data-language-autonym="مازِرونی" data-language-local-name="Mazanderani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>مازِرونی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mdf mw-list-item"><a href="https://mdf.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D1%8D%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Мэрв – Moksha" lang="mdf" hreflang="mdf" data-title="Мэрв" data-language-autonym="Мокшень" data-language-local-name="Moksha" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Мокшень</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ne mw-list-item"><a href="https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E2%80%9C%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9A%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E2%80%9D_%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF_%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9C" title="“प्राचीन मर्भ” राज्य एतिहासिक र सांस्कृतिक निकुञ्ज – Nepali" lang="ne" hreflang="ne" data-title="“प्राचीन मर्भ” राज्य एतिहासिक र सांस्कृतिक निकुञ्ज" data-language-autonym="नेपाली" data-language-local-name="Nepali" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>नेपाली</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A1%E3%83%AB%E3%83%96%E9%81%BA%E8%B7%A1" title="メルブ遺跡 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="メルブ遺跡" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marv" title="Marv – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Marv" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pa mw-list-item"><a href="https://pa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A8%AE%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%B5" title="ਮਰਵ – Punjabi" lang="pa" hreflang="pa" data-title="ਮਰਵ" data-language-autonym="ਪੰਜਾਬੀ" data-language-local-name="Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ਪੰਜਾਬੀ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochia_Margia%C5%84ska" title="Antiochia Margiańska – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Antiochia Margiańska" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marve" title="Marve – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Marve" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Мерв – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Мерв" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Мерв – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Мерв" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tg mw-list-item"><a href="https://tg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Марв – Tajik" lang="tg" hreflang="tg" data-title="Марв" data-language-autonym="Тоҷикӣ" data-language-local-name="Tajik" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Тоҷикӣ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tk mw-list-item"><a href="https://tk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merw" title="Merw – Turkmen" lang="tk" hreflang="tk" data-title="Merw" data-language-autonym="Türkmençe" data-language-local-name="Turkmen" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkmençe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tyv mw-list-item"><a href="https://tyv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Мерв – Tuvinian" lang="tyv" hreflang="tyv" data-title="Мерв" data-language-autonym="Тыва дыл" data-language-local-name="Tuvinian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Тыва дыл</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2" title="Мерв – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Мерв" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ur mw-list-item"><a href="https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88" title="مرو – Urdu" lang="ur" hreflang="ur" data-title="مرو" data-language-autonym="اردو" data-language-local-name="Urdu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>اردو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-war mw-list-item"><a href="https://war.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv" title="Merv – Waray" lang="war" hreflang="war" data-title="Merv" data-language-autonym="Winaray" data-language-local-name="Waray" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Winaray</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-wuu mw-list-item"><a href="https://wuu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A2%85%E5%B0%94%E5%A4%AB" title="梅尔夫 – Wu" lang="wuu" hreflang="wuu" data-title="梅尔夫" data-language-autonym="吴语" data-language-local-name="Wu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>吴语</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A2%85%E5%B0%94%E5%A4%AB" title="梅尔夫 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="梅尔夫" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q193325#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Merv" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Merv" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" 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data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1156832818">.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}</style><span class="plainlinks nourlexpansion"><a class="external text" href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Merv&params=37_39_46_N_62_11_33_E_type:landmark"><span class="geo-default"><span class="geo-dms" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location"><span class="latitude">37°39′46″N</span> <span class="longitude">62°11′33″E</span></span></span><span class="geo-multi-punct"> / </span><span class="geo-nondefault"><span class="geo-dec" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location">37.66278°N 62.19250°E</span><span style="display:none"> / <span class="geo">37.66278; 62.19250</span></span></span></a></span></span></div></div> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Ancient major city in Central Asia</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Merv_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Merv (disambiguation)">Merv (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vcard"><caption class="infobox-title fn org">Merv</caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-subheader"><div class="nickname"><span title="Persian-language text"><span lang="fa" dir="rtl">مرو</span></span><br /><i><span title="Persian-language text"><i lang="fa-Latn">Marw</i></span></i></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Turkmenistan_Merv_city.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Photograph of the ruins of the city of Marv" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Turkmenistan_Merv_city.jpg/250px-Turkmenistan_Merv_city.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Turkmenistan_Merv_city.jpg/330px-Turkmenistan_Merv_city.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Turkmenistan_Merv_city.jpg/500px-Turkmenistan_Merv_city.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1023" data-file-height="682" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">Ruins of the city of Merv: the <a href="/wiki/Great_Kyz_Kala" title="Great Kyz Kala">Great Kyz Kala</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><div class="switcher-container"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238443738">.mw-parser-output .locmap .od{position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .id{position:absolute;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .locmap .l0{font-size:0;position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv{line-height:110%;position:absolute;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv>div{display:inline;padding:1px}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:left}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pv>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pl>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pr>div{background:#fff!important;color:#000!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .locmap{filter:grayscale(0.6)}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data .locmap div{background:transparent!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .locmap{filter:grayscale(0.6)}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pv>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pl>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pr>div{background:white!important;color:#000!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data .locmap div{background:transparent!important}}</style><div class="center"><div class="locmap" style="width:250px;float:none;clear:both;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"><div style="width:250px;padding:0"><div style="position:relative;width:250px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:West_Asia_non_political_with_water_system.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Merv is located in West and Central Asia"><img alt="Merv is located in West and Central Asia" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/West_Asia_non_political_with_water_system.jpg/250px-West_Asia_non_political_with_water_system.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="161" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/West_Asia_non_political_with_water_system.jpg/375px-West_Asia_non_political_with_water_system.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/West_Asia_non_political_with_water_system.jpg/500px-West_Asia_non_political_with_water_system.jpg 2x" data-file-width="5948" data-file-height="3836" /></a></span><div class="od notheme" style="top:29.847%;left:69.76%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-4px;top:-4px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Merv"><img alt="Merv" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg/8px-Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="8" height="8" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg/12px-Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg/16px-Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="16" data-file-height="16" /></span></span></div></div></div><div style="padding-top:0.2em">Shown within West and Central Asia</div><span class="switcher-label" style="display:none">Show map of West and Central Asia</span></div></div></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238443738" /><div class="center"><div class="locmap" style="width:250px;float:none;clear:both;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"><div style="width:250px;padding:0"><div style="position:relative;width:250px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Relief_Map_of_Turkmenistan.png" class="mw-file-description" title="Merv is located in Turkmenistan"><img alt="Merv is located in Turkmenistan" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Relief_Map_of_Turkmenistan.png/250px-Relief_Map_of_Turkmenistan.png" decoding="async" width="250" height="177" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Relief_Map_of_Turkmenistan.png/375px-Relief_Map_of_Turkmenistan.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Relief_Map_of_Turkmenistan.png/500px-Relief_Map_of_Turkmenistan.png 2x" data-file-width="1237" data-file-height="878" /></a></span><div class="od notheme" style="top:66.713%;left:67.056%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-4px;top:-4px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Merv"><img alt="Merv" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg/8px-Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="8" height="8" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg/12px-Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg/16px-Archaeological_site_icon_%28red%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="16" data-file-height="16" /></span></span></div></div></div><div style="padding-top:0.2em">Merv (Turkmenistan)</div><span class="switcher-label" style="display:none">Show map of Turkmenistan</span></div></div></div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Alternative name</th><td class="infobox-data nickname">Alexandria<br />Antiochia in Margiana<br />Marw al-Shāhijān</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Region</th><td class="infobox-data label"><a href="/wiki/Central_Asia" title="Central Asia">Central Asia</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Coordinates</th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="geo-inline"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1156832818">.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}</style><span class="plainlinks nourlexpansion"><a class="external text" href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Merv&params=37_39_46_N_62_11_33_E_type:landmark"><span class="geo-default"><span class="geo-dms" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location"><span class="latitude">37°39′46″N</span> <span class="longitude">62°11′33″E</span></span></span><span class="geo-multi-punct"> / </span><span class="geo-nondefault"><span class="geo-dec" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location">37.66278°N 62.19250°E</span><span style="display:none"> / <span class="geo">37.66278; 62.19250</span></span></span></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Type</th><td class="infobox-data category">Settlement</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #eee;">History</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Abandoned</th><td class="infobox-data">1789</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Cultures</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Achaemenid_Empire" title="Achaemenid Empire">Persian</a>, <a href="/wiki/Buddhist" class="mw-redirect" title="Buddhist">Buddhist</a>, <a href="/wiki/Arab" class="mw-redirect" title="Arab">Arab</a>, <a href="/wiki/Great_Seljuq_Empire" class="mw-redirect" title="Great Seljuq Empire">Seljuk</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mongols" title="Mongols">Mongol</a>, <a href="/wiki/Turkmen_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Turkmen people">Turkmen</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #eee;">Site notes</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Condition</th><td class="infobox-data">In ruins</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #eee;"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546" /></th></tr><tr class="mergedrow"><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546" /><div style="border:4px solid #0177D3; line-height: 1.5; text-align: center;"> <a href="/wiki/World_Heritage_Site" title="World Heritage Site">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a></div></th></tr><tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Official name</th><td class="infobox-data">State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv"</td></tr><tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Type</th><td class="infobox-data">Cultural</td></tr><tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Criteria</th><td class="infobox-data">ii, iii</td></tr><tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Designated</th><td class="infobox-data">1999 <small>(23rd <a href="/wiki/World_Heritage_Committee" title="World Heritage Committee">session</a>)</small></td></tr><tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Reference no.</th><td class="infobox-data"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/886">886</a></td></tr><tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Region</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Asia_and_Australasia" class="mw-redirect" title="List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia">Asia-Pacific</a></td></tr><tr style="display:none"><th colspan="2"> </th></tr><tr style="display:none"><th colspan="2"> </th></tr></tbody></table> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output 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a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:none!important}}</style><table class="sidebar sidebar-collapse nomobile nowraplinks" style="line-height:1.35em"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-top-image"><figure class="mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Faravahar_at_Behistun.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Faravahar_at_Behistun.jpg/240px-Faravahar_at_Behistun.jpg" decoding="async" width="240" height="116" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Faravahar_at_Behistun.jpg/360px-Faravahar_at_Behistun.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Faravahar_at_Behistun.jpg/480px-Faravahar_at_Behistun.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1450" data-file-height="698" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure></td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-title" style="font-size:130%;padding-bottom:0.4em">History of <a href="/wiki/Greater_Iran" title="Greater Iran">Greater Iran</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:lavender;text-align:center;color: var(--color-base)">Pre-Islamic</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><b><a href="/wiki/Before_Common_Era" class="mw-redirect" title="Before Common Era">BCE / BC</a></b> <table style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0px 0px;border:none"><tbody><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <i><a href="/wiki/Prehistory_of_Iran" title="Prehistory of Iran">Prehistory</a></i></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"></td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Kura%E2%80%93Araxes_culture" title="Kura–Araxes culture">Kura–Araxes culture</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> <abbr title="circa">c.</abbr> 3400 – c. 2000</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Helmand_culture" title="Helmand culture">Helmand culture</a>/<a href="/wiki/Jiroft_culture" title="Jiroft culture">Jiroft culture</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 3300-2200</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Proto-Elamite" class="mw-redirect" title="Proto-Elamite">Proto-Elamite civilization</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 3200–2800</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Elam" title="Elam">Elamite dynasties</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 2800–550</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Lullubi" title="Lullubi">Lullubi</a>/<a href="/wiki/Zamua" title="Zamua">Zamua</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 3100-675</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Marhasi" title="Marhasi">Marhaši</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 2550-2020</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Bactria%E2%80%93Margiana_Archaeological_Complex" title="Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex">Bactria–Margiana Complex</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 2400–1700</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Gutian_people" title="Gutian people">Gutian Dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 2141-2050</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Avestan_period" title="Avestan period">Avestan period</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> c. 1500 BCE – 500 BCE</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Mannaea" title="Mannaea">Kingdom of Mannai</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 10th–7th century</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Neo-Assyrian_Empire" title="Neo-Assyrian Empire">Neo-Assyrian Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 911–609</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Urartu" title="Urartu">Urartu</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 860–590</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Medes" title="Medes">Median Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 728–550</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Scythians" title="Scythians">Scythian Kingdom</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 652–625</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Achaemenid_Empire" title="Achaemenid Empire">Achaemenid Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 550–330</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Armenia_(antiquity)" title="Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)">Ancient kingdom of Armenia</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 331 BCE – 428 CE</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Seleucid_Empire" title="Seleucid Empire">Seleucid Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 330–150</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Iberia_(antiquity)" class="mw-redirect" title="Kingdom of Iberia (antiquity)">Caucasian Iberia</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> c. 302 BCE – 580 CE</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Greco-Bactrian_Kingdom" title="Greco-Bactrian Kingdom">Greco-Bactrian Kingdom</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 250–125</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Parthian_Empire" title="Parthian Empire">Parthian Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 248 BCE–224 CE</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Caucasian_Albania" title="Caucasian Albania">Caucasian Albania</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 2nd century BCE –<br />8th century CE</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Roman_Empire" title="Roman Empire">Roman Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 27 BCE – 330 CE</td></tr></tbody></table> <b><a href="/wiki/Common_Era" title="Common Era">CE / AD</a></b><hr /> <table style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0px 0px;border:none"><tbody><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Kushan_Empire" title="Kushan Empire">Kushan Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 30–275</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Sasanian_Empire" title="Sasanian Empire">Sasanian Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 224–651</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Afrighids" title="Afrighids">Afrighid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 305–995</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Hephthalites" title="Hephthalites">Hephthalite Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 425–557</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Turk_Shahis" title="Turk Shahis">Kabul Shahi kingdom</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 565–879</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Dabuyid_dynasty" title="Dabuyid dynasty">Dabuyid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 642–760</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Bagratid_Armenia" title="Bagratid Armenia">Bagratid Armenia</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 880s – 1045</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Alania" title="Alania">Alania</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 8th/9th century – 1238 / 9</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Georgia" title="Kingdom of Georgia">Kingdom of Georgia</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1008–1490</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:lavender;text-align:center;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Persia" title="Muslim conquest of Persia">Islamic</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0px 0px;border:none"><tbody><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Persia" title="Muslim conquest of Persia">Rashidun Caliphate</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 637–651</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Umayyad_Caliphate" title="Umayyad Caliphate">Umayyad Caliphate</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 661–750</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Abbasid_Caliphate" title="Abbasid Caliphate">Abbasid Caliphate</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 750–1258</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Shirvanshah" class="mw-redirect" title="Shirvanshah">Shirvanshah</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 799–1607</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Tahirid_dynasty" title="Tahirid dynasty">Tahirid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 821–873</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Dulafid_dynasty" title="Dulafid dynasty">Dulafid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 840–897</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Alid_dynasties_of_northern_Iran" title="Alid dynasties of northern Iran">Zaydis of Tabaristan</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 864–928</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Saffarid_dynasty" title="Saffarid dynasty">Saffarid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 861–1003</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Samanid_Empire" title="Samanid Empire">Samanid Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 819–999</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Sajid_dynasty" title="Sajid dynasty">Sajid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 889/90–929</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Ziyarid_dynasty" title="Ziyarid dynasty">Ziyarid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 928–1043</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Buyid_dynasty" title="Buyid dynasty">Buyid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 934–1055</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Sallarid_dynasty" title="Sallarid dynasty">Sallarid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 941–1062</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Ghaznavids" title="Ghaznavids">Ghaznavid Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 975–1187</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Ghurid_dynasty" title="Ghurid dynasty">Ghurid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> pre-879 – 1215</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Seljuk_Empire" title="Seljuk Empire">Seljuk Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1037–1194</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Khwarazmian_dynasty" class="mw-redirect" title="Khwarazmian dynasty">Khwarazmian dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1077–1231</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Sultanate_of_Rum" title="Sultanate of Rum">Sultanate of Rum</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1077–1307</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Salghurids" title="Salghurids">Salghurids</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1148–1282</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Ilkhanate" title="Ilkhanate">Ilkhanate</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1256–1353</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Kart_dynasty" title="Kart dynasty">Kart dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1231–1389</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Ottoman_Empire" title="Ottoman Empire">Ottoman Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1299–1923</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Muzaffarids_(Iran)" title="Muzaffarids (Iran)">Muzaffarid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1314–1393</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Chobanids" title="Chobanids">Chupanid dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1337–1357</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Jalairid_Sultanate" class="mw-redirect" title="Jalairid Sultanate">Jalairid Sultanate</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1339–1432</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Timurid_Empire" title="Timurid Empire">Timurid Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1370–1507</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Kara_Koyunlu" class="mw-redirect" title="Kara Koyunlu">Qara Qoyunlu Turcomans</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1407–1468</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Aq_Qoyunlu" title="Aq Qoyunlu">Aq Qoyunlu Turcomans</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1378–1508</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Safavid_dynasty" title="Safavid dynasty">Safavid Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1501–1722</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Mughal_Empire" title="Mughal Empire">Mughal Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1526–1857</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Hotak_dynasty" title="Hotak dynasty">Hotak dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1722–1729</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Afsharid_Iran" title="Afsharid Iran">Afsharid Iran</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1736–1750</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Zand_dynasty" title="Zand dynasty">Zand dynasty</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1750–1794</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Durrani_Empire" title="Durrani Empire">Durrani Empire</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1794–1826</td></tr><tr style="vertical-align:top"><td style="text-align:left;padding-right:0.2em"> <a href="/wiki/Qajar_Iran" title="Qajar Iran">Qajar Iran</a></td><td style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;white-space:nowrap"> 1794–1925</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar" style="padding-top:0;"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:History_of_Greater_Iran_sidebar" title="Template:History of Greater Iran sidebar"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:History_of_Greater_Iran_sidebar" title="Template talk:History of Greater Iran sidebar"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:History_of_Greater_Iran_sidebar" title="Special:EditPage/Template:History of Greater Iran sidebar"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>Merv</b> (<a href="/wiki/Turkmen_language" title="Turkmen language">Turkmen</a>: <i lang="tk">Merw</i>, <i><span title="Turkmen-language text"><span lang="tk-Cyrl">Мерв</span></span></i>, <span title="Turkmen-language text"><span lang="tk-Arab" dir="rtl">مرو</span></span>; <a href="/wiki/Persian_language" title="Persian language">Persian</a>: <span lang="fa" dir="rtl">مرو</span>, <small><a href="/wiki/Romanization_of_Persian" title="Romanization of Persian">romanized</a>: </small><span title="Persian-language romanization"><i lang="fa-Latn">Marv</i></span>), also known as the <b>Merve Oasis</b><sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup>,<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>a<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> was a major <a href="/wiki/Iranian_peoples" title="Iranian peoples">Iranian</a> city in <a href="/wiki/Central_Asia" title="Central Asia">Central Asia</a>, on the historical <a href="/wiki/Silk_Road" title="Silk Road">Silk Road</a>, near today's <a href="/wiki/Mary,_Turkmenistan" title="Mary, Turkmenistan">Mary, Turkmenistan</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> 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 <a href="/wiki/Achaemenid_Empire" title="Achaemenid Empire">Achaemenid Empire</a>, it was the center of the <a href="/wiki/Satrap" title="Satrap">satrapy</a> of <a href="/wiki/Margiana" title="Margiana">Margiana</a>. It was subsequently ruled by <a href="/wiki/Hellenistic_Period" class="mw-redirect" title="Hellenistic Period">Hellenistic Kings</a>, <a href="/wiki/Parthia" title="Parthia">Parthians</a>, <a href="/wiki/Sasanian_Empire" title="Sasanian Empire">Sasanians</a>, <a href="/wiki/Arabs" title="Arabs">Arabs</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ghaznavids" title="Ghaznavids">Ghaznavids</a>, <a href="/wiki/Seljuk_Turks" class="mw-redirect" title="Seljuk Turks">Seljuqs</a>, <a href="/wiki/Khwarazmian_dynasty" class="mw-redirect" title="Khwarazmian dynasty">Khwarazmians</a> and <a href="/wiki/Timurids" class="mw-redirect" title="Timurids">Timurids</a>, among others. </p><p>Merv was the capital city of several <a href="/wiki/Polity" title="Polity">polities</a> throughout its history. In the beginning of the 9th century, Merv was the seat of the <a href="/wiki/Caliph" class="mw-redirect" title="Caliph">caliph</a> <a href="/wiki/Al-Ma%27mun" title="Al-Ma'mun">al-Ma'mun</a> and the capital of the entire <a href="/wiki/Abbasid_caliphate" class="mw-redirect" title="Abbasid caliphate">Islamic caliphate</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Sourdel_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Sourdel-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It served later as the seat of the <a href="/wiki/Tahirid_dynasty" title="Tahirid dynasty">Tahirid</a> <a href="/wiki/Governor" title="Governor">governors</a> of <a href="/wiki/Greater_Khorasan" title="Greater Khorasan">Khorasan</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199933_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199933-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the 11th–12th centuries, Merv was the capital of the <a href="/wiki/Great_Seljuk_Empire" class="mw-redirect" title="Great Seljuk Empire">Great Seljuk Empire</a> and remained so until the latter's ultimate fall.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Around this time, Merv turned into a chief centre of <a href="/wiki/Islamic_science" class="mw-redirect" title="Islamic science">Islamic science</a> and <a href="/wiki/Islamic_culture" title="Islamic culture">culture</a>, attracting as well as producing renowned poets, musicians, physicians, mathematicians and astronomers. The great Persian <a href="/wiki/Polymath" title="Polymath">polymath</a> <a href="/wiki/Omar_Khayyam" title="Omar Khayyam">Omar Khayyam</a>, among others, spent a number of years working at the observatory in Merv. As Persian geographer and traveller <a href="/wiki/Al-Istakhri" class="mw-redirect" title="Al-Istakhri">al-Istakhri</a> wrote of Merv: "Of all the countries of <a href="/wiki/Greater_Iran" title="Greater Iran">Iran</a>, these people were noted for their talents and education." <a href="/wiki/Arabian_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Arabian people">Arab</a> geographer <a href="/wiki/Yaqut_al-Hamawi" title="Yaqut al-Hamawi">Yaqut al-Hamawi</a> counted as many as 10 giant libraries in Merv, including one within a major mosque that contained 12,000 volumes.<sup id="cite_ref-theguardian_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-theguardian-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Merv was also a popular place for <a href="/wiki/Pilgrimage" title="Pilgrimage">pilgrimage</a>, and several religions considered it holy. In <a href="/wiki/Zoroastrianism" title="Zoroastrianism">Zoroastrianism</a>, Merv (Mouru) was one of 16 perfect lands created by god <a href="/wiki/Ahura_Mazda" title="Ahura Mazda">Ahura Mazda</a>. Between the 5th and 11th centuries, Merv served as the seat of an <a href="/wiki/Nestorianism" title="Nestorianism">East Syrian</a> <a href="/wiki/Merv_(East_Syrian_Ecclesiastical_Province)" class="mw-redirect" title="Merv (East Syrian Ecclesiastical Province)">metropolitan province</a>. A descendant of the <a href="/wiki/Prophets_and_messengers_in_Islam" title="Prophets and messengers in Islam">Islamic prophet</a> <a href="/wiki/Muhammad" title="Muhammad">Muhammad</a>, 8th Imam of <a href="/wiki/Twelver_Shi%27ism" title="Twelver Shi'ism">Twelver Shia Islam</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ali_ar-Ridha" class="mw-redirect" title="Ali ar-Ridha">Ali ar-Ridha</a>, moved to Merv from <a href="/wiki/Baghdad" title="Baghdad">Baghdad</a> and resided there for several years.<sup id="cite_ref-imamreza.net_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-imamreza.net-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Al-Muqanna" title="Al-Muqanna">Al-Muqanna</a>, the "Veiled Prophet", who gained many followers by claiming to be an incarnation of God, was born and started his movement in Merv.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>During the 12th and 13th centuries, Merv may have been the world's largest city, with a population of up to 500,000. During this period, Merv was known as "Marw al-Shāhijān" (Merv the Great), and frequently referred to as the "capital of the eastern Islamic world". According to geographer <a href="/wiki/Yaqut_al-Hamawi" title="Yaqut al-Hamawi">Yaqut al-Hamawi</a>, the city and its structures were visible from a <a href="/wiki/Day%27s_journey" title="Day's journey">day's journey</a> away. In 1221, the city opened its gates to an invading <a href="/wiki/Mongol_Empire" title="Mongol Empire">Mongol</a> horde, resulting in <a href="/wiki/Destruction_under_the_Mongol_Empire" title="Destruction under the Mongol Empire">massive devastation</a>. Historical accounts contend that the entire population (including refugees) were killed; <a href="/wiki/Tolui_Khan" class="mw-redirect" title="Tolui Khan">Tolui Khan</a> is reputed to have slaughtered 700,000 people.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Though partly rebuilt after the Mongol destruction, the city never regained its former prosperity. Between 1788 and 1789, the city was razed by <a href="/wiki/Shah_Murad" title="Shah Murad">Shah Murad</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Emirate_of_Bukhara" title="Emirate of Bukhara">Emirate of Bukhara</a> for the last time, and its population deported. By the 1800s, under pressure from the Russians, the area surrounding Merv was completely deserted.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999122–123_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999122–123-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-theguardian_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-theguardian-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Today the site is preserved by the Government of <a href="/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan</a> as the State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv". It was established in 1987 and is regulated by Turkmenistan's legislation. It is the oldest and most perfectly preserved of the oasis cities along the historical Silk Road in Central Asia. A few buildings and structures still stand today, especially those constructed in the last two millennia. <a href="/wiki/UNESCO" title="UNESCO">UNESCO</a> has listed the site of ancient Merv as a <a href="/wiki/World_Heritage_Site" title="World Heritage Site">World Heritage Site</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-unesco_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-unesco-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Mausoleum_of_Sultan_Sanjar_with_Camel_(42400295421).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Photograph of the remnants of Merv today including a citadel wall and a domed building" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Mausoleum_of_Sultan_Sanjar_with_Camel_%2842400295421%29.jpg/330px-Mausoleum_of_Sultan_Sanjar_with_Camel_%2842400295421%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="184" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Mausoleum_of_Sultan_Sanjar_with_Camel_%2842400295421%29.jpg/500px-Mausoleum_of_Sultan_Sanjar_with_Camel_%2842400295421%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Mausoleum_of_Sultan_Sanjar_with_Camel_%2842400295421%29.jpg/960px-Mausoleum_of_Sultan_Sanjar_with_Camel_%2842400295421%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3658" data-file-height="2242" /></a><figcaption>Ancient city of Merv, present day</figcaption></figure> <p>Merv has prehistoric roots: archaeological surveys have revealed many traces of village life as far back as the 3rd millennium BC and have associated the area culturally with the <a href="/wiki/Bactria-Margiana_Archaeological_Complex" class="mw-redirect" title="Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex">Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex</a>. The geography of the <a href="/wiki/Zend-Avesta" class="mw-redirect" title="Zend-Avesta">Zend-Avesta</a> (commentaries on the <a href="/wiki/Avesta" title="Avesta">Avesta</a>) mentions Merv (under the name of <i>Mouru</i>) along with <a href="/wiki/Balkh" title="Balkh">Balkh</a>. In <a href="/wiki/Zoroastrianism" title="Zoroastrianism">Zoroastrianism</a>, the god <a href="/wiki/Ahura_Mazda" title="Ahura Mazda">Ahura Mazda</a> created Mouru as one of sixteen perfect lands.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Under the <a href="/wiki/Achaemenid_Empire" title="Achaemenid Empire">Achaemenid Empire</a> (c. 550–330 BC), the historical record mentions Merv as a place of some importance: under the name of <i>Margu</i>, it occurs as part of one <a href="/wiki/Satrap" title="Satrap">satrapy</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Behistun_inscriptions" class="mw-redirect" title="Behistun inscriptions">Behistun inscriptions</a> (c. 515 BC) of the <a href="/wiki/Persia" class="mw-redirect" title="Persia">Persian</a> monarch <a href="/wiki/Darius_the_Great" title="Darius the Great">Darius the Great</a>. The first city of Merv was founded in the 6th century BC as part of the <a href="/wiki/Achaemenid" class="mw-redirect" title="Achaemenid">Achaemenid</a> expansion into the region of <a href="/wiki/Cyrus_the_Great" title="Cyrus the Great">Cyrus the Great</a> (559–530 BC), but later strata deeply cover the Achaemenid levels at the site.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Hellenistic_era">Hellenistic era</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Hellenistic era"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Coin_of_Shapur_III,_Merv_mint.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="See caption" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Coin_of_Shapur_III%2C_Merv_mint.jpg/250px-Coin_of_Shapur_III%2C_Merv_mint.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="148" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Coin_of_Shapur_III%2C_Merv_mint.jpg/330px-Coin_of_Shapur_III%2C_Merv_mint.jpg 2x" data-file-width="395" data-file-height="390" /></a><figcaption>Coin of the <a href="/wiki/Sasanian_Empire" title="Sasanian Empire">Sassanian</a> king, <a href="/wiki/Shapur_III" title="Shapur III">Shapur III</a>, minted in Merv</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/Alexander_the_Great" title="Alexander the Great">Alexander the Great</a>'s visit to Merv is merely legendary, but the city was named Alexandria (<span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><span lang="grc">Ἀλεξάνδρεια</span></span>) after him for a time. After his death in 323 BC, it became the capital of the <a href="/wiki/Margu" class="mw-redirect" title="Margu">Province of Margiana</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Seleucid" class="mw-redirect" title="Seleucid">Seleucid</a>, <a href="/wiki/Greco-Bactrian_Kingdom" title="Greco-Bactrian Kingdom">Greco-Bactrian</a> (256–125 BC), <a href="/wiki/Parthia" title="Parthia">Parthian</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Sassanid_dynasty" class="mw-redirect" title="Sassanid dynasty">Sassanid</a> states.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Seleucid ruler <a href="/wiki/Antiochus_Soter" class="mw-redirect" title="Antiochus Soter">Antiochus Soter</a> (reigned 281–261 BC) renamed it to Antiochia Margiana. He rebuilt and expanded the city at the site presently known as <a href="/wiki/Gyaur_Gala" class="mw-redirect" title="Gyaur Gala">Gyaur Gala</a> fortress. <a href="/wiki/Isidore_of_Charax" title="Isidore of Charax">Isidore of Charax</a> wrote Antiochia was called the "unwatered" (<span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><span lang="grc">Ἄνυδρος</span></span>).<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Parthian_era">Parthian era</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Parthian era"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>After the fall of the Seleucid dynasty (63 BC), <a href="/wiki/Bactria" title="Bactria">Bactria</a>,<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (July 2016)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Parthia, and the <a href="/wiki/Kushans" class="mw-redirect" title="Kushans">Kushans</a> took control in succession. In 53 BC, some 10,000 Roman prisoners of war from the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Carrhae" title="Battle of Carrhae">Battle of Carrhae</a> appear to have been deported to Merv.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Merv was a major city of <a href="/wiki/Buddhist" class="mw-redirect" title="Buddhist">Buddhist</a> learning, with Buddhist monastery temples for many centuries until its Islamisation.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> At the site of Gyaur Kala and <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk"><a href="/wiki/Ba%C3%BDramaly" title="Baýramaly">Baýramaly</a></i></span>, Buddhism was followed and practised often at the local Buddhist <a href="/wiki/Stupa" title="Stupa">stupas</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Sasanian_era">Sasanian era</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Sasanian era"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:%E7%8E%8B%E4%BC%9A%E5%9B%BE_%E9%9D%BA%E5%9C%8B_(Merv).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/%E7%8E%8B%E4%BC%9A%E5%9B%BE_%E9%9D%BA%E5%9C%8B_%28Merv%29.jpg/250px-%E7%8E%8B%E4%BC%9A%E5%9B%BE_%E9%9D%BA%E5%9C%8B_%28Merv%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="321" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/%E7%8E%8B%E4%BC%9A%E5%9B%BE_%E9%9D%BA%E5%9C%8B_%28Merv%29.jpg/330px-%E7%8E%8B%E4%BC%9A%E5%9B%BE_%E9%9D%BA%E5%9C%8B_%28Merv%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="378" data-file-height="808" /></a><figcaption>Ambassador of Merv (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant">靺國</span></span> <i>Moguo</i>) to the <a href="/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Wanghuitu" class="mw-redirect" title="Wanghuitu">Wanghuitu</a></i> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant">王會圖</span></span>), circa 650 CE.</figcaption></figure> <p>After the Sasanid <a href="/wiki/Ardashir_I" title="Ardashir I">Ardashir I</a> (220–240 AD) took Merv, the study of <a href="/wiki/Numismatics" title="Numismatics">numismatics</a> picks up the thread: the unbroken series of coins originally minted at Merv document a long unbroken direct Sassanian rule of almost four centuries. During this period Merv was home to practitioners of various religions beside the official Sassanid <a href="/wiki/Zoroastrianism" title="Zoroastrianism">Zoroastrianism</a>, including Buddhists, <a href="/wiki/Manichaeism" title="Manichaeism">Manichaeans</a>, and Christians of the <a href="/wiki/Church_of_the_East" title="Church of the East">Church of the East</a>. Between the 5th and 11th centuries, Merv served as the seat of an <a href="/wiki/Nestorianism" title="Nestorianism">East Syrian</a> <a href="/wiki/Merv_(East_Syrian_Ecclesiastical_Province)" class="mw-redirect" title="Merv (East Syrian Ecclesiastical Province)">metropolitan province</a>. The first bishop was <a href="/wiki/Barshabba" title="Barshabba">Barshabba</a> (c.360/424). The <a href="/wiki/Hephthalite" class="mw-redirect" title="Hephthalite">Hephthalite</a> occupation from the end of the 5th century to 565 AD briefly interrupted Sassanid rule.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Arab_conquest_and_influence">Arab conquest and influence</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Arab conquest and influence"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid 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.navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Muslim_conquest_of_Persia4168" style="margin:0;float:right;clear:right;width:25.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;margin-left:1em;;padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks navbox-vertical mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231" /><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Campaignbox_Muslim_conquest_of_Persia" title="Template:Campaignbox Muslim conquest of Persia"><abbr title="View this template" style="color:inherit">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Campaignbox_Muslim_conquest_of_Persia" title="Template talk:Campaignbox Muslim conquest of Persia"><abbr title="Discuss this template" style="color:inherit">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Campaignbox_Muslim_conquest_of_Persia" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Campaignbox Muslim conquest of Persia"><abbr title="Edit this template" style="color:inherit">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Muslim_conquest_of_Persia4168" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><span style="line-height:1.6em"><a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Persia" title="Muslim conquest of Persia">Muslim conquest <br /> of Persia</a></span></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><b><a href="/wiki/Arab_conquest_of_Mesopotamia" title="Arab conquest of Mesopotamia">Mesopotamia</a></b> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Chains" title="Battle of Chains">Chains</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_River" title="Battle of River">River</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Walaja" title="Battle of Walaja">Walaja</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ullais" title="Battle of Ullais">Ullais</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Hira" title="Battle of Hira">Hira</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Al-Anbar" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Al-Anbar">Al-Anbar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ayn_al-Tamr" title="Battle of Ayn al-Tamr">Ayn al-Tamr</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Husayd" title="Battle of Husayd">Husayd</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Muzayyah" title="Battle of Muzayyah">Muzayyah</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Saniyy" title="Battle of Saniyy">Saniyy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Zumail" title="Battle of Zumail">Zumail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Firaz" title="Battle of Firaz">Firaz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Babylon_(634)" title="Battle of Babylon (634)">1st Babylon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Namaraq" title="Battle of Namaraq">Namaraq</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kaskar" title="Battle of Kaskar">Kaskar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bridge" title="Battle of the Bridge">Bridge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Buwaib" title="Battle of Buwaib">Buwaib</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_al-Q%C4%81disiyyah" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of al-Qādisiyyah">al-Qādisiyyah</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Burs" title="Battle of Burs">Burs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Babylon_(636)" title="Battle of Babylon (636)">2nd Babylon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Ctesiphon_(637)" title="Siege of Ctesiphon (637)">Ctesiphon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Jalula" title="Battle of Jalula">Jalula</a></li></ul> <p><b><a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Khuzestan" title="Muslim conquest of Khuzestan">Khuzestan</a></b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Shushtar" title="Siege of Shushtar">Shushtar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Gundishapur" title="Siege of Gundishapur">Gundishapur</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Bayrudh" title="Battle of Bayrudh">Bayrudh</a></li></ul> <p><b>Central Persia</b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Nah%C4%81vand" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Nahāvand">Nahavand</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Spahan" title="Battle of Spahan">Spahan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Waj_Rudh" title="Battle of Waj Rudh">Waj Rudh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ray_(651)" title="Battle of Ray (651)">Ray</a></li></ul> <p><b><a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Northern_Persia" title="Muslim conquest of Northern Persia">Northern Persia</a></b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Azerbaijan" title="Muslim conquest of Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Tabaristan" class="mw-redirect" title="Muslim conquest of Tabaristan">Tabaristan</a></li></ul> <p><b>Caucasus</b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Arab_conquest_of_Armenia" class="mw-redirect" title="Arab conquest of Armenia">Armenia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Caucasian_Albania#Islamic_era" title="Caucasian Albania">Albania</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Arab_rule_in_Georgia#First_conquests_and_installation_of_Arab_domination_(645–736)" title="Arab rule in Georgia">Iberia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Abd_al-Rahman_ibn_Rabiah" class="mw-redirect" title="Abd al-Rahman ibn Rabiah">Darband</a></li></ul> <p><b><a href="/wiki/Arab_conquest_of_Fars" title="Arab conquest of Fars">Pars</a></b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Bishapur_(643%E2%80%93644)" title="Battle of Bishapur (643–644)">Bishapur</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Istakhr_(650%E2%80%93653)" title="Battle of Istakhr (650–653)">Estakhr</a></li></ul> <p><b><a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Khorasan" title="Muslim conquest of Khorasan">Khorasan</a></b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Oxus_River" title="Battle of Oxus River">Oxus River</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Nishapur" title="Battle of Nishapur">Nishapur</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Herat_(652)" title="Siege of Herat (652)">Herat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Badghis" title="Battle of Badghis">Badghis</a></li></ul> <p><b>Other geographies</b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Kerman" title="Muslim conquest of Kerman">Kerman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Sistan" title="Muslim conquest of Sistan">Sakastan</a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Sassanian" class="mw-redirect" title="Sassanian">Sassanian</a> rule ended when the last Sassanian ruler, <a href="/wiki/Yazdegerd_III" title="Yazdegerd III">Yazdegerd III</a> (632–651) was killed near the city and the Sassanian military governor surrendered to the approaching Arab army. Representatives of the caliph, <a href="/wiki/Umar" title="Umar">Umar</a> occupied the city, which became the capital of the <a href="/wiki/Umayyad" class="mw-redirect" title="Umayyad">Umayyad</a> province of <a href="/wiki/Greater_Khorasan" title="Greater Khorasan">Khorasan</a>. In 671, <a href="/wiki/Ziyad_ibn_Abi_Sufyan" class="mw-redirect" title="Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan">Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan</a> sent 50,000 Arab troops to Merv as a colony. This colony retained its native <a href="/wiki/Kufa" title="Kufa">Kufan</a> sympathies and became the nucleus of Khurasan.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Using the city as their base, the Arabs, led by <a href="/wiki/Qutayba_ibn_Muslim" title="Qutayba ibn Muslim">Qutayba ibn Muslim</a> from 705 to 715, brought large parts of Central Asia, including <a href="/wiki/Balkh" title="Balkh">Balkh</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bukhara" title="Bukhara">Bukhara</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Fergana" title="Fergana">Fergana</a> under subjection. Merv, and Khorasan, in general, became one of the first parts of the <a href="/wiki/Persian_language" title="Persian language">Persian</a>-speaking world to become majority-<a href="/wiki/Muslim" class="mw-redirect" title="Muslim">Muslim</a>. Arab immigration to the area was substantial. A Chinese man captured at Talas, <a href="/wiki/Du_Huan" title="Du Huan">Du Huan</a>, was brought to <a href="/wiki/Baghdad" title="Baghdad">Baghdad</a> and toured the caliphate. He observed that in Merv, Khurasan, Arabs and Persians lived in mixed concentrations.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Merv gained renewed importance in February 748 when the Iranian general <a href="/wiki/Abu_Muslim" title="Abu Muslim">Abu Muslim</a> (d. 755) declared a new <a href="/wiki/Abbasid_dynasty" title="Abbasid dynasty">Abbasid dynasty</a> at Merv, expanding and re-founding the city, and, in the name of the <a href="/wiki/Abbasid" class="mw-redirect" title="Abbasid">Abbasid</a> line, used the city as a base of rebellion against the Umayyad caliphate. After the Abbasids established themselves in Baghdad, Abu Muslim continued to rule Merv as a semi-independent prince until his eventual assassination. Indeed, Merv operated as the centre of Abbasid partisanship for the duration of the <a href="/wiki/Abbasid_Revolution" class="mw-redirect" title="Abbasid Revolution">Abbasid Revolution</a> of 746–750, and became a consistent source of political support for the Abbasid rulers in Baghdad later on; the governorship of Khurasan at Merv was one of the most important political figures of the <a href="/wiki/Caliphate" title="Caliphate">Caliphate</a>. The influential <a href="/wiki/Barmakid" class="mw-redirect" title="Barmakid">Barmakid</a> family, based in Merv, played an important part in transferring Greek knowledge (established in Merv since the days of the <a href="/wiki/Seleucids" class="mw-redirect" title="Seleucids">Seleucids</a> and <a href="/wiki/Greco-Bactrians" class="mw-redirect" title="Greco-Bactrians">Greco-Bactrians</a>) into the Arab world.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Mausoleums_of_Two_Askhab_(42328549562).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Photograph of two domed, stone mausoleums" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Mausoleums_of_Two_Askhab_%2842328549562%29.jpg/250px-Mausoleums_of_Two_Askhab_%2842328549562%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="186" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Mausoleums_of_Two_Askhab_%2842328549562%29.jpg/375px-Mausoleums_of_Two_Askhab_%2842328549562%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Mausoleums_of_Two_Askhab_%2842328549562%29.jpg/500px-Mausoleums_of_Two_Askhab_%2842328549562%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4892" data-file-height="3648" /></a><figcaption>Mausoleums of Two <a href="/wiki/Companions_of_the_Prophet" title="Companions of the Prophet">Sahabi</a> brothers, <a href="/wiki/Buraydah_ibn_al-Husayb" title="Buraydah ibn al-Husayb">al-Aslamī</a> and <a href="/wiki/Al-Hakam_ibn_Amr_al-Ghifari" title="Al-Hakam ibn Amr al-Ghifari">al-Ghifari</a>, ancient Merv</figcaption></figure> <p>Throughout the Abbasid era, Merv remained the capital and most important city of Khurasan. During this time, the Arab historian <a href="/wiki/Al-Muqaddasi" class="mw-redirect" title="Al-Muqaddasi">Al-Muqaddasi</a> (c. 945/946–991) called Merv "delightful, fine, elegant, brilliant, extensive, and pleasant". Merv's architecture inspired the Abbasid re-planning of Baghdad. A 10th-century Arab historian, <a href="/wiki/Ibn_Hawqal" title="Ibn Hawqal">Ibn Hawqal</a>, wrote of Merv: "and in no other city are to be seen such palaces and groves, and gardens and streams".<sup id="cite_ref-theguardian_9-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-theguardian-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Merv was also known for its high-quality textiles. A 12th-century Arab geographer <a href="/wiki/Al-Idrisi" class="mw-redirect" title="Al-Idrisi">al-Idrisi</a> noted: "From this country is derived much silk as well as cotton of a superior quality under the name of Merv cotton, which is extremely soft." The <a href="/wiki/Islamic_world" class="mw-redirect" title="Islamic world">Islamic world</a> admired the elegant robes and silk turbans produced in Merv.<sup id="cite_ref-theguardian_9-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-theguardian-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The city was notable as a home for immigrants from the Arab lands and those from <a href="/wiki/Sogdia" title="Sogdia">Sogdia</a> and elsewhere in Central Asia.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the period from 813 to 818, the temporary residency of the caliph, <a href="/wiki/Al-Ma%27mun" title="Al-Ma'mun">al-Ma'mun</a> effectively made Merv the capital of the Muslim world and highlighted Merv's importance to the <a href="/wiki/Abbasids" class="mw-redirect" title="Abbasids">Abbasids</a>. A descendant of the Islamic prophet <a href="/wiki/Muhammad" title="Muhammad">Muhammad</a>, <a href="/wiki/8th_Imam" class="mw-redirect" title="8th Imam">8th Imam</a> of <a href="/wiki/Twelver_Shia" class="mw-redirect" title="Twelver Shia">Twelver Shia</a> Islam, <a href="/wiki/Ali_ar-Ridha" class="mw-redirect" title="Ali ar-Ridha">Ali ar-Ridha</a> moved to Merv and lived there for several years. Merv also became the centre of a major 8th-century Neo-<a href="/wiki/Mazdakite" class="mw-redirect" title="Mazdakite">Mazdakite</a> movement led by <a href="/wiki/Al-Muqanna" title="Al-Muqanna">al-Muqanna</a>, the "Veiled Prophet", who gained many followers by claiming to be an incarnation of God and heir to Abu Muslim; the <a href="/wiki/Khurramiyya" class="mw-redirect" title="Khurramiyya">Khurramiyya</a> inspired by him, persisted in Merv until the 12th century.<sup id="cite_ref-imamreza.net_10-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-imamreza.net-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Sourdel_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Sourdel-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>During this period Merv, like <a href="/wiki/Samarqand" class="mw-redirect" title="Samarqand">Samarqand</a> and Bukhara, functioned as one of the great cities of Muslim scholarship; the celebrated historian <a href="/wiki/Yaqut_al-Hamawi" title="Yaqut al-Hamawi">Yaqut</a> (1179–1229) studied in its libraries. Merv produced a number of scholars in various branches of knowledge, such as <a href="/wiki/Sharia" title="Sharia">Islamic law</a>, <i><a href="/wiki/Hadith" title="Hadith">hadith</a></i>, history, and literature. Several scholars have the name "Marwazi" (المروزي) designating them as hailing from Merv. The city continued to have a substantial Christian community. In 1009, the Archbishop of Merv sent a letter to the Patriarch at Baghdad asking that the <a href="/wiki/Keraites" title="Keraites">Keraites</a> be allowed to fast less than other Nestorian Christians.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Great <a href="/wiki/Iranian_peoples" title="Iranian peoples">Persian</a> <a href="/wiki/Polymath" title="Polymath">polymath</a> <a href="/wiki/Omar_Khayyam" title="Omar Khayyam">Omar Khayyam</a>, among others, spent several years working at the observatory in Merv. As Persian geographer and traveller <a href="/wiki/Al-Istakhri" class="mw-redirect" title="Al-Istakhri">al-Istakhri</a> wrote of Merv: "Of all the countries of <a href="/wiki/Greater_Iran" title="Greater Iran">Iran</a>, these people were noted for their talents and education." Yaqut al-Hamawi counted as many as 10 giant libraries in Merv, including one within a major mosque that contained 12,000 volumes.<sup id="cite_ref-theguardian_9-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-theguardian-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>As the caliphate weakened, Persian general <a href="/wiki/Tahir_ibn_Husayn" title="Tahir ibn Husayn">Tahir b. al -Husayn</a> and his <a href="/wiki/Tahirid" class="mw-redirect" title="Tahirid">Tahirid</a> dynasty replaced Arab rule in Merv in 821. The Tahirids ruled Merv from 821 to 873, followed by the <a href="/wiki/Saffarids" class="mw-redirect" title="Saffarids">Saffarids</a>, then the <a href="/wiki/Samanids" class="mw-redirect" title="Samanids">Samanids</a> and later the <a href="/wiki/Ghaznavids" title="Ghaznavids">Ghaznavids</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Turkmens_in_Merv">Turkmens in Merv</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Turkmens in Merv"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Maqama_38_Abu_Zayd_before_the_Governor_of_Merv_(Governor_detail).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Maqama_38_Abu_Zayd_before_the_Governor_of_Merv_%28Governor_detail%29.jpg/250px-Maqama_38_Abu_Zayd_before_the_Governor_of_Merv_%28Governor_detail%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="297" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Maqama_38_Abu_Zayd_before_the_Governor_of_Merv_%28Governor_detail%29.jpg/330px-Maqama_38_Abu_Zayd_before_the_Governor_of_Merv_%28Governor_detail%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Maqama_38_Abu_Zayd_before_the_Governor_of_Merv_%28Governor_detail%29.jpg/500px-Maqama_38_Abu_Zayd_before_the_Governor_of_Merv_%28Governor_detail%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1322" data-file-height="1784" /></a><figcaption>The Governor of Merv, wearing the Turkic <i><a href="/wiki/Sharb%C5%ABsh" class="mw-redirect" title="Sharbūsh">sharbūsh</a></i> hat, in <i><a href="/wiki/Maqamat_al-Hariri" title="Maqamat al-Hariri">Maqamat al-Hariri</a></i> (1200–1210).<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-MET2_34-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MET2-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <p>In 1037, the <a href="/wiki/Seljuqs" class="mw-redirect" title="Seljuqs">Seljuq Turkmens</a>, a clan of <a href="/wiki/Oghuz_Turks" title="Oghuz Turks">Oghuz Turks</a> moving from the steppes east of the <a href="/wiki/Aral_Sea" title="Aral Sea">Aral Sea</a>, peacefully took over Merv under the leadership of <a href="/wiki/Tughril" class="mw-redirect" title="Tughril">Tughril</a>—the Ghaznavid sultan <a href="/wiki/Mas%27ud_I_of_Ghazni" class="mw-redirect" title="Mas'ud I of Ghazni">Mas'ud I</a> was extremely unpopular in the city. Tughril's brother <a href="/wiki/Chaghri_Beg" title="Chaghri Beg">Chaghri</a> stayed in Merv as the Seljuq domains grew to include the rest of <a href="/wiki/Khurasan" class="mw-redirect" title="Khurasan">Khurasan</a> and Iran, and it subsequently became a favourite city of the Seljuq sultans. Chaghri, his son <a href="/wiki/Alp_Arslan" title="Alp Arslan">Alp Arslan</a> (sultan from 1063 to 1072) and great-grandson <a href="/wiki/Ahmad_Sanjar" title="Ahmad Sanjar">Ahmad Sanjar</a> (sultan from 1118 to 1157) were buried at Merv, the latter at the <a href="/wiki/Tomb_of_Ahmed_Sanjar" class="mw-redirect" title="Tomb of Ahmed Sanjar">Tomb of Ahmad Sanjar</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:SultanSanjarMausoleum1.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="See caption" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/SultanSanjarMausoleum1.jpg/250px-SultanSanjarMausoleum1.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="124" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/SultanSanjarMausoleum1.jpg/330px-SultanSanjarMausoleum1.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/SultanSanjarMausoleum1.jpg/500px-SultanSanjarMausoleum1.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3840" data-file-height="2160" /></a><figcaption>Mausoleum of the Seljuq sultan <a href="/wiki/Ahmad_Sanjar" title="Ahmad Sanjar">Ahmad Sanjar</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Nearing the end of the 11th century, Merv became the eastern capital of the <a href="/wiki/Seljuk_Empire#Division_of_empire" title="Seljuk Empire">split Seljuq state</a>. However, starting from 1118, it served as the capital of the whole empire.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> During this period, Merv expanded to its greatest size—Arab and Persian geographers termed it "the mother of the world", the "rendezvous of great and small", the "chief city of Khurasan" and the "capital of the eastern Islamic world". Written sources also attest to a large library and <a href="/wiki/Madrasa" title="Madrasa">madrasa</a> founded by <a href="/wiki/Nizam_al-Mulk" title="Nizam al-Mulk">Nizam al-Mulk</a>, vizier of the Seljuq empire, as well as many other major cultural institutions. Perhaps most importantly, Merv had a market described as "the best of the major cities of Iran and Khurasan".<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999123_37-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999123-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Sanjar's rule, marked by conflict with the <a href="/wiki/Kara-Khitai" class="mw-redirect" title="Kara-Khitai">Kara-Khitai</a> and <a href="/wiki/Khwarazmian_Empire" title="Khwarazmian Empire">Khwarazmians</a>, ended in 1153 when <a href="/wiki/Turkoman_(ethnonym)" title="Turkoman (ethnonym)">Turkmen</a> nomads from beyond the <a href="/wiki/Amu_Darya" title="Amu Darya">Amu Darya</a> pillaged the city. Subsequently, Merv changed hands from the Turkmen nomads to the <a href="/wiki/Ghurid_dynasty" title="Ghurid dynasty">Ghurids</a> in 1192, and to the <a href="/wiki/Khwarizmian_Empire" class="mw-redirect" title="Khwarizmian Empire">Khwarizmians</a> in 1204. According to <a href="/wiki/Tertius_Chandler" title="Tertius Chandler">Tertius Chandler</a>, by 1150 Merv was the world's largest city, with a population of 200,000.<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> By 1210, it may have had as many as 500,000 residents, preceding such medieval metropolises as <a href="/wiki/Constantinople" title="Constantinople">Constantinople</a> and Baghdad.<sup id="cite_ref-Modelski_39-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Modelski-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Chandler_40-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Chandler-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Mongols_in_Merv">Mongols in Merv</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Mongols in Merv"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Sultan_Sanjar_Mausoleum_(3)_(44747314854).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Photograph of the interior of a mausoleum showing a window and decorated tile on the walls" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Sultan_Sanjar_Mausoleum_%283%29_%2844747314854%29.jpg/220px-Sultan_Sanjar_Mausoleum_%283%29_%2844747314854%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Sultan_Sanjar_Mausoleum_%283%29_%2844747314854%29.jpg/330px-Sultan_Sanjar_Mausoleum_%283%29_%2844747314854%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Sultan_Sanjar_Mausoleum_%283%29_%2844747314854%29.jpg/440px-Sultan_Sanjar_Mausoleum_%283%29_%2844747314854%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3410" data-file-height="2558" /></a><figcaption>Inside the Mausoleum of Ahmad Sanjar</figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Merv_(1221)" title="Siege of Merv (1221)">Siege of Merv (1221)</a></div> <p>In 1221, Merv opened its gates to <a href="/wiki/Tolui" title="Tolui">Tolui</a>, son of <a href="/wiki/Genghis_Khan" title="Genghis Khan">Genghis Khan</a>, chief of the <a href="/wiki/Mongols" title="Mongols">Mongols</a>. Most of the inhabitants are said to have been butchered. Arab historian <a href="/wiki/Ibn_al-Athir" title="Ibn al-Athir">Ibn al-Athir</a> described the event basing his report on the narrative of Merv refugees: </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>Genghis Khan sat on a golden throne and ordered the troops who had been seized should be brought before him. When they were in front of him, they were executed and the people looked on and wept. When it came to the common people, they separated men, women, children and possessions. It was a memorable day for shrieking and weeping and wailing. They took the wealthy people and beat them and tortured them with all sorts of cruelties in the search for wealth ... Then they set fire to the city and burned the tomb of Sultan Sanjar and dug up his grave looking for money. They said, "These people have resisted us" so they killed them all. Then Genghis Khan ordered that the dead should be counted and there were around 700,000 corpses.<sup id="cite_ref-theguardian_9-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-theguardian-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <p>A Persian historian, <a href="/wiki/Ata-Malik_Juvayni" title="Ata-Malik Juvayni">Juvayni</a>, put the figure at more than 1,300,000.<sup id="cite_ref-Juvayni_41-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Juvayni-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Each individual soldier of the conquering army "was allotted the execution of three to four hundred persons", many of those soldiers being levies from <a href="/wiki/Sarakhs" title="Sarakhs">Sarakhs</a> who, because of their town's enmity toward Merv, "exceeded the ferocity of the heathen Mongols in the slaughter of their fellow-Muslims."<sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Almost the entire population of Merv, and refugees arriving from the other parts of the <a href="/wiki/Khwarazmian_Empire" title="Khwarazmian Empire">Khwarazmian Empire</a>, were slaughtered, making it one of the bloodiest captures of a city in world history.<sup id="cite_ref-43" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Excavations revealed the drastic rebuilding of the city's fortifications in the aftermath of their destruction, but the city's prosperity had passed. The Mongol invasion spelled the eclipse of Merv and other major centres for more than a century. After the Mongol conquest, Merv became part of the <a href="/wiki/Ilkhanate" title="Ilkhanate">Ilkhanate</a>, and it was consistently looted by <a href="/wiki/Chagatai_Khanate" title="Chagatai Khanate">Chagatai Khanate</a>. In the early part of the 14th century, the town became the seat of a Christian archbishopric of the Eastern Church under the rule of the <a href="/wiki/Kartids" class="mw-redirect" title="Kartids">Kartids</a>, vassals of the Ilkhanids. By 1380, Merv belonged to the empire of <a href="/wiki/Timur" title="Timur">Timur</a> (Tamerlane).<sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Uzbeks_in_Merv_and_its_final_destruction">Uzbeks in Merv and its final destruction</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Uzbeks in Merv and its final destruction"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%86%D9%87_%D8%AC%D9%86%DA%AF_%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88_%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87_%D9%82%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87%DB%8C_%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C%D9%84_%DB%8C%DA%A9%D9%85_(%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%AA_%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA)_%D9%88_%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A8%DA%A9_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87%DB%8C_%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%A8%DA%A9_%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%86%D9%87_%D8%AC%D9%86%DA%AF_%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88_%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87_%D9%82%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87%DB%8C_%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C%D9%84_%DB%8C%DA%A9%D9%85_%28%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%AA_%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%29_%D9%88_%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A8%DA%A9_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87%DB%8C_%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%A8%DA%A9_%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86.jpg/250px-thumbnail.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="132" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%86%D9%87_%D8%AC%D9%86%DA%AF_%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88_%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87_%D9%82%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87%DB%8C_%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C%D9%84_%DB%8C%DA%A9%D9%85_%28%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%AA_%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%29_%D9%88_%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A8%DA%A9_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87%DB%8C_%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%A8%DA%A9_%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86.jpg/330px-thumbnail.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%86%D9%87_%D8%AC%D9%86%DA%AF_%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88_%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87_%D9%82%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87%DB%8C_%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C%D9%84_%DB%8C%DA%A9%D9%85_%28%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%AA_%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%29_%D9%88_%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A8%DA%A9_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87%DB%8C_%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%A8%DA%A9_%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86.jpg/500px-thumbnail.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1938" data-file-height="1167" /></a><figcaption>Fresco depicting the Battle at Merv of 1510 between Shah Ismail I and the Uzbek Khan Muhammad Shaybani. Located at the <a href="/wiki/Chehel_Sotoun" title="Chehel Sotoun">Chehel Sotoun</a> Palace in <a href="/wiki/Isfahan" title="Isfahan">Isfahan</a>, Iran</figcaption></figure> <p>In 1505, the <a href="/wiki/Uzbeks" title="Uzbeks">Uzbeks</a> occupied Merv; five years later, <a href="/wiki/Shah_Ismail" class="mw-redirect" title="Shah Ismail">Shah Ismail</a>, the founder of the <a href="/wiki/Safavids" class="mw-redirect" title="Safavids">Safavid dynasty</a> of Iran, expelled them. In this period, a Persian nobleman restored a large dam (the "Soltanbent") on the river <a href="/wiki/Murgab_River_(Afghanistan)" class="mw-redirect" title="Murgab River (Afghanistan)">Murghab</a>, and the settlement which grew up in the irrigated area became known as <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Baýramaly</i></span>, as referenced in some 19th-century texts. </p><p>After Shah Ismail's death, the region became a dependency of <a href="/wiki/Khanate_of_Khiva" title="Khanate of Khiva">Khiva</a>, but in 1593 Merv was conquered by <a href="/wiki/Abdullah_Khan_II" title="Abdullah Khan II">Abdullah Khan</a> II of <a href="/wiki/Khanate_of_Bukhara" title="Khanate of Bukhara">Bukhara</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_45-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:1_46-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The city was soon captured by Shah Abbas, and a Safavid governor (Biktash Khan Ustajlu) was appointed to the governorship in 1600. In 1608, Mihrab Khan Qajar became governor, beginning two centuries of <a href="/wiki/Qajars_(tribe)" class="mw-redirect" title="Qajars (tribe)">Qajar</a> governorship over Merv.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_46-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> From 1715, the Qajar elite began to assert Merv's independence from the Safavid government, but within a decade the oasis became insecure due to raids by Tatars and Turkmens. Nader Shah launched military campaigns that cowed the Turkmens and Tatars and restored Merv's irrigation system.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_46-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After Nader Shah's death, the local Qajars in the region declared independence and formed the <a href="/wiki/Qajar_Principality_of_Merv" class="mw-redirect" title="Qajar Principality of Merv">Qajar Principality of Merv</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_45-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:1_46-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:2_47-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:2-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>46<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1785, the <a href="/wiki/Manghit" class="mw-redirect" title="Manghit">Manghit</a> amir of Bukhara, <a href="/wiki/Shah_Murad" title="Shah Murad">Shah Murad</a>, attacked the city and killed the ruler, Bayram 'Ali Khan Qajar.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_46-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:2_47-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:2-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>46<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A few years later, in 1788 and 1789, Shah Murad razed the city to the ground, and broke down the dams, leaving the area a waste land.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify" title="Wikipedia:Please clarify"><span title="The reason for this is unclear. (May 2021)">why?</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The entire population of the city and the surrounding oasis of about 100,000 were then deported in several stages to the Bukharan oasis and the <a href="/wiki/Samarkand" title="Samarkand">Samarkand</a> region in the <a href="/wiki/Zarafshan" class="mw-redirect" title="Zarafshan">Zarafshan</a> Valley. Being the last remaining Persian-speaking <a href="/wiki/Shias" class="mw-redirect" title="Shias">Shias</a>, the deportees resisted assimilation into the Sunni population of Bukhara and Samarkand, despite the common Persian language they spoke with most natives. These Marvis survive as of 2016<sup class="plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update" style="display:none;"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit">[update]</a></sup>—Soviet censuses listed them as "<a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran">Iranis</a>/Iranians" through the 1980s. They live in Samarkand and Bukhara and the area in between on the Zarafshan river. They are listed as Persian speaking but counted separately from the local <a href="/wiki/Tajiks" title="Tajiks">Tajiks</a> because of their Shia religion and their maintaining of their ancient Mervi identity.<sup id="cite_ref-48" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-48"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>47<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Nineteenth_century">Nineteenth century</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Nineteenth century"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><table class="sidebar sidebar-collapse nomobile vcard plainlist"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-title"><div class="sidebar-pretitle" style="margin: -0.2em 0; font-size:69%; font-weight:normal;">Part of <a href="/wiki/Category:History_of_Turkmenistan" title="Category:History of Turkmenistan">a series</a> on the</div></th> </tr><tr> <th class="sidebar-title-with-pretitle" style=""><a href="/wiki/History_of_Turkmenistan" title="History of Turkmenistan">History of <span class="fn org label">Turkmenistan</span></a></th> </tr><tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0.4em; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc;"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:%D0%91%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8D_%D0%9B._%D0%9B.,_%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B2_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BC_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B5_(1914).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt=""Turkmens at the gates of the ancient city of Merv, 1914"" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/%D0%91%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8D_%D0%9B._%D0%9B.%2C_%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B2_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BC_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B5_%281914%29.jpg/200px-%D0%91%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8D_%D0%9B._%D0%9B.%2C_%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B2_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BC_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B5_%281914%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="115" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/%D0%91%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8D_%D0%9B._%D0%9B.%2C_%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B2_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BC_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B5_%281914%29.jpg/300px-%D0%91%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8D_%D0%9B._%D0%9B.%2C_%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B2_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BC_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B5_%281914%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/%D0%91%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8D_%D0%9B._%D0%9B.%2C_%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B2_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BC_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B5_%281914%29.jpg/400px-%D0%91%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8D_%D0%9B._%D0%9B.%2C_%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B2_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BC_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B5_%281914%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2170" data-file-height="1245" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Antiquity</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Turkmenistan#Ancient_history" title="History of Turkmenistan">Ancient history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jeitun#Jeitun_culture" title="Jeitun">Jeitun culture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gonur_Depe" title="Gonur Depe">Gonur Depe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bactria%E2%80%93Margiana_Archaeological_Complex" title="Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex">Oxus civilization</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Massagetae" title="Massagetae">Massagetae</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Median_Empire" class="mw-redirect" title="Median Empire">Median Empire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Achaemenid_Empire" title="Achaemenid Empire">Achaemenid Empire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seleucid_Empire" title="Seleucid Empire">Seleucid Empire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greco-Bactrian_Kingdom" title="Greco-Bactrian Kingdom">Greco-Bactrian Kingdom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parthian_Empire" title="Parthian Empire">Parthian dynasty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kushan_Empire" title="Kushan Empire">Kushan Empire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Turkmenistan#The_ten_tribe_Proto-Turkic_tribal_confederation" title="History of Turkmenistan">Proto-Turks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sassanian_Empire" class="mw-redirect" title="Sassanian Empire">Sassanian Empire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kidarites" title="Kidarites">Kidarite Kingdom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hephthalite_Empire" class="mw-redirect" title="Hephthalite Empire">Hephthalite Empire</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Middle Ages</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Turkmenistan#Arab_conquests_and_Islamization" title="History of Turkmenistan">Islamic period</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rashidun_Caliphate" title="Rashidun Caliphate">Rashidun Caliphate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Umayyad_Caliphate" title="Umayyad Caliphate">Umayyads</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Abbasid_Caliphate" title="Abbasid Caliphate">Abbasids</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tahirid_dynasty" title="Tahirid dynasty">Tahirids</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saffarid_dynasty" title="Saffarid dynasty">Saffarids</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Samanid_Empire" title="Samanid Empire">Samanids</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Turkmenistan#Oghuz_tribes" title="History of Turkmenistan">Oghuz Turkomans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ghaznavids" title="Ghaznavids">Ghaznavid Empire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seljuk_Empire" title="Seljuk Empire">Seljuk Turkomans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Khwarazmian_Empire" title="Khwarazmian Empire">Khwarazmians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mongol_invasion_of_the_Khwarazmian_Empire" title="Mongol invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire">Mongol conquest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chagatai_Khanate" title="Chagatai Khanate">Chagatai Khanate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ilkhanate" title="Ilkhanate">Ilkhanate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kart_dynasty" title="Kart dynasty">Karts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timurid_Empire" title="Timurid Empire">Timurids</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Early modern history</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Khanate_of_Khiva" title="Khanate of Khiva">Khanate of Khiva</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Emirate_of_Bukhara" title="Emirate of Bukhara">Emirate of Bukhara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Safavid_Iran" title="Safavid Iran">Safavid Iran</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Turkmenistan#Turkmenistan_in_the_16th_and_17th_centuries" title="History of Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan in the 16th and 17th centuries</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Afsharid_Iran" title="Afsharid Iran">Afsharid Iran</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Qajar_Iran" title="Qajar Iran">Qajar Iran</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Modern history</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Turkmenistan#Russian_Colonization_and_Great_Game" title="History of Turkmenistan">Russian conquest and the Great Game</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transcaspian_Oblast" title="Transcaspian Oblast">Transcaspian Oblast</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Turkmenistan#Revolution_and_civil_war" title="History of Turkmenistan">October Revolution and Civil War</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Turkestan_Autonomous_Soviet_Socialist_Republic" title="Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic">Soviet rule</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Turkmen_Soviet_Socialist_Republic" title="Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic">Turkmenistan SSR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan">After Independence</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Related historical regions</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><div class="hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hyrcania" title="Hyrcania">Hyrcania</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sogdia" title="Sogdia">Sogdia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Margiana" title="Margiana">Margiana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greater_Iran" title="Greater Iran">Greater Iran</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greater_Khorasan" title="Greater Khorasan">Greater Khorasan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Khwarazm" title="Khwarazm">Khwarazm</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transcaspian_Oblast" title="Transcaspian Oblast">Transcaspia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Turkmen_Soviet_Socialist_Republic" title="Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic">Turkmenia</a></li></ul> </div></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-below"> <span class="nowrap"><span class="mw-image-border noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="flag" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg/20px-Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="17" height="11" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg/40px-Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg.png 1.5x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Turkmenistan" title="Portal:Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan portal</a></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231" /><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:History_of_Turkmenistan" title="Template:History of Turkmenistan"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:History_of_Turkmenistan" title="Template talk:History of Turkmenistan"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:History_of_Turkmenistan" title="Special:EditPage/Template:History of Turkmenistan"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Merv passed to the <a href="/wiki/Khanate_of_Khiva" title="Khanate of Khiva">Khanate of Khiva</a> in 1823. Sir <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Burnes" title="Alexander Burnes">Alexander Burnes</a> traversed the country in 1832. About this time, the Persians forced the <a href="/wiki/Teke_tribe" class="mw-redirect" title="Teke tribe">Tekke</a> <a href="/wiki/Turkmen_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Turkmen people">Turkmens</a>, then living on the <a href="/wiki/Hari_River,_Afghanistan" class="mw-redirect" title="Hari River, Afghanistan">Tejen River</a>, to migrate northward. Khiva contested the Tekkes' advance, but in about 1856, the latter became the sovereign power in the country, and remained so until the <a href="/wiki/Russians" title="Russians">Russians</a> occupied the oasis in 1884. By 1868, the Russians had taken most of what would become <a href="/wiki/Russian_Central_Asia" class="mw-redirect" title="Russian Central Asia">Russian Central Asia</a> except <a href="/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan</a>. The Russians approached this area from the Caspian, and in 1881, they <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Geok_Tepe" title="Battle of Geok Tepe">captured Geok Tepe in one of the bloodiest battles in the region</a>. Much of the civilian population that was unable to flee was later massacred by the Russian troops. The Russians further occupied the oasis of <a href="/wiki/Tejen" title="Tejen">Tejen</a>, eighty miles to the west. The next Russian move was south <a href="/wiki/Pandjeh_Incident" class="mw-redirect" title="Pandjeh Incident">toward Herat</a>. By 1888, the city was entirely abandoned.<sup id="cite_ref-49" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>48<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-50" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-50"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>A future viceroy of <a href="/wiki/British_India" class="mw-redirect" title="British India">British India</a>, <a href="/wiki/George_Curzon,_1st_Marquess_Curzon_of_Kedleston" title="George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston">George Curzon</a> visited the remains of Merv in 1888. He later wrote: "In the midst of an absolute wilderness of crumbling brick and clay, the spectacle of walls, towers, ramparts and domes, stretching in bewildering confusion to the horizon, reminds us that we are in the centre of bygone greatness."<sup id="cite_ref-theguardian_9-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-theguardian-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Remains">Remains</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Remains"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Some exploratory excavations at Merv were conducted in 1885<sup id="cite_ref-51" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-51"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>50<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> by the Russian general A. V. Komarov, the governor of the Transcaspian oblast, 1883–1889; Komarov employed his troops as excavators and published his collection of trophy artifacts and coins from the area in 1900.<sup id="cite_ref-52" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-52"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>51<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Valentin Alekseevich Zhukovsky of the Imperial Archaeological Commission directed the first fully professional dig in 1890 and published in 1894. Geologist <a href="/wiki/Raphael_Pumpelly" title="Raphael Pumpelly">Raphael Pumpelly</a> and a German archaeologist, Hubert Schmidt, directed the American Carnegie Institute's excavations.<sup id="cite_ref-53" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-53"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>52<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Merv is the focus of the Ancient Merv Project (initially called the International Merv Project).<sup id="cite_ref-54" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-54"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>53<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> From 1992 to 2000, a joint team of archaeologists from Turkmenistan and the UK have made remarkable discoveries. In 2001, the <a href="/wiki/UCL_Institute_of_Archaeology" title="UCL Institute of Archaeology">Institute of Archaeology</a>, <a href="/wiki/University_College_London" title="University College London">University College London</a> and the Turkmen authorities started a new collaboration. This Ancient Merv Project is concerned with the complex conservation and management issues posed by this site, furthering understanding of the site through archaeological research, and disseminating the results of the work to the widest possible audience.<sup id="cite_ref-55" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-55"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>54<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Organization_of_remains">Organization of remains</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Organization of remains"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Merv consists of a few discrete walled cities very near to each other constructed on uninhabited land by builders of different eras, used, and then abandoned and never rebuilt. Four walled cities correspond to the chief periods of Merv's importance: the oldest, Erkgala, corresponds to Achaemenid Merv, the smallest of the three. <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> (also known as Gyaur Gala), which surrounds Erkgala, comprises the <a href="/wiki/Hellenistic" class="mw-redirect" title="Hellenistic">Hellenistic</a> and Sassanian <a href="/wiki/City" title="City">metropolis</a> and also served as an <a href="/wiki/Industrial_suburb" title="Industrial suburb">industrial suburb</a> to the Abbasid/Seljuk city, Soltangala—by far the largest of the three. The smaller <a href="/wiki/Timurid_dynasty" title="Timurid dynasty">Timurid</a> city was founded a short distance to the south and is now called Abdyllahangala. Other ancient buildings are scattered between and around these four cities; all the sites are preserved in the "Ancient Merv Archaeological Park" just north of the modern village of <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Baýramaly</i></span> and 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of the large Soviet-built city of Mary.<sup id="cite_ref-56" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-56"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>55<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Erk_Gala">Erk Gala</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Erk Gala"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Mervturkmenistan.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Aerial photograph of the circular remains of Merv called Erk Gala" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Mervturkmenistan.jpg/260px-Mervturkmenistan.jpg" decoding="async" width="260" height="174" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Mervturkmenistan.jpg/390px-Mervturkmenistan.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Mervturkmenistan.jpg/520px-Mervturkmenistan.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2000" data-file-height="1339" /></a><figcaption>The oldest part of Merv, known as Erk Gala</figcaption></figure><p> Erk Gala (from Persian, "the citadel fort") is the oldest part of the city of Merv complex. Built in the 7th century BC, Erk Gala was built as a Persian Style fortress controlling the <a href="/wiki/Oasis" title="Oasis">oasis</a> on the <a href="/wiki/Murghab_River" class="mw-redirect" title="Murghab River">Murghab River</a>. The Erk Gala fortress later served as the <a href="/wiki/Acropolis" title="Acropolis">acropolis</a> for the Hellenistic city and later the Arc of the Islamic city.<sup id="cite_ref-57" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-57"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>56<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Gäwürgala"><span id="G.C3.A4w.C3.BCrgala"></span>Gäwürgala</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Gäwürgala"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The foundation of <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> (Turkmen from the Persian "<a href="/wiki/Gabr" title="Gabr">Gabr</a> Qala", "Fortress of the <a href="/wiki/Zoroastrians" class="mw-redirect" title="Zoroastrians">Zoroastrians</a>") occurred in the early Hellenistic era under the rule of the Seleucid king <a href="/wiki/Antiochus_I" class="mw-redirect" title="Antiochus I">Antiochus I</a>. The city was continuously inhabited under a series of Hellenistic rulers, by the <a href="/wiki/Parthian_Empire" title="Parthian Empire">Parthians</a>, and then under the Sassanids, who made it the capital of a satrapy. <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> was the capital of the Umayyad province of Khurasan and grew in importance as Khurasan became the most loyally Muslim part of the Iranian world during Islam's first two centuries.<sup id="cite_ref-58" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-58"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>57<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span>'s most visible remaining structures are its defensive installations. Three walls, one built atop the next, are in evidence. A Seleucid wall, graduated in the interior and straight on the exterior, forms a platform for the second, larger wall, built of mudbricks and stepped on the interior. The form of this wall is like other Hellenistic fortresses found in <a href="/wiki/Anatolia" title="Anatolia">Anatolia</a>, though this is unique for being made of mudbrick instead of stone. The third wall is possibly Sassanian and is built of larger bricks. Surrounding the wall were a variety of pottery sherds, particularly Parthian ones. The size of these fortifications is evidence of Merv's importance during the pre-Islamic era; no pre-Islamic fortifications of comparable size have been found anywhere in the <a href="/wiki/Garagum" class="mw-redirect" title="Garagum">Garagum</a>. <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> is also important for the vast amount of numismatic evidence it has revealed; an unbroken series of Sassanian coins has been found there, hinting the extraordinary political stability of this period. Even after the foundation of Soltangala by Abu Muslim at the start of the Abbasid dynasty, <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> persisted as a suburb of the larger Soltangala. In <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> are concentrated many Abbasid-era "industrial" buildings: pottery kilns, steel, iron and copper-working workshops and so on. A well-preserved pottery kiln has an intact vaulted arch support and a square firepit. <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> seems to have been the craftsmen's quarters throughout the Abbasid and pre-Seljuk periods.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (October 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Soltangala">Soltangala</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Soltangala"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Ice_House,_Merv_(3891851361).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="See caption" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851361%29.jpg/240px-Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851361%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="240" height="180" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851361%29.jpg/360px-Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851361%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851361%29.jpg/480px-Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851361%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="900" /></a><figcaption>7th century Great Ice House, Merv</figcaption></figure> <p>Soltangala (from "Sultan Qala", the sultan's fortress) is by far the largest of Merv's cities. Textual sources establish it was Abu Muslim, the leader of the Abbasid rebellion, who symbolised the beginning of the new Caliphate by commissioning monumental structures to the west of the <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> walls, in what then became Soltangala.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199930–34_59-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199930–34-59"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>58<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The area was quickly walled and became the core of medieval Merv; the many Abbasid-era <i>köshks</i> (fortified building) discovered in and outside Soltangala attest to the centuries of prosperity which followed. <i>Kushks</i> (Persian, <i>Kushk</i>, "pavilion", "kiosk"), which comprise the chief remains of Abbasid Merv, are a building type unique to Central Asia during this period. A kind of semi-fortified two-story palace, whose corrugated walls give it a unique and striking appearance, <i>köshks</i> were the residences of Merv's elite. The second storey of these structures comprised living quarters; the first storey may have been used for storage. Parapets lined the roof, which was often used for living quarters as well. Merv's largest and best-preserved Abbasid <i>köşk</i> is the Greater Gyzgala (Turkmen, "maiden's fortress"), located just outside Soltangala's western wall; this structure consisted of 17 rooms surrounding a central courtyard. The nearby Lesser Gyzgala had extraordinarily thick walls with deep corrugations, as well as multiple interior stairways leading to second storey living quarters. All of Merv's <i>kushks</i> are in precarious states of preservation.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199980–83_60-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199980–83-60"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>59<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>However, the most important of Soltangala's surviving buildings are Seljuq constructions. Seljuq leader <a href="/wiki/Toghrul" title="Toghrul">Toghrul's</a> conquest of Merv in 1037 revitalised the city; under his descendants, especially Sanjar, who made it his residence, Merv found itself at the centre of a large multicultural empire.<sup id="cite_ref-61" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-61"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>60<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:GreatKyzKala3.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="See caption" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/GreatKyzKala3.jpg/250px-GreatKyzKala3.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="141" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/GreatKyzKala3.jpg/500px-GreatKyzKala3.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="3840" data-file-height="2160" /></a><figcaption>Great Kyz Qala (fortress), Merv</figcaption></figure> <p>Evidence of this prosperity is found throughout the Soltangala. Many of these buildings are concentrated in Soltangala's citadel, the Shahryar Ark (Persian, "the Sovereign's citadel"), is on its east side. In the centre of the Sharhryar Ark is the Seljuk palace, probably built by Sanjar. The surviving mud brick walls lead to the conclusion that this palace, though relatively small, was composed of tall, single-storey rooms surrounding a central court along with four axial <a href="/wiki/Iwan" title="Iwan">iwans</a> at the entrance to each side. Low areas nearby seem to indicate a large garden, which included an artificial lake; similar gardens were found in other Central Asian palaces. Any remnants of interior or exterior decoration have been lost because of erosion or theft.<sup id="cite_ref-62" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-62"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>61<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Another notable Seljuk structure within the Shahryar Ark is the <i>kepderihana</i> (from the Persian, "<i>Kaftar Khaneh</i>", or "pigeon house", i.e., the <a href="/wiki/Columbarium" title="Columbarium">columbarium</a>). This mysterious building, among the best-preserved in the whole Merv oasis, comprises one long and narrow windowless room with many tiers of niches across the walls. Some sources Believe the <i>kepter khana</i> (there are more elsewhere in Merv and Central Asia) was a pigeon roost used to raise pigeons, to collect their dung, which was used in growing the melons for which Merv was famous. Others see the <i>kepderihanas</i> as libraries or treasuries, because of their location in high status areas next to important structures.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999101–105_63-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999101–105-63"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>62<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:LittleKyzKala1.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="See caption" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/LittleKyzKala1.jpg/250px-LittleKyzKala1.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="141" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/LittleKyzKala1.jpg/500px-LittleKyzKala1.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="3840" data-file-height="2160" /></a><figcaption>Little Kyz Qala (fortress), Merv</figcaption></figure> <p>The best-preserved of all the structures in Merv is the 12th-century <a href="/wiki/Mausoleum" title="Mausoleum">mausoleum</a> of <a href="/wiki/Sultan_Sanjar" class="mw-redirect" title="Sultan Sanjar">Sultan Sanjar</a>, also in Sultan Gala. It is the largest of Seljuk mausoleums and is also the first dated mosque-mausoleum complex, a form which was later to become common. It is square, 27 metres (89 ft) per side, with two entrances on opposite sides; a large central dome supported by an octagonal system of ribs and arches covers the interior (Ettinghausen, 270). The dome's exterior was turquoise, and its height made it imposing; it was said that approaching caravans could see the mausoleum while still a day's march from the city. The mausoleum's decoration, in typical early Seljuk style, was conservative, with interior stucco work and geometric brick decoration, now mainly lost, on the outside. Except for the recently "reconstructed" exterior decoration, the largely intact mausoleum remains just as it was in the 12th century.<sup id="cite_ref-64" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-64"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>63<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>A final set of <a href="/wiki/Seljuq_dynasty" class="mw-redirect" title="Seljuq dynasty">Seljuq</a> remains are the walls of the Soltangala. These fortifications, which largely remain, began as eight-to-nine-metre-high (26 to 30 ft) mud brick structures, inside of which were chambers for defenders to shoot arrows from. There were horseshoe-shaped towers every 15 to 35 metres (49 to 115 ft). These walls, however, did not prove to be effective because they were not of adequate thickness to withstand catapults and other artillery. By the mid-12th century, the galleries were filled in, and the wall was greatly strengthened. A secondary, smaller wall was built in front of the Soltangala's main wall, and finally the medieval city's suburbs—known today as Isgendergala—were enclosed by a 5-metre-thick (16 ft) wall. The three walls held off the Mongol army for at least one of its offensives, before ultimately succumbing in 1221.<sup id="cite_ref-Georgina_65-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Georgina-65"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>64<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Cyark_merv_3.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="See caption" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Cyark_merv_3.jpg/200px-Cyark_merv_3.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="299" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Cyark_merv_3.jpg/300px-Cyark_merv_3.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Cyark_merv_3.jpg/400px-Cyark_merv_3.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2592" data-file-height="3872" /></a><figcaption>Exterior of Kepderihana's south wall</figcaption></figure> <p>Many ceramics have been recovered from the Abbasid and Seljuk eras, primarily from <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span>, the city walls of Soltangala, and the Shahryar Ark. The <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> ware was primarily late Abbasid and consisted primarily of red slip-painted bowls with geometric designs. The pottery recovered from the Sultan Gala walls is dominated by 11th to 12th-century colour-splashed yellow and green pottery, similar to contemporary styles common in <a href="/wiki/Nishapur" title="Nishapur">Nishapur</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Georgina_65-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Georgina-65"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>64<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Turquoise and black bowls were discovered in the Shahryar Ark palace, as well as a deposit of Mongol-style pottery, perhaps related to the city's unsuccessful re-foundation under the <a href="/wiki/Il-khans" class="mw-redirect" title="Il-khans">Il-khans</a>. Also from this era, is a ceramic mask used for decorating walls found among the ruins of what is believed—not without controversy—to be a <a href="/wiki/Mongol" class="mw-redirect" title="Mongol">Mongol</a>-built Buddhist temple in the southern suburbs of Sultan Gala.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999112–116_66-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999112–116-66"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>65<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Shaim_Kala">Shaim Kala</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Shaim Kala"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><b>Shaim Kala</b> was built in the 7th AD. Shaim Kala was a self-contained walled city intended to relieve over-crowding, and to deal with the religious and political discontent of the newly arrived peoples.<sup id="cite_ref-67" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-67"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>66<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Abdyllahangala">Abdyllahangala</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Abdyllahangala"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Abdyllahangala is the post medieval <a href="/wiki/Timurids" class="mw-redirect" title="Timurids">Timurid</a> era city to the <a href="/wiki/South" title="South">south</a> of the main complex.<sup id="cite_ref-68" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-68"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>67<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Demographics">Demographics</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Demographics"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Today, the site of the ancient Merv is located near <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Baýramali</i></span> city of Mary velayat, Turkmenistan. It is a city in and the seat of <a href="/wiki/Ba%C3%BDramaly_District" title="Baýramaly District">Baýramaly District</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mary_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Mary Province">Mary Province</a>, <a href="/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan</a>. It lies about 27 km east of the provincial capital <a href="/wiki/Mary,_Turkmenistan" title="Mary, Turkmenistan">Mary</a>. In 2009, its population was estimated at 88,486 (up from 43,824 in the 1989 census).<sup id="cite_ref-69" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-69"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>68<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The present inhabitants of the oasis are primarily <a href="/wiki/Turkmens" title="Turkmens">Turkmens</a> of the Teke tribe and some <a href="/wiki/Persian_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Persian people">Persians</a> or <a href="/wiki/Tajiks" title="Tajiks">Tajiks</a>. There are relatively large minorities of the <a href="/wiki/Baloch_people" title="Baloch people">Beluch</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Brahui_people" title="Brahui people">Brahui</a> in the Merv Oasis as well.<sup id="cite_ref-70" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-70"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>69<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Economy">Economy</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Economy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Hormizd_I_Kushanshah_Merv_mint.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Photograph of two coins showing Hormizd I Kushanshah" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Hormizd_I_Kushanshah_Merv_mint.jpg/250px-Hormizd_I_Kushanshah_Merv_mint.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="119" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Hormizd_I_Kushanshah_Merv_mint.jpg/375px-Hormizd_I_Kushanshah_Merv_mint.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Hormizd_I_Kushanshah_Merv_mint.jpg 2x" data-file-width="500" data-file-height="238" /></a><figcaption>Hormizd I Kushanshah, Merv mint</figcaption></figure> <p>An elaborate system of canals cut from the Murghab irrigates the oasis. The country is renowned throughout the East for its fertility. Every kind of cereal and many fruits grow in great abundance, e.g. wheat, millet, barley and melons, also rice and cotton. Cotton seeds from archaeological levels as far back as the 5th century are the first indication that cotton textiles were already an important economic component of the Sassanian city. <a href="/wiki/Silkworm" class="mw-redirect" title="Silkworm">Silkworms</a> have been bred. Turkmens possess a famous breed of horses (<a href="/wiki/Turkoman_horse" title="Turkoman horse">Turkoman horse</a>) and keep camels, sheep, cattle, asses and mules. Turkmens work in silver and armour. One discovery of the 1990s excavations was a 9th- to 10th-century workshop where <a href="/wiki/Crucible_steel" title="Crucible steel">crucible steel</a> was being produced, confirming contemporary Islamic reports by Islamic scholar <a href="/wiki/Al-Kindi" title="Al-Kindi">al-Kindi</a> (AD 801–866). He referred to the region of Khorasan as producing steel. This was made by a co-fusion process where <a href="/wiki/Cast_iron" title="Cast iron">cast iron</a> and <a href="/wiki/Wrought_iron" title="Wrought iron">wrought iron</a> are melted together.<sup id="cite_ref-71" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-71"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>70<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-72" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-72"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>71<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Geography">Geography</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: Geography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Merv_from_Asie_1_to_1,000,000._flle_40N-60E.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="See caption" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Merv_from_Asie_1_to_1%2C000%2C000._flle_40N-60E.jpg/250px-Merv_from_Asie_1_to_1%2C000%2C000._flle_40N-60E.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="195" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Merv_from_Asie_1_to_1%2C000%2C000._flle_40N-60E.jpg/500px-Merv_from_Asie_1_to_1%2C000%2C000._flle_40N-60E.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="8952" data-file-height="7000" /></a><figcaption>Merv oasis on a 1913 map</figcaption></figure> <p>The oasis of Merv is situated on the Murghab River that flows down from <a href="/wiki/Afghanistan" title="Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, on the southern edge of the <a href="/wiki/Karakum_Desert" title="Karakum Desert">Karakum Desert</a>, at 37°30’N and 62°E, about 230 miles (370 km) north of <a href="/wiki/Herat" title="Herat">Herat</a>, and 280 miles (450 km) south of Khiva. Its area is about 1,900 square miles (4,900 km<sup>2</sup>). The great chain of mountains which, under the names of <a href="/wiki/Paropamisade" class="mw-redirect" title="Paropamisade">Paropamisade</a> and <a href="/wiki/Hindu_Kush" title="Hindu Kush">Hindu Kush</a>, extends from the <a href="/wiki/Caspian_Sea" title="Caspian Sea">Caspian Sea</a> to the <a href="/wiki/Pamir_Mountains" title="Pamir Mountains">Pamir Mountains</a> is interrupted some 180 miles (290 km) south of Merv. Through or near this gap flow northwards in parallel courses the Tejen and <a href="/wiki/Murgab_River" class="mw-redirect" title="Murgab River">Murgab</a> rivers, until they lose themselves in the Karakum Desert. Thus, they make Merv a sort of watch tower over the entrance into Afghanistan on the north-west and at the same time create a stepping-stone or <i>étape</i> between north-east Persia and the states of Bukhara and Samarqand.<sup id="cite_ref-73" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-73"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>72<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Merv is advantageously situated in the inland delta of the Murghab River, which flows from its source in the Hindu Kush northwards through the Garagum desert. The Murghab delta region, known to the Greeks as <a href="/wiki/Margiana" title="Margiana">Margiana</a>, gives Merv two distinct advantages: first, it provides an easy southeast–northwest route from the Afghan highlands towards the lowlands of Karakum, the Amu Darya valley and <a href="/wiki/Khwarezm" class="mw-redirect" title="Khwarezm">Khwarezm</a>. Second, the Murgab delta, being a large well-watered zone in the midst of the dry Karakum, serves as a natural stopping-point for the routes from northwest Iran towards <a href="/wiki/Transoxiana" title="Transoxiana">Transoxiana</a>—the Silk Roads. The delta, and thus Merv, lies at the junction of these two routes: the northwest–southeast route to Herat and Balkh (to the <a href="/wiki/Indus" class="mw-redirect" title="Indus">Indus</a> and beyond) and the southwest–northeast route from <a href="/wiki/Tus,_Iran" title="Tus, Iran">Tus</a> and Nishapur to Bukhara and Samarkand.<sup id="cite_ref-74" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-74"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>73<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>This place was a stop on the <a href="/wiki/Silk_Road" title="Silk Road">Silk Road</a> during the time of the <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Han dynasty</a>. Here merchants could trade for fresh horses or camels at this <a href="/wiki/Oasis" title="Oasis">oasis</a> city.<sup id="cite_ref-75" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-75"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>74<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="International_relations">International relations</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: International relations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/UNESCO" title="UNESCO">UNESCO</a> has listed the site of ancient Merv as a <a href="/wiki/World_Heritage_Site" title="World Heritage Site">World Heritage Site</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-unesco_16-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-unesco-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Twin_towns_–_sister_cities"><span id="Twin_towns_.E2.80.93_sister_cities"></span>Twin towns – sister cities</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=21" title="Edit section: Twin towns – sister cities"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/List_of_twin_towns_and_sister_cities_in_Asia#Turkmenistan" title="List of twin towns and sister cities in Asia">List of twin towns and sister cities in Turkmenistan</a></div> <p>Merv is <a href="/wiki/Sister_city" title="Sister city">twinned</a> with: </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1184024115">.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}</style><div class="div-col" style="column-width: 20em;"> <ul><li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Syria" title="Syria"><img alt="Syria" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Flag_of_the_Syrian_revolution.svg/40px-Flag_of_the_Syrian_revolution.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Flag_of_the_Syrian_revolution.svg/60px-Flag_of_the_Syrian_revolution.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Aleppo" title="Aleppo">Aleppo</a>, Syria</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Afghanistan" title="Afghanistan"><img alt="Afghanistan" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Flag_of_the_Taliban.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_Taliban.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Flag_of_the_Taliban.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_Taliban.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Flag_of_the_Taliban.svg/46px-Flag_of_the_Taliban.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="500" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Balkh" title="Balkh">Balkh</a>, Afghanistan</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq"><img alt="Iraq" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Flag_of_Iraq.svg/40px-Flag_of_Iraq.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Flag_of_Iraq.svg/60px-Flag_of_Iraq.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Baghdad" title="Baghdad">Baghdad</a>, Iraq</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Uzbekistan" title="Uzbekistan"><img alt="Uzbekistan" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg/23px-Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg/35px-Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg/46px-Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="500" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Bukhara" title="Bukhara">Bukhara</a>, Uzbekistan</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Syria" title="Syria"><img alt="Syria" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Flag_of_the_Syrian_revolution.svg/40px-Flag_of_the_Syrian_revolution.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Flag_of_the_Syrian_revolution.svg/60px-Flag_of_the_Syrian_revolution.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Damascus" title="Damascus">Damascus</a>, Syria</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates" title="United Arab Emirates"><img alt="United Arab Emirates" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg/46px-Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Dubai" title="Dubai">Dubai</a>, United Arab Emirates</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Palestine" title="Palestine"><img alt="Palestine" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Flag_of_Palestine.svg/40px-Flag_of_Palestine.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Flag_of_Palestine.svg/60px-Flag_of_Palestine.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Gaza_City" title="Gaza City">Gaza City</a>, Palestine</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Israel" title="Israel"><img alt="Israel" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Flag_of_Israel.svg/21px-Flag_of_Israel.svg.png" decoding="async" width="21" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Flag_of_Israel.svg/32px-Flag_of_Israel.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Flag_of_Israel.svg/41px-Flag_of_Israel.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1100" data-file-height="800" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Jerusalem" title="Jerusalem">Jerusalem</a>, Israel</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq"><img alt="Iraq" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Flag_of_Iraq.svg/40px-Flag_of_Iraq.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Flag_of_Iraq.svg/60px-Flag_of_Iraq.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Karbala" title="Karbala">Karbala</a>, Iraq</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Tajikistan" title="Tajikistan"><img alt="Tajikistan" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Flag_of_Tajikistan.svg/23px-Flag_of_Tajikistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Flag_of_Tajikistan.svg/35px-Flag_of_Tajikistan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Flag_of_Tajikistan.svg/46px-Flag_of_Tajikistan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="560" data-file-height="280" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Khujand" title="Khujand">Khujand</a>, Tajikistan</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq"><img alt="Iraq" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Flag_of_Iraq.svg/40px-Flag_of_Iraq.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Flag_of_Iraq.svg/60px-Flag_of_Iraq.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Kirkuk" title="Kirkuk">Kirkuk</a>, Iraq</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan"><img alt="Turkmenistan" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg/40px-Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg/60px-Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Konye-Urgench" title="Konye-Urgench">Konye-Urgench</a>, Turkmenistan</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Kuwait" title="Kuwait"><img alt="Kuwait" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Flag_of_Kuwait.svg/23px-Flag_of_Kuwait.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Flag_of_Kuwait.svg/35px-Flag_of_Kuwait.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Flag_of_Kuwait.svg/46px-Flag_of_Kuwait.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Kuwait_City" title="Kuwait City">Kuwait City</a>, Kuwait</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Pakistan" title="Pakistan"><img alt="Pakistan" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Flag_of_Pakistan.svg/23px-Flag_of_Pakistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Flag_of_Pakistan.svg/35px-Flag_of_Pakistan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Flag_of_Pakistan.svg/45px-Flag_of_Pakistan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Lahore" title="Lahore">Lahore</a>, Pakistan</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Saudi_Arabia" title="Saudi Arabia"><img alt="Saudi Arabia" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg/40px-Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg/60px-Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Mecca" title="Mecca">Mecca</a>, Saudi Arabia</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Saudi_Arabia" title="Saudi Arabia"><img alt="Saudi Arabia" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg/40px-Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg/60px-Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Medina" title="Medina">Medina</a>, Saudi Arabia</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan"><img alt="Turkmenistan" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg/40px-Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg/60px-Flag_of_Turkmenistan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Nisa,_Turkmenistan" title="Nisa, Turkmenistan">Nisa</a>, Turkmenistan</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran"><img alt="Iran" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Flag_of_Iran.svg/40px-Flag_of_Iran.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="13" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Flag_of_Iran.svg/60px-Flag_of_Iran.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="630" data-file-height="360" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Nishapur" title="Nishapur">Nishapur</a>, Iran</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Uzbekistan" title="Uzbekistan"><img alt="Uzbekistan" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg/23px-Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg/35px-Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg/46px-Flag_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="500" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Samarkand" title="Samarkand">Samarkand</a>, Uzbekistan</li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Gallery">Gallery</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=22" title="Edit section: Gallery"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul class="gallery mw-gallery-traditional center"> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Cyark_merv_1.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Photo-textured 3D laser scan image of Gäwürgala town walls"><img alt="Photo-textured 3D laser scan image of Gäwürgala town walls" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Cyark_merv_1.jpg/120px-Cyark_merv_1.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Cyark_merv_1.jpg/180px-Cyark_merv_1.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Cyark_merv_1.jpg/240px-Cyark_merv_1.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="800" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Photo-textured <a href="/wiki/3D_scanner" class="mw-redirect" title="3D scanner">3D laser scan</a> image of <span title="Turkmen-language text"><i lang="tk">Gäwürgala</i></span> town walls</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Cyark_merv_2.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Interior of Kepderihana, with a 3D laser scanner positioned for work"><img alt="Interior of Kepderihana, with a 3D laser scanner positioned for work" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Cyark_merv_2.jpg/120px-Cyark_merv_2.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Cyark_merv_2.jpg/180px-Cyark_merv_2.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Cyark_merv_2.jpg/240px-Cyark_merv_2.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3872" data-file-height="2592" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Interior of Kepderihana, with a <a href="/wiki/3D_scanner" class="mw-redirect" title="3D scanner">3D laser scanner</a> positioned for work</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:RR5012-0003R_PL_%D0%90%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0_(%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A2%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD).png" class="mw-file-description" title="Landmarks of ancient Merv on a 1993 Russian commemorative coin"><img alt="Landmarks of ancient Merv on a 1993 Russian commemorative coin" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/RR5012-0003R_PL_%D0%90%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0_%28%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A2%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%29.png/120px-RR5012-0003R_PL_%D0%90%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0_%28%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A2%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%29.png" decoding="async" width="120" height="120" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/RR5012-0003R_PL_%D0%90%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0_%28%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A2%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%29.png/180px-RR5012-0003R_PL_%D0%90%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0_%28%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A2%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%29.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/RR5012-0003R_PL_%D0%90%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0_%28%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A2%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%29.png/240px-RR5012-0003R_PL_%D0%90%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0_%28%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A2%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%29.png 2x" data-file-width="602" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Landmarks of ancient Merv on a 1993 Russian commemorative coin</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:18_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2._%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8C_(%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.).jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Merv Mosque (end of the 19th century)"><img alt="Merv Mosque (end of the 19th century)" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/18_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2._%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8C_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg/120px-18_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2._%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8C_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="84" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/18_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2._%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8C_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg/180px-18_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2._%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8C_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/18_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2._%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8C_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg/240px-18_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2._%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8C_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="639" data-file-height="445" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Merv Mosque (end of the 19th century)</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:17_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2_(%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.).jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Ancient Merv (end of the 19th century)"><img alt="Ancient Merv (end of the 19th century)" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/17_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg/120px-17_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="69" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/17_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg/250px-17_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2_%28%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86_XIX_%D0%B2.%29.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="639" data-file-height="366" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Ancient Merv (end of the 19th century)</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Pg127_Old_Merv.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Merv, 1899"><img alt="Merv, 1899" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Pg127_Old_Merv.jpg/120px-Pg127_Old_Merv.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Pg127_Old_Merv.jpg/180px-Pg127_Old_Merv.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Pg127_Old_Merv.jpg/240px-Pg127_Old_Merv.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1920" data-file-height="1285" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Merv, 1899</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Merv_pottery_(32322567368).jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Merv pottery"><img alt="Merv pottery" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Merv_pottery_%2832322567368%29.jpg/120px-Merv_pottery_%2832322567368%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Merv_pottery_%2832322567368%29.jpg/180px-Merv_pottery_%2832322567368%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Merv_pottery_%2832322567368%29.jpg/240px-Merv_pottery_%2832322567368%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3058" data-file-height="2290" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Merv pottery</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Great_Kyz_Kala_in_2011.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Great Kyz Kala"><img alt="Great Kyz Kala" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Great_Kyz_Kala_in_2011.jpg/120px-Great_Kyz_Kala_in_2011.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Great_Kyz_Kala_in_2011.jpg/250px-Great_Kyz_Kala_in_2011.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="3872" data-file-height="2592" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Great Kyz Kala</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Ice_House,_Merv_(3891851927).jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Interior of the Ice House"><img alt="Interior of the Ice House" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851927%29.jpg/120px-Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851927%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851927%29.jpg/250px-Ice_House%2C_Merv_%283891851927%29.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="900" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Interior of the Ice House</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Kyz_Bibi_mausoleum_complex.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Kyz Bibi mausoleum complex"><img alt="Kyz Bibi mausoleum complex" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Kyz_Bibi_mausoleum_complex.jpg/120px-Kyz_Bibi_mausoleum_complex.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="51" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Kyz_Bibi_mausoleum_complex.jpg/180px-Kyz_Bibi_mausoleum_complex.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Kyz_Bibi_mausoleum_complex.jpg/240px-Kyz_Bibi_mausoleum_complex.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3282" data-file-height="1392" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Kyz Bibi mausoleum complex</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Merv-eshaby.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="1981 photo of the tomb of the Eskhab brothers on the territory of ancient Merv"><img alt="1981 photo of the tomb of the Eskhab brothers on the territory of ancient Merv" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Merv-eshaby.jpg/120px-Merv-eshaby.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="73" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Merv-eshaby.jpg/180px-Merv-eshaby.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Merv-eshaby.jpg/240px-Merv-eshaby.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3503" data-file-height="2135" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">1981 photo of the tomb of the Eskhab brothers on the territory of ancient Merv</div> </li> </ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=23" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bayramali" class="mw-redirect" title="Bayramali">Bayramali</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greater_Khorasan" title="Greater Khorasan">Greater Khorasan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nishapur" title="Nishapur">Nishapur</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Herat" title="Herat">Herat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Balkh" title="Balkh">Balkh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gunar_Tepe" class="mw-redirect" title="Gunar Tepe">Gunar Tepe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Margiana" title="Margiana">Margiana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mary,_Turkmenistan" title="Mary, Turkmenistan">Mary, Turkmenistan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Mongol_Invasion_(trilogy)" title="The Mongol Invasion (trilogy)">The Mongol Invasion (trilogy)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Murghab_river" class="mw-redirect" title="Murghab river">Murghab river</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Turkmenistan" title="List of World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan">List of World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tahmuras" title="Tahmuras">Tahmuras, the mythical father and founder of Merv</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=24" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Formerly known as <b>Alexandria</b> (<a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greek_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Ancient Greek language">Ancient Greek</a>: <span lang="grc">Ἀλεξάνδρεια</span>), <b>Antiochia in Margiana</b> (Ancient Greek: <span lang="grc">Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐν τῇ Μαργιανῇ</span>) and <b>Marw al-Shāhijān</b> (Persian: <span lang="fa" dir="rtl">مرو شاهجان</span>)</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=25" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Citations">Citations</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=26" title="Edit section: Citations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626" /><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFWilliamsCampbellJorayevWordsworth2018" class="citation journal cs1">Williams, Tim; Campbell, Katie; Jorayev, Gaygysyz; Wordsworth, Paul; Jepbarov, Rejep; Moriset, Sébastien (5 December 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.5334%2Fai-395">"Semi-fortified Palatial Complexes in Central Asia: New Work at the Great Kyz Kala, Merv, Turkmenistan"</a>. <i>Archaeology International</i>. <b>21</b> (1): 154. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.5334%2Fai-395">10.5334/ai-395</a></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Archaeology+International&rft.atitle=Semi-fortified+Palatial+Complexes+in+Central+Asia%3A+New+Work+at+the+Great+Kyz+Kala%2C+Merv%2C+Turkmenistan&rft.volume=21&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=154&rft.date=2018-12-05&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.5334%2Fai-395&rft.aulast=Williams&rft.aufirst=Tim&rft.au=Campbell%2C+Katie&rft.au=Jorayev%2C+Gaygysyz&rft.au=Wordsworth%2C+Paul&rft.au=Jepbarov%2C+Rejep&rft.au=Moriset%2C+S%C3%A9bastien&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.5334%252Fai-395&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFYakubovskiiBosworth2007" class="citation book cs1">Yakubovskii, A.Yu.; <a href="/wiki/Clifford_Edmund_Bosworth" title="Clifford Edmund Bosworth">Bosworth, C.E.</a> (2007). <a href="/wiki/Clifford_Edmund_Bosworth" title="Clifford Edmund Bosworth">Bosworth, Clifford Edmund</a> (ed.). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=UB4uSVt3ulUC&q=merv+iranian&pg=PA401"><i>Historic Cities of the Islamic World</i></a>. <a href="/wiki/Brill_Publishers" title="Brill Publishers">Brill</a>. p. 401. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9004153882" title="Special:BookSources/978-9004153882"><bdi>978-9004153882</bdi></a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210713083238/https://books.google.com/books?id=UB4uSVt3ulUC&q=merv+iranian&pg=PA401">Archived</a> from the original on 13 July 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">1 November</span> 2020</span>. <q>Merv, the conventional form of the Arabic Marw or Marw al-Shāhijān, an ancient city of the northeastern part of the Iranian world, in medieval Islamic times, in the province of Khurasan. The site of Merv now lies over the border from the Islamic Republic of Iran and within the Turkmen Republic, near the modern town of what was in Soviet times Mary. The form of the name Marw al-Shāhijān clearly related to the city's position in pre-Islamic and early Islamic times as the seat of the representatives of royal authority, the <i>marzbāns</i> of the East, and its role as a bastion of this part of the Iranian world as a bastion against barbarian pressure from the inner Asian steppes.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Historic+Cities+of+the+Islamic+World&rft.pages=401&rft.pub=Brill&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-9004153882&rft.aulast=Yakubovskii&rft.aufirst=A.Yu.&rft.au=Bosworth%2C+C.E.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DUB4uSVt3ulUC%26q%3Dmerv%2Biranian%26pg%3DPA401&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Sourdel-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Sourdel_4-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Sourdel_4-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFSourdel" class="citation web cs1">Sourdel, Dominique. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Mamun">"Al-Maʾmūn, Abbāsid caliph"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Encyclopedia_Britannica" class="mw-redirect" title="Encyclopedia Britannica">Encyclopedia Britannica</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210607120156/https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Mamun">Archived</a> from the original on 7 June 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">9 June</span> 2021</span>. <q>Al-Maʾmūn, having become caliph of the entire ʿAbbāsid empire, decided to continue to reside at Merv, assisted by his faithful Iranian vizier al-Faḍl.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Encyclopedia+Britannica&rft.atitle=Al-Ma%CA%BEm%C5%ABn%2C+Abb%C4%81sid+caliph&rft.aulast=Sourdel&rft.aufirst=Dominique&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Fbiography%2Fal-Mamun&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199933-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199933_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHerrmann1999">Herrmann 1999</a>, p. 33.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFStarr2015" class="citation book cs1">Starr, Frederick (2015). <i>Lost Enlightenment. Central Asia's Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane</i>. <a href="/wiki/Princeton_University_Press" title="Princeton University Press">Princeton University Press</a>. p. 425. <q>Sanjar's capital at Merv was not the ancient center around the ErkKala but a ...</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Lost+Enlightenment.+Central+Asia%27s+Golden+Age+from+the+Arab+Conquest+to+Tamerlane&rft.pages=425&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=2015&rft.aulast=Starr&rft.aufirst=Frederick&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFChandler2013" class="citation book cs1">Chandler, Tertius (2013). <i>3000 Years of Urban Growth</i>. <a href="/wiki/Elsevier_Science" class="mw-redirect" title="Elsevier Science">Elsevier Science</a>. p. 232. <q>Hence under 125000 and probably under 100000—as Merv rose very fast as a Seljuk capital</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=3000+Years+of+Urban+Growth&rft.pages=232&rft.pub=Elsevier+Science&rft.date=2013&rft.aulast=Chandler&rft.aufirst=Tertius&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFBrummel2005" class="citation book cs1">Brummel, Paul (2005). <i>Turkmenistan</i>. <a href="/wiki/Bradt_Travel_Guides" title="Bradt Travel Guides">Bradt Travel Guides</a>. p. 7. <q>The Seljuks were to establish a mighty empire stretching right to the Mediterranean, with Merv as its capital.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Turkmenistan&rft.pages=7&rft.pub=Bradt+Travel+Guides&rft.date=2005&rft.aulast=Brummel&rft.aufirst=Paul&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-theguardian-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-theguardian_9-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-theguardian_9-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-theguardian_9-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-theguardian_9-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-theguardian_9-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-theguardian_9-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-theguardian_9-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFTharoor2016" class="citation web cs1">Tharoor, Kanishk (12 August 2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/aug/12/lost-cities-merv-worlds-biggest-city-razed-turkmenistan">"Lost cities #5: how the magnificent city of Merv was razed – and never recovered"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_Guardian" title="The Guardian">The Guardian</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210429075843/https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/aug/12/lost-cities-merv-worlds-biggest-city-razed-turkmenistan">Archived</a> from the original on 29 April 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">18 March</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=The+Guardian&rft.atitle=Lost+cities+%235%3A+how+the+magnificent+city+of+Merv+was+razed+%E2%80%93+and+never+recovered&rft.date=2016-08-12&rft.aulast=Tharoor&rft.aufirst=Kanishk&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcities%2F2016%2Faug%2F12%2Flost-cities-merv-worlds-biggest-city-razed-turkmenistan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-imamreza.net-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-imamreza.net_10-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-imamreza.net_10-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.imamreza.net/old/eng/imamreza.php?id=12165">"Why was Imam al-Reza (A.S.) Invited to Khurasan?"</a>. <i>Imam Reza Network</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">3 July</span> 2021</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Imam+Reza+Network&rft.atitle=Why+was+Imam+al-Reza+%28A.S.%29+Invited+to+Khurasan%3F&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imamreza.net%2Fold%2Feng%2Fimamreza.php%3Fid%3D12165&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation book cs1"><i>Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol. 7</i> (2nd ed.). Brill. 1993. p. 500.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Encyclopaedia+of+Islam%2C+Vol.+7&rft.pages=500&rft.edition=2nd&rft.pub=Brill&rft.date=1993&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFNaimark2017" class="citation book cs1">Naimark, Norman (2017). <i>Genocide A World History</i>. Oxford University Press. p. 21. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780199765263" title="Special:BookSources/9780199765263"><bdi>9780199765263</bdi></a>. <q>The city of Merv fell in February 1221 to Tolui, Genghis Khan's youngest son, who is said to have massacred 700,000 persons while sparing some eighty craftsmen.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Genocide+A+World+History&rft.pages=21&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2017&rft.isbn=9780199765263&rft.aulast=Naimark&rft.aufirst=Norman&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFGoldstein2011" class="citation book cs1">Goldstein, Joshua (2011). <i>Winning the War on War The Decline of Armed Conflict Worldwide</i>. Penguin Publishing Group. pp. <span class="nowrap">45–</span>63. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781101549087" title="Special:BookSources/9781101549087"><bdi>9781101549087</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Winning+the+War+on+War+The+Decline+of+Armed+Conflict+Worldwide&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E45-%3C%2Fspan%3E63&rft.pub=Penguin+Publishing+Group&rft.date=2011&rft.isbn=9781101549087&rft.aulast=Goldstein&rft.aufirst=Joshua&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFBonner2017" class="citation book cs1">Bonner, Jay (2017). <i>Islamic Geometric Patterns Their Historical Development and Traditional Methods of Construction</i>. Springer New York. p. 115. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781441902177" title="Special:BookSources/9781441902177"><bdi>9781441902177</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Islamic+Geometric+Patterns+Their+Historical+Development+and+Traditional+Methods+of+Construction&rft.pages=115&rft.pub=Springer+New+York&rft.date=2017&rft.isbn=9781441902177&rft.aulast=Bonner&rft.aufirst=Jay&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999122–123-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999122–123_15-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHerrmann1999">Herrmann 1999</a>, pp. 122–123.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-unesco-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-unesco_16-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-unesco_16-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/886">"State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv"<span class="cs1-kern-right"></span>"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/UNESCO" title="UNESCO">UNESCO</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190522123627/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/886">Archived</a> from the original on 22 May 2019<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">19 February</span> 2007</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=UNESCO&rft.atitle=State+Historical+and+Cultural+Park+%22Ancient+Merv%22&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwhc.unesco.org%2Fen%2Flist%2F886&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Vendidad, Faragard-1</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Williams, Tim. "Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Photography: Exploring the Medieval City of Merv, on the Silk Roads of Central Asia". <i><a href="/wiki/Archaeology_International" class="mw-redirect" title="Archaeology International">Archaeology International</a></i>, Issue 15 (2011–2012), pp. 74–88.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFTarn2003" class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-long-vol">Tarn, W. W. (2003). <i>Alexander the Great</i>. Vol. 2: Sources and Studies. Cambridge University Press. pp. <span class="nowrap">232–</span>236.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Alexander+the+Great&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E232-%3C%2Fspan%3E236&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2003&rft.aulast=Tarn&rft.aufirst=W.+W.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://topostext.org/work/583#14">"Isidoros of Charax, Parthian Stations, 14"</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200625012614/https://topostext.org/work/583#14">Archived</a> from the original on 25 June 2020<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 April</span> 2020</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Isidoros+of+Charax%2C+Parthian+Stations%2C+14&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Ftopostext.org%2Fwork%2F583%2314&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFMarcianus_(of_Heraclea)Artemidorus_(Daldianus)1839" class="citation web cs1">Marcianus (of Heraclea); Artemidorus (Daldianus) (1839). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=EA1FAAAAYAAJ&q=%CE%91%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%B1">"Isidoros of Charax, Parthian Stations, p.254 - GR"</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200625114010/https://books.google.gr/books?id=EA1FAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=el#v=onepage&q=Αντιοχεια&f=false">Archived</a> from the original on 25 June 2020<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 April</span> 2020</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Isidoros+of+Charax%2C+Parthian+Stations%2C+p.254+-+GR&rft.date=1839&rft.au=Marcianus+%28of+Heraclea%29&rft.au=Artemidorus+%28Daldianus%29&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DEA1FAAAAYAAJ%26q%3D%25CE%2591%25CE%25BD%25CF%2584%25CE%25B9%25CE%25BF%25CF%2587%25CE%25B5%25CE%25B9%25CE%25B1&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFFisher2021" class="citation book cs1">Fisher, Greg (2021). <i>The Roman World from Romulus to Muhammad: A New History</i>. Taylor & Francis. pp. <span class="nowrap">42–</span>60.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Roman+World+from+Romulus+to+Muhammad%3A+A+New+History&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E42-%3C%2Fspan%3E60&rft.pub=Taylor+%26+Francis&rft.date=2021&rft.aulast=Fisher&rft.aufirst=Greg&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFAnur_Tour_Uzbekistan" class="citation web cs1">Anur Tour Uzbekistan. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.tourstoturkmenistan.com/en/sights/merv-mary/ruins-in-merv.html">"Merv, Ruins in Merv, Sights of Turkmenistan, Tours to Turkmenistan"</a>. <i>Tourstoturkmenistan.com</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121346/http://www.tourstoturkmenistan.com/en/sights/merv-mary/ruins-in-merv.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2 April 2015<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">21 October</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Tourstoturkmenistan.com&rft.atitle=Merv%2C+Ruins+in+Merv%2C+Sights+of+Turkmenistan%2C+Tours+to+Turkmenistan&rft.au=Anur+Tour+Uzbekistan&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tourstoturkmenistan.com%2Fen%2Fsights%2Fmerv-mary%2Fruins-in-merv.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150402140215/http://www.medeniyet.gov.tm/index.php/en/culture-dialogue/119-gadymy-merwde-butparazlygy%C5%88-d%C3%B6re%C3%BD%C5%9Fi">"The Buddhizm of Ancient Merv"</a>. 12 February 2013. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.medeniyet.gov.tm/index.php/en/culture-dialogue/119-gadymy-merwde-butparazlygy%C5%88-d%C3%B6re%C3%BD%C5%9Fi">the original</a> on 2 April 2015.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Buddhizm+of+Ancient+Merv&rft.date=2013-02-12&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medeniyet.gov.tm%2Findex.php%2Fen%2Fculture-dialogue%2F119-gadymy-merwde-butparazlygy%25C5%2588-d%25C3%25B6re%25C3%25BD%25C5%259Fi&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.asthabharati.org/Dia_July%20011/suni.htm">"Ancient Merv- the Queen of the W"</a>. <i>Asthabharati.org</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">21 October</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Asthabharati.org&rft.atitle=Ancient+Merv-+the+Queen+of+the+W&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asthabharati.org%2FDia_July%2520011%2Fsuni.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFWest2010" class="citation book cs1">West, Barbara (2010). <i>Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania</i>. Facts on File. p. 663.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Encyclopedia+of+the+Peoples+of+Asia+and+Oceania&rft.pages=663&rft.pub=Facts+on+File&rft.date=2010&rft.aulast=West&rft.aufirst=Barbara&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Muir pp. 295–96</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=qkIsAQAAIAAJ&q=Dashi+(Land+of+the+Arabs)+From+Tong+Dian+chapter+193,+appended+to+section+on+the+Dashi+(Arabs)+(TD:+1044):+%5BThe+city+of+the%5D+Arabs"><i>Harvard Middle Eastern and Islamic review</i></a>. Vol. <span class="nowrap">5–</span>7. Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University. 1999. p. 89. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210922202554/https://books.google.com/books?id=qkIsAQAAIAAJ&q=Dashi+%28Land+of+the+Arabs%29+From+Tong+Dian+chapter+193%2C+appended+to+section+on+the+Dashi+%28Arabs%29+%28TD%3A+1044%29%3A+%5BThe+city+of+the%5D+Arabs">Archived</a> from the original on 22 September 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">28 November</span> 2010</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Harvard+Middle+Eastern+and+Islamic+review&rft.pages=89&rft.pub=Center+for+Middle+Eastern+Studies%2C+Harvard+University&rft.date=1999&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DqkIsAQAAIAAJ%26q%3DDashi%2B%28Land%2Bof%2Bthe%2BArabs%29%2BFrom%2BTong%2BDian%2Bchapter%2B193%2C%2Bappended%2Bto%2Bsection%2Bon%2Bthe%2BDashi%2B%28Arabs%29%2B%28TD%3A%2B1044%29%3A%2B%255BThe%2Bcity%2Bof%2Bthe%255D%2BArabs&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFLowe2016" class="citation book cs1">Lowe, Roy (2016). <i>The Origins of Higher Learning Knowledge Networks and the Early Development of Universities</i>. Taylor & Francis. pp. <span class="nowrap">95–</span>98.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Origins+of+Higher+Learning+Knowledge+Networks+and+the+Early+Development+of+Universities&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E95-%3C%2Fspan%3E98&rft.pub=Taylor+%26+Francis&rft.date=2016&rft.aulast=Lowe&rft.aufirst=Roy&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFHerrmann1999" class="citation book cs1">Herrmann, Georgina (1999). <i>Monuments of Merv: Traditional Buildings of the Karakum</i>. London: <a href="/wiki/Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London" title="Society of Antiquaries of London">Society of Antiquaries of London</a>. p. 113.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Monuments+of+Merv%3A+Traditional+Buildings+of+the+Karakum&rft.place=London&rft.pages=113&rft.pub=Society+of+Antiquaries+of+London&rft.date=1999&rft.aulast=Herrmann&rft.aufirst=Georgina&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Cary-Elwes, Columba. <i>China and the Cross</i>. (New York: P. J. Kennedy and Sons, 1956)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation journal cs1">"The International Merv Project Preliminary Report on the Ninth Year (2000)". <i>Iran: Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies</i>. <b>39</b>. Michigan University: 41.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Iran%3A+Journal+of+the+British+Institute+of+Persian+Studies&rft.atitle=The+International+Merv+Project+Preliminary+Report+on+the+Ninth+Year+%282000%29&rft.volume=39&rft.pages=41&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFKeresztély2018" class="citation book cs1">Keresztély, Kata (14 December 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.academia.edu/82691611"><i>Fiction Painting : a Medieval Arabic Tradition</i></a>. p. 351.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Fiction+Painting+%3A+a+Medieval+Arabic+Tradition&rft.pages=351&rft.date=2018-12-14&rft.aulast=Kereszt%C3%A9ly&rft.aufirst=Kata&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.academia.edu%2F82691611&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-MET2-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-MET2_34-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Caqa12aj55wC&pg=PA428"><i>The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era, A.D. 843–1261</i></a>. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1997. pp. <span class="nowrap">428–</span>429. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87099-777-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-87099-777-8"><bdi>978-0-87099-777-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Glory+of+Byzantium%3A+Art+and+Culture+of+the+Middle+Byzantine+Era%2C+A.D.+843%E2%80%931261&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E428-%3C%2Fspan%3E429&rft.pub=Metropolitan+Museum+of+Art&rft.date=1997&rft.isbn=978-0-87099-777-8&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DCaqa12aj55wC%26pg%3DPA428&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-35">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Gye, David; Hillenbrand, Robert (2001). "Mausolea at Merv and Dehistan". <i>Iran: Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies.</i> <b>39</b> 5. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4300597">4300597</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210522142752/https://www.jstor.org/stable/4300597">Archived</a> 22 May 2021 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFPeacock2015" class="citation book cs1">Peacock, Andrew (2015). <i>The Great Seljuk Empire</i>. <a href="/wiki/Edinburgh_University_Press" title="Edinburgh University Press">Edinburgh University Press</a>. pp. <span class="nowrap">35–</span>47. <q>The earlier parts of Sanjar's reign in some respects represented a second zenith of Seljuk rule, marked by successful campaigns across Central Asia and a flourishing intellectual and cultural life at his oasis capital of Merv</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Great+Seljuk+Empire&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E35-%3C%2Fspan%3E47&rft.pub=Edinburgh+University+Press&rft.date=2015&rft.aulast=Peacock&rft.aufirst=Andrew&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999123-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999123_37-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHerrmann1999">Herrmann 1999</a>, p. 123.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFStarr2015" class="citation book cs1">Starr, Frederick (2015). <i>Lost Enlightenment. Central Asia's Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane</i>. <a href="/wiki/Princeton_University_Press" title="Princeton University Press">Princeton University Press</a>. p. 425. <q>The late Tertius Chandler, in his study Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth, concluded that by 1150 Merv was the largest city in the world, with a population of 200,000.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Lost+Enlightenment.+Central+Asia%27s+Golden+Age+from+the+Arab+Conquest+to+Tamerlane&rft.pages=425&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=2015&rft.aulast=Starr&rft.aufirst=Frederick&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Modelski-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Modelski_39-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/George_Modelski" title="George Modelski">George Modelski</a>, <i>World Cities: –3000 to 2000</i>, Washington DC: FAROS 2000, 2003. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9676230-1-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-9676230-1-4">0-9676230-1-4</a>. Figures in main tables are preferentially cited. Part of former estimates can be read at <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://faculty.washington.edu/modelski/">Evolutionary World Politics Homepage</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081228052839/http://faculty.washington.edu/modelski/">Archived</a> 2008-12-28 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Chandler-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Chandler_40-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Tertius Chandler (1987). <i>Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth: An Historical Census</i>, <a href="/wiki/Lewiston,_New_York" title="Lewiston, New York">Lewiston, New York</a>: <a href="/wiki/Edwin_Mellen_Press" title="Edwin Mellen Press">Edwin Mellen Press</a>, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88946-207-0" title="Special:BookSources/0-88946-207-0">0-88946-207-0</a>. Figures in main tables are preferentially cited. Part of Chandler's estimates are summarized or modified at <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://irows.ucr.edu/research/citemp/citemtoc.htm">The Institute for Research on World-Systems</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210224130906/https://irows.ucr.edu/research/citemp/citemtoc.htm">Archived</a> 24 February 2021 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>; Matt T. Rosenberg, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa011201a.htm"><i>Largest Cities Through History</i></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070714185311/http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa011201a.htm">Archived</a> 14 July 2007 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>; or <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.etext.org/Politics/World.Systems/datasets/citypop/civilizations/citypops_2000BC-1988AD">"The Etext Archives"</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080211233018/http://www.etext.org/Politics/World.Systems/datasets/citypop/civilizations/citypops_2000BC-1988AD">Archived</a> 2008-02-11 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. Chandler defined a city as a continuously built-up area (urban) with suburbs but without farmland inside the municipality.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Juvayni-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Juvayni_41-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Alāʼ al-Dīn ʻAṭā Malik Juvaynī, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/historyoftheworl011691mbp/page/n214/mode/1up?view=theater"><i>History of the World Conqueror</i></a>, translated by J. A. Boyle, pp.163–64 (Harvard University Press. 1968).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">John Andrew Boyle (1968). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/Boyle1968IlKhansCHIran05/page/n10/mode/1up?view=theater">"Dynastic and Political History of the Il-Khans"</a>. <i>Cambridge History of Iran</i>], Vol. V, Ch. 4, p. 313.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-43">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stubbs, Kim (May 2006). "Facing the Wrath of Khan". <i>Military History</i>. p. 30–37.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-44">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFGriffel2021" class="citation book cs1">Griffel, Frank (2021). <i>The Formation of Post-Classical Philosophy in Islam</i>. Oxford University Press. p. 42.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Formation+of+Post-Classical+Philosophy+in+Islam&rft.pages=42&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2021&rft.aulast=Griffel&rft.aufirst=Frank&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:0-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:0_45-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_45-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFBregel2003" class="citation book cs1">Bregel, Yuri (27 June 2003). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://brill.com/view/title/7490"><i>An Historical Atlas of Central Asia</i></a>. Brill. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-90-474-0121-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-90-474-0121-6"><bdi>978-90-474-0121-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=An+Historical+Atlas+of+Central+Asia&rft.pub=Brill&rft.date=2003-06-27&rft.isbn=978-90-474-0121-6&rft.aulast=Bregel&rft.aufirst=Yuri&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbrill.com%2Fview%2Ftitle%2F7490&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:1-46"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:1_46-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:1_46-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:1_46-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:1_46-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:1_46-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFNoelle-Karimi2014" class="citation book cs1">Noelle-Karimi, Christine (2014). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Kdl9oAEACAAJ"><i>The Pearl in Its Midst: Herat and the Mapping of Khurasan (15th–19th Centuries)</i></a>. Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. pp. <span class="nowrap">267–</span>272. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-7001-7202-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-3-7001-7202-4"><bdi>978-3-7001-7202-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Pearl+in+Its+Midst%3A+Herat+and+the+Mapping+of+Khurasan+%2815th%E2%80%9319th+Centuries%29&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E267-%3C%2Fspan%3E272&rft.pub=Austrian+Academy+of+Sciences+Press&rft.date=2014&rft.isbn=978-3-7001-7202-4&rft.aulast=Noelle-Karimi&rft.aufirst=Christine&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DKdl9oAEACAAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:2-47"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:2_47-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:2_47-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFWood1998" class="citation thesis cs1">Wood, William Arthur (1998). <i>The Sariq Turkmens of Merv and the Khanate of Khiva in the early nineteenth century</i> (Thesis). <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><a href="/wiki/ProQuest" title="ProQuest">ProQuest</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/304448359">304448359</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adissertation&rft.title=The+Sariq+Turkmens+of+Merv+and+the+Khanate+of+Khiva+in+the+early+nineteenth+century&rft.date=1998&rft.aulast=Wood&rft.aufirst=William+Arthur&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-48"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-48">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFVambery1864" class="citation book cs1">Vambery, Armin (1864). <i>Travels in Central Asia</i>. Joh Murray. p. 16.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Travels+in+Central+Asia&rft.pages=16&rft.pub=Joh+Murray&rft.date=1864&rft.aulast=Vambery&rft.aufirst=Armin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-49"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-49">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFTharoor2016" class="citation news cs1">Tharoor, Kanishk (12 August 2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/aug/12/lost-cities-merv-worlds-biggest-city-razed-turkmenistan">"Lost cities #5: how the magnificent city of Merv was razed – and never recovered"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_Guardian" title="The Guardian">The Guardian</a></i>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077">0261-3077</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210429075843/https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/aug/12/lost-cities-merv-worlds-biggest-city-razed-turkmenistan">Archived</a> from the original on 29 April 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">18 March</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Guardian&rft.atitle=Lost+cities+%235%3A+how+the+magnificent+city+of+Merv+was+razed+%E2%80%93+and+never+recovered&rft.date=2016-08-12&rft.issn=0261-3077&rft.aulast=Tharoor&rft.aufirst=Kanishk&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcities%2F2016%2Faug%2F12%2Flost-cities-merv-worlds-biggest-city-razed-turkmenistan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-50"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-50">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFEwans2008" class="citation book cs1">Ewans, Martin (2008). <i>Britain and Russia in Central Asia, 1880–1907</i>. Routledge. pp. <span class="nowrap">341–</span>360.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Britain+and+Russia+in+Central+Asia%2C+1880%E2%80%931907&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E341-%3C%2Fspan%3E360&rft.pub=Routledge&rft.date=2008&rft.aulast=Ewans&rft.aufirst=Martin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-51"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-51">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Merv, controlling the route from <a href="/wiki/Herat" title="Herat">Herat</a>, was conquered by Komarov's troops without much resistance in 1885, part of the <a href="/wiki/Great_Game" title="Great Game">Great Game</a>: André Kamev, <i>Le Turkménistan</i> 2005:104</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-52"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-52">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Fredrik T. Hiebert, Kakamyrat Gurbansähedow and Hubert Schmidt, <i>A Central Asian Village at the Dawn of Civilization, Excavations at Anau</i> (<a href="/wiki/University_of_Pennsylvania" title="University of Pennsylvania">University of Pennsylvania</a>) 2003:3.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-53"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-53">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">V. A. Zhukovsky, <i>Razvalinii starogo Merva</i> (St Peterburg, 1894).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-54"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-54">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/merv/">"Ancient Merv Project"</a>. University College London. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080610055941/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/merv/">Archived</a> from the original on 10 June 2008<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">21 October</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Ancient+Merv+Project&rft.pub=University+College+London&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucl.ac.uk%2Fmerv%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-55"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-55">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/research/ancient-merv-project">"Ancient Merv Project"</a>. University College London. 22 January 2019. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210817152113/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/research/ancient-merv-project">Archived</a> from the original on 17 August 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">17 August</span> 2021</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Ancient+Merv+Project&rft.pub=University+College+London&rft.date=2019-01-22&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucl.ac.uk%2Farchaeology%2Fresearch%2Fancient-merv-project&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-56"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-56">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Herrmann, Georgina; Kurbansakhatov, K. (1993). "The International Merv Project, Preliminary Report on the Second Season (1992)". Iran. pp. 53–75.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-57"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-57">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161122153312/http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/_eng/?id=3028">"golden age"</a>. Government of Turkmenistan. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://turkmenistan.gov.tm/_eng/?id=3028">the original</a> on 22 November 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">21 October</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=golden+age&rft.pub=Government+of+Turkmenistan&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fturkmenistan.gov.tm%2F_eng%2F%3Fid%3D3028&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-58"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-58">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFSicker2000" class="citation book cs1">Sicker, Martin (2000). <i>The Islamic World in Ascendancy From the Arab Conquests to the Siege of Vienna</i>. Praeger. p. 27.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Islamic+World+in+Ascendancy+From+the+Arab+Conquests+to+the+Siege+of+Vienna&rft.pages=27&rft.pub=Praeger&rft.date=2000&rft.aulast=Sicker&rft.aufirst=Martin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199930–34-59"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199930–34_59-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHerrmann1999">Herrmann 1999</a>, pp. 30–34.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199980–83-60"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann199980–83_60-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHerrmann1999">Herrmann 1999</a>, pp. 80–83.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-61"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-61">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFBradley2000" class="citation book cs1">Bradley, Mayhew (2000). <i>Central Asia</i>. 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Preliminary Report on the First Season (2001)", Iran, 40, pp. 15–42.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999101–105-63"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999101–105_63-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHerrmann1999">Herrmann 1999</a>, pp. 101–105.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-64"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-64">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Ettinghausen, Richard; Grabar, Oleg (1994), <i>The Art and Architecture of Islam 650–1250</i>, New Haven: Yale University Press</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Georgina-65"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Georgina_65-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Georgina_65-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Herrmann, Georgina; Kurbansakhatov, K. (2000), "The International Merv Project, Preliminary Report on the Ninth Year (2000)", Iran, pp. 9–52.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999112–116-66"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999112–116_66-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHerrmann1999">Herrmann 1999</a>, pp. 112–116.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-67"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-67">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/merv/merv/#geographic">"Merv"</a>. University College London. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161022085903/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/merv/merv/#geographic">Archived</a> from the original on 22 October 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">21 October</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Merv&rft.pub=University+College+London&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucl.ac.uk%2Fmerv%2Fmerv%2F%23geographic&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-68"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-68">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060227200324/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/886">"State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv'<span class="cs1-kern-right"></span>"</a>. <i>UNESCO World Heritage Centre</i>. 27 February 2006. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/886">the original</a> on 27 February 2006<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">18 March</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=UNESCO+World+Heritage+Centre&rft.atitle=State+Historical+and+Cultural+Park+%22Ancient+Merv%27&rft.date=2006-02-27&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwhc.unesco.org%2Fen%2Flist%2F886&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-69"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-69">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng89_reg2.php">Population census 1989</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120118160411/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng89_reg2.php">Archived</a> 2012-01-18 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>, <i>Demoscope Weekly</i>, No. 359-360, 1–18 January 2009 (search for Туркменская ССР) <span class="languageicon">(in Russian)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-70"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-70">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFPountney2021" class="citation book cs1">Pountney, Laura (2021). <i>Introducing Anthropology: What Makes Us Human?</i>. Wiley Publishers. pp. <span class="nowrap">180–</span>191.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Introducing+Anthropology%3A+What+Makes+Us+Human%3F&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E180-%3C%2Fspan%3E191&rft.pub=Wiley+Publishers&rft.date=2021&rft.aulast=Pountney&rft.aufirst=Laura&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-71"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-71">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFFeuerbach2006" class="citation journal cs1">Feuerbach, Ann (2006). "Crucible damascus steel: A fascination for almost 2,000 years". <i><a href="/wiki/JOM_(journal)" title="JOM (journal)">JOM</a></i>. <b>58</b> (5): <span class="nowrap">48–</span>50. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bibcode (identifier)">Bibcode</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006JOM....58e..48F">2006JOM....58e..48F</a>. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11837-006-0023-y">10.1007/s11837-006-0023-y</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:136714557">136714557</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=JOM&rft.atitle=Crucible+damascus+steel%3A+A+fascination+for+almost+2%2C000+years&rft.volume=58&rft.issue=5&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E48-%3C%2Fspan%3E50&rft.date=2006&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A136714557%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1007%2Fs11837-006-0023-y&rft_id=info%3Abibcode%2F2006JOM....58e..48F&rft.aulast=Feuerbach&rft.aufirst=Ann&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-72"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-72">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Donald B. Wagner (continuing from <a href="/wiki/Joseph_Needham" title="Joseph Needham">Joseph Needham</a>), <i>Science and Civilisation in China: 5. Chemistry and Chemical Technology: part 11 Ferrous Metallurgy</i> (<a href="/wiki/Cambridge_University_Press" title="Cambridge University Press">Cambridge University Press</a> 2008), 265 357.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-73"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-73">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFRamamoorthy1982" class="citation book cs1">Ramamoorthy, Gopalakrishnan (1982). <i>The Geography and Politics of Afghanistan</i>. Concept. pp. <span class="nowrap">75–</span>84.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Geography+and+Politics+of+Afghanistan&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E75-%3C%2Fspan%3E84&rft.pub=Concept&rft.date=1982&rft.aulast=Ramamoorthy&rft.aufirst=Gopalakrishnan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-74"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-74">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFThubron2012" class="citation book cs1">Thubron, Colin (2012). <i>Shadow of the Silk Road</i>. Random House. pp. <span class="nowrap">2–</span>78.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Shadow+of+the+Silk+Road&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E2-%3C%2Fspan%3E78&rft.pub=Random+House&rft.date=2012&rft.aulast=Thubron&rft.aufirst=Colin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-75"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-75">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFO'Donovan1883" class="citation book cs1">O'Donovan, Edmund (1883). <i>The Merv Oasis Travels and Adventures East of the Caspian During the Years 1879-80-81, Including Five Months' Residence Among the Tekkés of Merv</i>. Harvard University. p. 422.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Merv+Oasis+Travels+and+Adventures+East+of+the+Caspian+During+the+Years+1879-80-81%2C+Including+Five+Months%27+Residence+Among+the+Tekk%C3%A9s+of+Merv&rft.pages=422&rft.pub=Harvard+University&rft.date=1883&rft.aulast=O%27Donovan&rft.aufirst=Edmund&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Sources">Sources</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=27" title="Edit section: Sources"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239549316">.mw-parser-output .refbegin{margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul{margin-left:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{margin-left:0;padding-left:3.2em;text-indent:-3.2em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul,.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul li{list-style:none}@media(max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{padding-left:1.6em;text-indent:-1.6em}}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .refbegin{font-size:90%}}</style><div class="refbegin" style=""> <ul><li><span class="noprint"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/20px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="13" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/40px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="410" data-file-height="430" /></span></span> </span>This article incorporates text from a publication now in the <a href="/wiki/Public_domain" title="Public domain">public domain</a>: <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFBealby1911" class="citation encyclopaedia cs1">Bealby, John Thomas (1911). "<a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Merv" class="extiw" title="s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Merv">Merv</a>". <i><a href="/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition" title="Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition">Encyclopædia Britannica</a></i>. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). pp. <span class="nowrap">175–</span>176.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Merv&rft.btitle=Encyclop%C3%A6dia+Britannica&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E175-%3C%2Fspan%3E176&rft.edition=11th&rft.date=1911&rft.aulast=Bealby&rft.aufirst=John+Thomas&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>Ettinghausen, Richard; Grabar, Oleg (1994), The Art and Architecture of Islam 650–1250, New Haven: <a href="/wiki/Yale_University_Press" title="Yale University Press">Yale University Press</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Georgina_Herrmann" title="Georgina Herrmann">Herrmann, Georgina</a> (1999), Monuments of Merv: Traditional Buildings of the Karakum, London: <a href="/wiki/Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London" title="Society of Antiquaries of London">Society of Antiquaries of London</a>, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0854312757" title="Special:BookSources/0854312757">0854312757</a></li> <li>Herrmann, Georgina; Masson, VM; Kurbansakhatov, K (1992), "The International Merv Project, Preliminary Report on the First Season (1992).", Iran, 31, pp. 39–62.</li> <li>Herrmann, Georgina; Kurbansakhatov, K (1993), "The International Merv Project, Preliminary Report on the Second Season (1992).", Iran, 32, pp. 53–75.</li> <li>Herrmann, Georgina; Kurbansakhatov, K (2000), "The International Merv Project, Preliminary Report on the Ninth Year (2000).", Iran, 39, pp. 9–52.</li> <li>Herrmann, Georgina; Kurbansakhatov, K (1999), "The International Merv Project, Preliminary Report on the Seventh Season (1998).", Iran, 37, pp. 9–52.</li> <li>Williams, Tim; Kurbansakhatov, K (2002), "The Ancient Merv Project, Turkmenistan. Preliminary Report on the First Season (2001)", Iran, 40, pp. 15–42.</li> <li>Williams, Tim; Kurbansakhatov, K (2003), "The Ancient Merv Project, Turkmenistan. Preliminary Report on the First Season (2002)", Iran, 41, pp. 139–172.</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/research_projects/merv,_turkmenistan.aspx">British Museum Research Project</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121029062857/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/gazetteer/0028.html">Hazlitt's Classical Gazetteer</a><sup><a href="/wiki/Template:Usurped/doc" title="Template:Usurped/doc">[usurped]</a></sup></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/merv/">Ancient Merv Project UCL</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140701030401/http://archive.cyark.org/ancient-merv-intro">Merv Digital Media Archive</a> (creative commons-licensed photos, laser scans, panoramas), particularly focusing on Sultan Kala (Gala), with data from a <a href="/wiki/University_College_London" title="University College London">University College London</a>/<a href="/wiki/CyArk" title="CyArk">CyArk</a> research partnership</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFO'Donovan1882" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Edmund_O%27Donovan" title="Edmund O'Donovan">O'Donovan, Edmund</a> (1882). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001235515"><i>The Merv Oasis, travels and adventures east of the Caspian during the years 1879-80-81 including five months' residence among the Tekkés of Merv</i></a>. Smith, Elder & co.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Merv+Oasis%2C+travels+and+adventures+east+of+the+Caspian+during+the+years+1879-80-81+including+five+months%27+residence+among+the+Tekk%C3%A9s+of+Merv&rft.pub=Smith%2C+Elder+%26+co.&rft.date=1882&rft.aulast=O%27Donovan&rft.aufirst=Edmund&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fcatalog.hathitrust.org%2FRecord%2F001235515&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMerv" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Merv&action=edit&section=28" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid 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href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Merv" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Merv">Merv</a></span>.</div></div> </div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1235681985" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1237033735" /><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409" /> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/40px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/60px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png 1.5x, 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title="voy:Merv">Merv</a> travel guide from Wikivoyage</li></ul> <div style="clear:both;" class=""></div> <table class="wikitable succession-box noprint" style="margin:0.5em auto; font-size:small;clear:both;"> <tbody><tr style="text-align:center;"> <td style="width:30%;" rowspan="1">Preceded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/Isfahan" title="Isfahan">Isfahan</a></div> </td> <td style="width: 40%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1"><b> Capital of <a href="/wiki/Seljuq_Empire" class="mw-redirect" title="Seljuq Empire">Seljuq Empire</a> <a href="/wiki/Capitals_of_Persia" class="mw-redirect" title="Capitals of Persia">(Persia)</a><br /><small> (Eastern capital)</small> </b><br />1118–1153 </td> <td style="width: 30%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1">Succeeded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/Gurganj" class="mw-redirect" title="Gurganj">Gurganj</a></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235" /></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="World_Heritage_Sites_in_Turkmenistan85" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231" /><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:World_Heritage_Sites_in_Turkmenistan" title="Template:World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:World_Heritage_Sites_in_Turkmenistan" title="Template talk:World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:World_Heritage_Sites_in_Turkmenistan" title="Special:EditPage/Template:World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="World_Heritage_Sites_in_Turkmenistan85" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Turkmenistan" title="List of World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan">World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Cold Winter Deserts of <a href="/wiki/Turan" title="Turan">Turan</a> (<span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="/wiki/Bereketli_Garagum_Nature_Reserve" title="Bereketli Garagum Nature Reserve">Bereketli Garagum</a>, <a href="/wiki/Gapla%C5%88gyr_Nature_Reserve" title="Gaplaňgyr Nature Reserve">Gaplaňgyr</a>, <a href="/wiki/Repetek_Biosphere_State_Reserve" title="Repetek Biosphere State Reserve">Repetek</a>, Yeradzhi</span>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Konye-Urgench" title="Konye-Urgench">Kunya-Urgench</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Merv</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nisa,_Turkmenistan" title="Nisa, Turkmenistan">Parthian Fortresses of Nisa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Silk_Roads:_Zarafshan-Karakum_Corridor" title="Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor">Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235" /></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Iranian_architecture86" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="3"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231" /><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Iranian_architecture" title="Template:Iranian architecture"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Iranian_architecture" title="Template talk:Iranian architecture"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Iranian_architecture" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Iranian architecture"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Iranian_architecture86" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Iranian_architecture" title="Iranian architecture">Iranian architecture</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Periods</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Pre-Islamic</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Achaemenid_architecture" title="Achaemenid architecture">Achaemenid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parthian_style" title="Parthian style">Parthian style</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sasanian_architecture" title="Sasanian architecture">Sasanian</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Islamic</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Islamic_architecture" title="Islamic architecture">Early Islamic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Great_Seljuk_architecture" title="Great Seljuk architecture">Seljuk</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iranian_architecture#Ilkhanid_architecture" title="Iranian architecture">Ilkhanid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timurid_architecture" title="Timurid architecture">Timurid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Safavid_art" title="Safavid art">Safavid</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="6" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Perspolis.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Perspolis.jpg/90px-Perspolis.jpg" decoding="async" width="90" height="119" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Perspolis.jpg/135px-Perspolis.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Perspolis.jpg/180px-Perspolis.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2312" data-file-height="3065" /></a></span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Types</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bazaar" title="Bazaar">Bazaars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Caravanserai" title="Caravanserai">Caravanserais</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Khanqah" class="mw-redirect" title="Khanqah">Khaneqah</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mosque" title="Mosque">Mosques</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Takyeh" title="Takyeh">Takyeh</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Elements</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ab_anbar" title="Ab anbar">Ab anbar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Andaruni" title="Andaruni">Andaruni</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Biruni_(Persian_architecture)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Biruni (Persian architecture) (page does not exist)">Biruni</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tower" title="Tower">Burj</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chahartaq_(architecture)" title="Chahartaq (architecture)">Chahartaq</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Dalan_e_Vorudi&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Dalan e Vorudi (page does not exist)">Dalan e Vorudi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gonbad" class="mw-redirect" title="Gonbad">Gonbad</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hashti" title="Hashti">Hashti</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Howz" title="Howz">Howz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imamzadeh" title="Imamzadeh">Imamzadeh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iwan" title="Iwan">Iwan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Qanat#Iran" title="Qanat">Kariz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kucheh" title="Kucheh">Kucheh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Panjdari" title="Panjdari">Panjdari</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Persian_gardens" title="Persian gardens">Persian Garden (<i>hayāt</i>)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Qanat" title="Qanat">Qanat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sahn" title="Sahn">Sahn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shabestan" title="Shabestan">Shabestan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Talar" title="Talar">Talar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windcatcher" title="Windcatcher">Windcatchers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yakhch%C4%81l" title="Yakhchāl">Yakhchāl</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Traditional cities</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/%C4%80ina-k%C4%81ri" class="mw-redirect" title="Āina-kāri">Āina-kāri</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Amol" title="Amol">Amol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Andijan" title="Andijan">Andijan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Baku" title="Baku">Baku</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bam,_Iran" title="Bam, Iran">Bam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bukhara" title="Bukhara">Bukhara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ctesiphon" title="Ctesiphon">Ctesiphon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Derbent" title="Derbent">Derbent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ganja,_Azerbaijan" title="Ganja, Azerbaijan">Ganja</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gur-e-Amir" title="Gur-e-Amir">Gur-e-Amir</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hatra" title="Hatra">Hatra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Herat" title="Herat">Herat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Isfahan" title="Isfahan">Isfahan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kashan" title="Kashan">Kashan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kashmar" title="Kashmar">Kashmar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Khiva" title="Khiva">Khiva</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Khorramabad" title="Khorramabad">Khorramabad</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mashhad" title="Mashhad">Mashhad</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Merv</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nakhchivan_(city)" title="Nakhchivan (city)">Nakhchivan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nishapur" title="Nishapur">Nishapur</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Persepolis" title="Persepolis">Persepolis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Qazvin" title="Qazvin">Qazvin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Qom" title="Qom">Qom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Samarkand" title="Samarkand">Samarkand</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shahrisabz" title="Shahrisabz">Shahrisabz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shiraz" title="Shiraz">Shiraz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Susa" title="Susa">Susa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tabriz" title="Tabriz">Tabriz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Takht-e_Soleym%C4%81n" title="Takht-e Soleymān">Takht-e Soleymān</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Architecture_of_Tehran" title="Architecture of Tehran">Tehran</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yazd" title="Yazd">Yazd</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Theory and analysis</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Islamic_architecture" title="Islamic architecture">Islamic architecture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Traditional_Persian_residential_architecture" title="Traditional Persian residential architecture">Traditional Persian residential architecture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Traditional_water_sources_of_Persian_antiquity" title="Traditional water sources of Persian antiquity">Traditional water sources of Persian antiquity</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Lists</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Architects_of_Iran" title="Architects of Iran">Architects of Iran</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Castles_in_Iran" title="Category:Castles in Iran"><i>Arg</i>s, castles, and <i>ghal'eh</i>s</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_ab_anbars_of_Qazvin" title="List of ab anbars of Qazvin">List of ab anbars of Qazvin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_mosques_in_Iran" title="List of mosques in Iran">List of mosques</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ziyarat#Iran" title="Ziyarat">List of ziyarat-gahs</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374" /><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235" /></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-labelledby="Authority_control_databases_frameless&#124;text-top&#124;10px&#124;alt=Edit_this_at_Wikidata&#124;link=https&#58;//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q193325#identifiers&#124;class=noprint&#124;Edit_this_at_Wikidata962" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div 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//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20" /></a></span></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">International</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://viaf.org/viaf/247360153">VIAF</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1897047/">FAST</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">National</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://d-nb.info/gnd/4341831-4">Germany</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/sh92000145">United States</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nli.org.il/en/authorities/987013170291105171">Israel</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Geographic</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/961873">Pleiades</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/merv">İslâm Ansiklopedisi</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Merv&oldid=1279130381">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Merv&oldid=1279130381</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Merv" title="Category:Merv">Merv</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Populated_places_established_in_the_6th_century_BC" title="Category:Populated places established in the 6th century BC">Populated places established in the 6th century BC</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Populated_places_disestablished_in_1789" title="Category:Populated places disestablished in 1789">Populated places disestablished in 1789</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Parthian_cities" title="Category:Parthian cities">Parthian cities</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Sasanian_cities" title="Category:Sasanian cities">Sasanian cities</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Archaeological_sites_in_Turkmenistan" title="Category:Archaeological sites in Turkmenistan">Archaeological sites in Turkmenistan</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Populated_places_along_the_Silk_Road" title="Category:Populated places along the Silk Road">Populated places along the Silk Road</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Mary_Region" title="Category:Mary Region">Mary Region</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Cities_in_Central_Asia" title="Category:Cities in Central Asia">Cities in Central Asia</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:World_Heritage_Sites_in_Turkmenistan" title="Category:World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan">World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Former_populated_places_in_Turkmenistan" title="Category:Former populated places in Turkmenistan">Former populated places in Turkmenistan</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Capitals_of_caliphates" title="Category:Capitals of caliphates">Capitals of caliphates</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Am%E1%B9%A3ar" title="Category:Amṣar">Amṣar</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Bactrian_and_Indian_Hellenistic_period" title="Category:Bactrian and Indian Hellenistic period">Bactrian and Indian Hellenistic period</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Cities_founded_by_Alexander_the_Great" title="Category:Cities founded by Alexander the Great">Cities founded by Alexander the Great</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Murghab_basin" title="Category:Murghab basin">Murghab basin</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Destroyed_populated_places" title="Category:Destroyed populated places">Destroyed populated places</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Razed_cities" title="Category:Razed cities">Razed cities</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_using_gadget_WikiMiniAtlas" title="Category:Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas">Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Turkmen-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Turkmen-language text">Articles containing Turkmen-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Ancient_Greek_(to_1453)-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text">Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Persian-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Persian-language text">Articles containing Persian-language 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[\"Infobox ancient site\"] = 1,\n [\"Iranian Architecture\"] = 1,\n [\"Jstor\"] = 1,\n [\"Lang\"] = 24,\n [\"Langx\"] = 5,\n [\"Main\"] = 1,\n [\"Notelist\"] = 1,\n [\"Other uses\"] = 1,\n [\"ProQuest\"] = 1,\n [\"Quote\"] = 1,\n [\"Refbegin\"] = 1,\n [\"Refend\"] = 1,\n [\"Reflist\"] = 1,\n [\"S-end\"] = 1,\n [\"S-start\"] = 1,\n [\"See also\"] = 1,\n [\"Sfn\"] = 7,\n [\"Short description\"] = 1,\n [\"Succession box\"] = 1,\n [\"Use British English\"] = 1,\n [\"Use dmy dates\"] = 1,\n [\"Usurped\"] = 1,\n [\"Webarchive\"] = 6,\n [\"Why?\"] = 1,\n [\"Wikivoyage-inline\"] = 1,\n [\"Wiktionary\"] = 1,\n [\"World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan\"] = 1,\n}\narticle_whitelist = table#1 {\n}\nciteref_patterns = table#1 {\n}\n"},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-web.codfw.main-7b4fff7949-smdvc","timestamp":"20250326151656","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script 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