Things to do in Mary, Mary Province: The Best Sights & Landmarks

Reviewed By andrewmU2655XD

We visited Merv as a day trip from Ashgabat by plane. We spent 3 hours on the site but realised that we had missed some important attractions, so it is critical that you do some research before visiting to ensure that all the areas that you wish to visit in the ancient cities are agreed with your tour company. The ancient site is comprised of four sections; Erk Kala, Gyaur Kala, Sultan Kala and Abdullah Khan Kala. Depending on the historical period or architecture that you are interested in, you can plan your time in each area accordingly. There are also a few other mausoleums and ruins which are located just outside the ancient city walls. On arriving at the entrance to the Merv complex, it will be necessary to pay a camera fee which was 11 manat. A wide paved road runs from the entrance through Sultan Kala and continues just north of Erk Kala. There are many narrow roads which branch off this main road and lead to the various attractions, some of which are dirt roads. It is essential to have a car at this site, as it was once the largest city in the world in the 12th century and is probably too hot to walk to the various attractions. We saw locals using donkey carts, bicycles and other means of transport. We started by turning right on entry towards the structures of Kyz Bibi, Greater Kyz Kala and Lesser Kyz Kala. Kyz Bibi is to the left a short drive on a dirt road. You can park at Greater Kyz Kala, however there is no access , but photos can be taken. Lesser Kyz Kala is a short walk south, and you will be able to walk the ruins here. We continued to the southern section of Sultan Kala, which was expanded in 1418 by the Timurids, where we visited the Ashkab Complex and sardoba. I would advise that you then head in a northerly direction and take a right on the dirt path that leads into Gyaur Kala. There is not much to see in the ancient city which was built by the Selucids and also occupied by the Sasanids until 651. If you are interested in buddhism, a stupa is covered with earth to preserve it, and represents the westernmost area of buddhist expansion. The ruins of an ancient Mosque is also on a dirt path north of this area. Photos can be taken of the Erk Kala fortress area from here. If you head back out on the paved road, it will lead to Erk Kala which is the site of Alexandria, the fortress city which Alexander the Great captured from the Persian Empire in 330 BC. If you head back to the paved path you will pass the mosque and mausoleum of Yusuf Hamadani on the way into Sultan Kala, which was the main city between 651-1221. The main attractions here are the Sultans fort (palace) and the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar. The last attraction in the complex is to the right, heading back towards the entrance, the Zeyd mausoleum. Abdullah Khan Kala, constructed in 1418, is a short drive south outside the Merv complex heading back into town, and do not miss the golden statue of Sultan Sanjar, which is on your left on the main road through town.