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Merv Hughes Oval
Merv (, ', ; ), also known as the Merve Oasis, was a major Iranian city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium BC until the 18th century AD. It changed hands repeatedly throughout history. Under the Achaemenid Empire, it was the center of the satrapy of Margiana. It was subsequently ruled by Hellenistic Kings, Parthians, Sasanians, Arabs, Ghaznavids, Seljuqs, Khwarazmians and Timurids, among others. Merv was the capital city of several polities throughout its history. In the beginning of the 9th century, Merv was the seat of the caliph al-Ma'mun and the capital of the entire Islamic caliphate. It served later as the seat of the Tahirid governors of Khorasan. In the 11th–12th centuries, Merv was the capital of the Great Seljuk Empire and remained so until the latter's ultimate fall. Around this time, Merv turned into a chief centre of Islamic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Kyz Kala
The Great Kyz Kala is a large ruined fortress in the ancient city of Merv, now in Turkmenistan. It is an example of a ''köshk'' or ''kushk'' type of fortress: an earthen building built on a raised platform, with exterior walls formed of large vertical engaged columns (a series of octagonal half-columns) with large corrugations. These fortresses are equipped with internal palatial rooms, often decorated. It occupied an area of . The construction date is rather uncertain, with some authors arguing for an early 6th to 7th century date, attributing it to the Sasanian Empire (224–651). It is also attributed to the 8th/9th century CE, corresponding to the Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad or Abassid period. The Great Kyz Kala was an elite palatial suburban residence, perhaps meant for the use of the governor of Merv. It remained in use until the Seljuk Empire, Seljuks as a function room. A smaller fortress nearby is the Little Kyz Kala. Gallery File:Reconstruction of the Great Kyz Kala, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
