Time traveling in Mary

My original time in Turkmenistan was supposed to be only 3 days and 2 nights in order to match up with an existing tour the agency had already booked. This felt wrong to me. There are countries that no matter how cool they are, you have a feeling you won't get a chance to return, either because of geography, cost or visa restrictions. Turkmenistan presents challenges on all three fronts so I wanted to spend a bit more time. I extended my tour for an extra day and headed east to the ancient city of Mary. 

We arrived in the late afternoon, giving me time to stroll around a bit. It was a nice, chill city that provided a perfect counterbalance between the humble villages of the Karakum desert and the over-the-top spectacle of Ashgabat.

Before dropping me of at the perfectly situated Margush Hotel, my guide mentioned that I should check out the hotel patio bar. 

You don't have to tell me twice. Having the most happening place in town in my backyard is a stroke of luck I'm going to take full advantage of. As I mentioned in my last post, I had not really observed the cultural isolationism I'd expected. But having the dj play Bad Bunny's EoO was mind-blowing to me. That album just came out a couple of months ago!!

                                          

Benito aside, the reason we had come to Mary was to visit the UNESCO recognized archeological sites in Merv.

Merv was actually a series of cities built side by side over 2,500 years.  The oldest part was Erk Kala founded in the 6th century BCE by the Achaemenid Persians and later expanded by Alexander the Great.

In the 3rd century BCE- 8th century CE, it was expanded by Parthians and Sassanids and was home to Zoroastrian temples.

Our first stop, the Great Kyz Kala was from that era. Being out here with no one else around felt like stumbling into the set of Raiders of the Lost Ark in the best of ways.

Between the 11th-12th centuries, during the Seljuk Empire, it is believed that Merv was the largest and most populous city in the world. It was during this time that the Askhab Mausoleum complex was built. Sadly, it, along with the entire city, was destroyed by the Mongols in 1221. The Mausoleum was then rebuilt under the Timurid empire in the 15th and 16th century and dedicated to two of prophet Mohammed's early companions, Abu Dhar al-Ghifari and Abu Buraida al-Aslami. 

Jumping around in time, we continued to the Gyaur Kala, founded in 281 BCE. The name means "fortress of the infidels" and was bestowed by the Arab conquerors because of non-welcoming reception given to them by the Zoroastrian population. 

And forward in time to the Sultan Kala complex (11th century), which was the site of the Shahriyar Ark, a royal residence and military compound. 

But without question, the highlight of any visit to Merv is Sultan Sanjar's mausoleum. Constructed in 1157, it was built to honor Ahmad Sanjar, the last ruler of the Seljuk empire (the ones who ruled when Merv was at its grandest). It was one of the the earliest large scale Mausoleum's in the Islamic world. 

I could have spent days exploring Merv and not tired of it but my all too brief time in Turkmenistan was coming to an end and we still had to drive a couple of hours to the Uzbekistan border. 

My time in Turkmenistan really did feel like a whirlwind, going from desert yurt at the Door to Hell to the Vegas on Steroids flash of Ashgabat to listening to Bad Bunny in an ancient city but I'd loved every second of it. Maybe I could find a way to return after all...