Turkmenistan is an amazing land, a unique country for tourism, full of fairy tales and legends, an unknown land that beckons like a closed door, behind which you definitely want to look. Everything here breathes history, the land keeps numerous reminders of the birth of ancient civilizations, the development of medieval cities, the invasions of numerous invaders, the reigns of famous dynasties: Timurids, Seljuks, Sassanids, Khorezmshahs.
The surviving archaeological monuments serve as a reflection of the entire history of the East at various stages of development. Only here the once mighty walls of ancient cities, dilapidated palaces and mausoleums, ruins of mosques and necropolises, gigantic abandoned watchtowers, ruins of ancient settlements almost covered with sand will appear before you in all their beauty and grandeur. You can touch objects that have preserved the warmth and energy of people who lived many thousands of years before you, feel like a lucky archaeologist who found a coveted artifact or a royal offspring of a medieval ruling dynasty, or maybe fantasy will take you to the origins of civilization and you will take part in the hunt for a mammoth.
Let your imagination run wild, and when you get tired of dreaming, visit wonderful modern resorts. Plunge into the world of luxury and bliss on the shores of the warm sea, taste unusual dishes of oriental cuisine, marvel at the unprecedented scope of urban construction, admire the incomparable Akhal-Teke horses and take away the famous Turkmen carpet that will warm your home and remind you of your stay in a magical land, only for revealing your secrets to you.
Kunya-Urgench
The ruins of ancient Gurganj, the once powerful capital of the Khorezmshahs, today it is not only a center of tourism, but also a place of pilgrimage for Muslims.
Now it is a modern city, and only a small fraction of the surviving monuments and ancient buildings reminds of the existence of a powerful medieval state, most of which are still waiting in the wings under the thickness of temporary years. But even what has already been discovered strikes with the beauty and perfection of the forms of ancient architecture, and also simply stuns with its venerable age. Be sure to visit the mausoleums of Fakhr-ad-din Razi (XIII century), Tekesh Khorezmshah (XIII century), the mausoleum of Torebeg-Khanym (XIV century), the Ak-Kala fortress and the 67-meter minaret of Kutlug-Temir, considered the highest in Central Asia.
Nisa
An ancient settlement located 18 km west of the capital of Turkmenistan, the city of Ashgabat. Nissa is the ruins of the ancient Parthian state, which existed at the junction of two eras, the last millennium BC and the first millennium AD (Iv BC-Iv AD). The settlement consists of two fortresses, the ruins of Old and New Nissa. The remains of the quarters of the ancient city have been preserved here, some houses have survived. During excavations, scientists discovered numerous rhytons-cups in the form of ivory horns, sculptures made of stone and clay, minted coins, records on clay tablets. Archaeological surveys of the old city of Nissa are recognized as world-wide significant.
Merv
To the north of the city of Bairam-Ali, on the banks of the Murgab River, lie the ruins of the ancient city of Merv. Excavations at this place began in the 80s of the XIX century and continued in the 50s-60s of the last century under the guidance of the famous orientalist E. Masson.
Merv is one of the most significant historical monuments of Turkmenistan.
The oldest part of the settlement is the poorly preserved Erk-Kala citadel (I millennium BC). At one time, the city was the capital of a part of the Sasanian Empire, then the stronghold of the Arab governors in Khorosan. The peak of prosperity for Merv was the rule of the Seljuks, and after the Khorezmshahs, as evidenced by the ruins of the settlement of Sultan-Kala, in the center of which stands the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar. By the 19th century, the great city fell into decay and the center of the region moved to Mary.
Dehistan
Waterless, clayey, desert area in the south-west of Turkmenistan. In the III – VI centuries AD. it was a flourishing oasis in the valley of the river Atrek, it was here that various Turkic tribes began to come and settle: massagets, saki, hephthalites. The strongest tribal alliance was made up of the Dakhs, who created fortified fortresses and urban settlements of Akga-kala, Shadur-kala, since then their tribal name has been attached to the area.
Misrian
The ruins of a huge settlement of the X-XIII centuries, located on the territory of Dehistan and being its main historical monument. The city traditionally consisted of a citadel, shahristan – an inner city and numerous rabads – suburbs. Since ancient times, this settlement has been distinguished by a high level of development, so it is known for certain that Misrian in the Middle Ages was one of the most developed centers of various crafts.
Serakhs
In the past, it was a large trading center on the Great Silk Road between the cities of Nishapur and Merv. Serakhs is located in the center of a small oasis of the Tejen River. On the territory of the city there is the place of the first settlement of prehistoric people, dating back to the 1st century BC, but it was not it that brought glory to the city, but the skill of builders and architects of antiquity, which was especially developed with the advent of Islam in this region and was known throughout Central Asia.