Photos: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0; John Pavelka from Austin, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0; John Pavelka from Austin, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0; Dr. Alexey Yakovlev, CC BY-SA 2.0; Hans Birger Nilsen, CC BY-SA 2.0; Peretz Partensky, CC BY-SA 2.0
Excursion
Ancient Merv
The price depends on your dates, group size and hotels. Send a request and we will reply with an offer.
In the 12th–13th centuries Merv was one of the largest cities in the world. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its fortresses, mausoleums and walls still show its old greatness. In the morning your guide and driver meet you at your hotel in Mary for the drive to Merv (40 km, 40 minutes).
Highlights
- The mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar (12th c.), perhaps the grandest building in Merv
- Big and Small Kyz-Kala (8th–9th c.), clay-brick fortresses with no known parallels
- The Ashab complex (9th–12th c.), one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Turkmenistan
- Erk Kala (6th c. BC), the oldest fortress, with walls almost 30 metres high and a fine view
- Gyaur Kala (3rd c. BC), with walls 2 km long
- The Beni Mahan mosque (7th–9th c.) and a surviving cistern
- The mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Zayd (12th c.)
- The Museum of History in Mary, with six main halls
Included
- Private professional guide
- Entrance tickets
- Transport for the whole excursion (1–2 people: sedan, 4–6: minivan, 6–10: minibus)
Good to know
- This is a private guided excursion: no other tourists join you or your group
- You choose the order of the sights
- Pick a start time that suits you
- It can start straight from the airport or station, where our guide will meet you
