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State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv"

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Turkmenistan
Date of Inscription: 1999
Criteria: (ii)(iii)
Mary Vilayet
N37 42 03 E62 10 39
Ref: 886

Brief Description

Merv is the oldest and best-preserved of the oasis-cities along the Silk Route in Central Asia. The remains in this vast oasis span 4,000 years of human history. A number of monuments are still visible, particularly from the last two millennia.

Justification for Inscription

Criterion (ii): The cities of the Merv oasis have exerted considerable influence over the cultures of Central Asia and Iran for four millennia. The Seljuk city in particular influenced architecture and architectural decoration and scientific and cultural development.

Criterion (iii): The sequence of the cities of the Merv oasis, their fortifications, and their urban lay-outs bear exceptional testimony to the civilizations of Central Asia over several millennia.

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