GUIDE TO TURKMENISTAN HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE AND FAITH IN THE DESERT Gian Luca Bonora UMBERTO ALLEMANDI Project Cultures and Society in Turkmenistan Director Giorgio Cracco Scientific Committee Michele Bernardini Gian Luca Bonora Giusto Traina Researchers Francesca Bellino Michele Bernardini Gian Luca Bonora Omar Coloru Alexis Lycas Giusto Traina Contents 13 Foreword by Giorgio Cracco 15 Introduction by Gian Luca Bonora 1. Brief Historical Overview 2. The Geography of Turkmenistan 3. Ashgabat 37 3.1 Ashgabat, the Capital of Turkmenistan 40 3.2 Places of Worship in Ashgabat 42 3.3 Social and Political Monuments 43 3.4 Theatres of Ashgabat 45 3.5 The Monument of V.I. Lenin 45 3.6 The Museum of Fine Arts 47 3.7 The Museum of the Turkmen Carpet 49 3.8 The Independence and Rukhnama Monuments 51 3.9 The National Museum of History of Turkmenistan 54 3.10 The Ashgabat Flagpole 54 3.11 The Arch of Neutrality 56 3.12 The Constitution Monument 57 3.13 The Alem Center 58 3.14 The Turkmenistan Tower 59 3.15 The Memorial Complex “Halk hakydasy” 61 3.16 The Wedding Palace 62 3.17 The Turkmen State Circus 62 3.18 The Memorial Complex and Ruhy Mosque (Gypjak Mosque) 4. Ahal Region 66 4.1 West Ahal Region 66 4.1.1 New and Old Nisa 73 4.1.2 Djeitun 73 4.1.3 Geok Depe 76 4.1.4 Durun 76 4.2 East Ahal Region 76 4.2.1 The Bronze Age Sites of Anau 77 4.2.2 The Ak Bugday National Museum in Anau 79 4.2.3 The Seyit Jamal ad-Din Mosque, Anau 84 4.2.4 Khosrov Kala 84 4.2.5 Abiverd 87 4.2.6 Namazga-depe 88 4.2.7 Kufen 89 4.2.8 Kone Kaakha 90 4.2.9 Khivaabad, the Fortress of Nadir Shah 92 4.2.10 Ulug-depe 95 4.2.11 The Grave of Malik Baba, near Dushak 96 4.2.12 Mekhne 96 4.2.13 The Mausoleum of Meana Baba 100 4.2.14 Altyn-depe 101 4.2.15 Ilgynly-depe 102 4.3 The Area of Serakhs 102 4.3.1 Serakhs 105 4.3.2 The Mausoleum of Abu Fazl (or Serakhs Baba) 107 4.3.3 The Mausoleum of the Sheikh Akhmed al-Hady, also known as Yarty Gumbez 108 4.3.4 Mele Hairam 5. Mary Region 111 5.1 Mary 112 5.2 The Museum of the Mary Region 114 5.3 The City of Bayramali 114 5.4 Ancient Merv 118 5.5 Erk Kala and Gyaur Kala 123 5.6 Sultan Kala 129 5.7 Abdullah Khan Kala 131 5.8 The Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar 135 5.9 Great Kyz Kala 138 5.10 Little Kyz Kala 139 5.11 Kyz Bibi 140 5.12 The House or Köshk near the Office of the Ancient Merv Archaeological Park 141 5.13 The Mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Zayd (or Muhammad ibn Said) 144 5.14 Köshk near the Mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Zayd 144 5.15 The Byash Barmak Köshk 145 5.16 Kepter Khana in Iskander Kala 146 5.17 The Mosque of Yusuf Hamadani 148 5.18 The Al-Ma’mum Köshk 148 5.19 Köshk east of Gyaur Kala 148 5.20 Houses east of Gyaur Kala 149 5.21 The Askhab Complex 150 5.22 Köshk south of Gyaur Kala 151 5.23 The Timurid Pavilion (or Köshk Imaret) 152 5.24 Ice-house 1 154 5.25 Ice-house 2 155 5.26 Ice-house 3 and 4 156 5.27 Dings near the Power Station of Bayramali 157 5.28 The Yelhazar Köshk 158 5.29 The Porsoy Köshk 159 5.30 Köshk near Penapir Kala 160 5.31 Great Nagym Kala and Lesser Nagym Kala 161 5.32 Suli Koshuk or Köshk (also known as Deshikly) 162 5.33 Chil’burj 164 5.34 The Garam (or Kharam) Köshk 165 5.35 The KharobaKhoshuk (or Köshk) 167 5.36 Yakkiper (or Yakkeper) 168 5.37 The Mausoleum of Khuday Nazar Ouliya 169 5.38 Kurtly Depe: the medieval city of Bashan 171 5.39 Durnali 172 5.40 The AkuyliKoshuk or Akyoli Köshk 173 5.41 Gobekli-depe 174 5.42 Uly Kishman (Khurmuzfarrah) 176 5.43 Dingly Kishman or Garry Kishman (Kushmeikhan) 177 5.44 Gonur-depe 178 5.45 The Akcha Kala Caravanserai 180 5.46 The Mosque of Talkhatan Baba 181 5.47 The Mosque of Dandanakan 183 5.48 Ekedeshik, near Takhta Bazar 6. Lebap Region 187 6.1 Turkmenabat 189 6.2 The Amudarya State Nature Reserve 189 6.3 The Caravanserai of Daya Khatyn 192 6.4 The Mausoleum of Darganata 193 6.5 The Repetek State Nature Reserve 194 6.6 The Mausoleum of Alamberdar 195 6.7 Astana Baba 198 6.8 Atamurat (formerly Kerki) 198 6.9 The Koytendag Nature Reserve 199 6.10 Hojapil, the Dinosaur Plateau 7. Dashoguz Region 203 7.1 Dashoguz 205 7.2 The AksarayDing 207 7.3 Ysmamyt-Ata 209 7.4 Zamakhshar (Izmukshir or Zmukshir) 210 7.5 The Gurganj, today Konya Urgench 213 7.6 The Mausoleum and Khanaka Najm al-Din Kubrà 216 7.7 The Piryarvali (or Piryar Vali) Mausoleum 217 7.8 The Mausoleum of Sultan Ali 218 7.9 The Mausoleum of Matkarim Ishan 218 7.10 The Dash Mosque 220 7.11 The Mausoleum and Madrasah of ibn Khadjib 220 7.12 The Mausoleum of Turabek Khanym (or of the Sufi Dynasty) 224 7.13 Gulgerdan (Guligerdan or Kul-Gardan) 225 7.14 Unnamed Building near the Mausoleum of Turabek Khanym 225 7.15 The Mausoleum of Said Akhmed (orGarakapy ) 227 7.16 The Minaret of Kutlugh Timur 229 7.17 Kyrkmolla 231 7.18 The Mausoleum of the Khorezmshah Tekesh 234 7.19 The Mausoleum of Ali ar-Ramitani al-Bukhari 234 7.20 The Mausoleum of Il-Arslan (or of Fakhr ad-Din Razi) 238 7.21 Unnamed Mausoleum 238 7.22 The Minaret of al-Ma’mun 239 7.23 Portal of a Caravanserai 240 7.24 Ak Kala 240 7.25 Khorezm-bag 241 7.26 Fortification Wall of the Golden Horde City 241 7.27 Konya Uaz (or Konevas) 242 7.28 Early Iron Age Sites in Khorezm 244 7.29 The Mausoleum of Ashyk Aydyn, the Diyarbekir and the Akja Gelin Fortresses 245 7.30 Shahsenem 246 7.31 Devkesken Kala 8 Balkan Region 249 8.1 The Main Cities of the Balkan Region 251 8.2 The Mausoleum of Gozli Ata 253 8.3 Dahistan or Misrian, the city 261 8.4 The mosque-mausoleum and the burial ground of Mashad Ata 267 8.5 The Khazar Nature State Reserve 267 8.6 Ferava (today Parau) 268 8.7 The Mosque of Parau Bibi and the Mausoleum of Parau Ata 270 8.8 The Museum of Magtymguly 272 8.9 The Mausoleum of Shevlan Baba (or Shibly Baba) Appendixes 277 Bibliographical References with the collaboration of Sangul Shingyztauvna Tugumova 285 Index of Names 289 Index of Places Foreword Giorgio Cracco ith the contribution of Eni, a large Italian company accus- Wtomed to enhancing the many countries worldwide wherein it operates, and with the experience of a Publisher such as Alleman- di, known for its skill in presenting the treasures of art through its publications, the Institute of History of Vicenza has added another Guide to the one written about Kazakhstan in 2010: it is a Guide to Turkmenistan (and more guides on the countries located alongside the famous Silk Road, which were part of the Soviet Empire during the last century, are in prospect). However, we must hasten to add that this Guide, as that relating to Kazakhstan, does not aspire to replace the important international guides that already exist for these, as well as other countries; they are a necessary support, particularly to travelers, on account of all the logistical and topographical information provided. The Institute of Vicenza, that produced this Guide, is involved in historical research, in fact, to be more precise, social and religious history (a formula that has a specific meaning in Western culture) and, as such, it fol- lows that it would favor the social and religious history of the coun- tries it presents. Is it an appropriate choice in relation to the audience of travelers and tourists it addresses? Today we know that everything changes; therefore, perhaps the way tourist guides are “packaged” may also change: in the sense that they try to show something more. Something that goes beyond simply describing lands and wonders, but also looks at the connection with their history, which is visible in the landscape, monuments and sur- viving documents. In the case of Turkmenistan, we are dealing with a civilization which is, for the most part, buried (the old book “Gods, Graves and Scholars: The Story of Archaeology” written by C. W. Ce- ram in 1949 comes to mind) and almost held hostage by the intru- siveness of a great desert. Do you believe that all of this has nothing to do with the country today, with its friendly but reserved people, with its democratic constitution, with its firm religious traditions, with its proud independence and neutrality? Speaking from my per- sonal knowledge of travel literature (I come from the land of the Foreword | 13 Venetian Marco Polo, who was well acquainted with the “Silk Road”, and Antonio Pigafetta, a Vicentine who went on and recounted the Premier voyage autour du monde pendant les années 1519 -1521), it appears to me that Turkmenistan is one of the countries that most honors the sunna, that is the “customs” attributed to the Prophet and the first Islamic community.