The Urban Landscapes of Ancient Merv, Turkmenistan

Ancient Merv, in Turkmenistan, is one of the most complex and well-preserved urban centres on the Silk Roads of Central Asia. A succession of major cities at Merv started in the 6th century BC and continued until the Mongol sack of 1221AD, although Mongol occupation, a resurgent Timurid city of the 15th century, and expansion in the 19th century continues the urban sequence. Together the walled urban areas covered more than 1000 ha. The Institute of Archaeology, University College London, has had a long collaboration with the Turkmenistan Ministry of Culture, focused on archaeological research and approaches to the conservation and management of the Ancient Merv Archaeological Park, which since 1999 has been a World Heritage Site