Merv Historical and Cultural Park

　　Ancient Merv was the oldest and best-preserved oasis city along the Silk Road in Central Asia. Merv (also called Mary, historically known as Margiana, Marv, Merv-i-Shahijan, or Mervan), is an oasis city in Mary Province, Turkmenistan. Located between Samarkand and Baghdad (near present-day Mary, Turkmenistan), it was a key hub on the ancient Silk Road. This vast oasis spans four millennia of human history and features numerous monumental structures. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.

　　The Merv Historical and Cultural Park was established in the 12th century, with most of its structures built during the era of the Turkmens' Seljuk Empire. Today, most of the park’s buildings have either suffered human-caused damage or been destroyed by repeated earthquakes. The Merv Historical and Cultural Park is a national park that defies the expectations of most visitors — there is no entrance, no gate, hence no ticket; there are no signs, no rangers, no park maps, no brochures; even more astonishingly, there are no nearby toilets or fast-food outlets, only some abandoned ruins scattered across the desert.