Getting There
Sultan Sanjar mausoleum is located 5 kilometers north of Bayramali. The attraction can be reached either by public buses or by taxi.
What to Expect
The Mausoleum of one of the most famous Seljuk sultans, Ahmad Sanjar, is located in Merv, in the center of the Sultan-Kala settlement. It looks like a medieval skyscraper, cube-shaped and crowned with turquoise-tiled outer dome. Under the dome are three-tiered open galleries in the form of alternating laced arches. The dome symbolically represented the firmament. The walls are 5 meters thick at the base. The mausoleum is 27 meters long and its total height is 38 meters.
History
The Tomb of Ahmad Sanjar is a mausoleum commemorating Ahmad Sanjar, a Seljuk ruler of Khorasan. It was built in 1157 in the medieval city of Merv in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. Believed to be the largest city in the world, Merv boasted a population of over one million in medieval times.
Throughout his reign, Sanjar fought off several invasions and uprisings until finally being defeated by the Oghuz. After being sacked by the Oghuz, Merv declined and in 1221, the Mongols attacked it and burned down the mausoleum. It would later be restored by Soviet, Turkmen, and Turkish architects during the 20th and 21st centuries.
The tomb is part of The State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Facilities Available
- Souvenir shops
- Toilet
