Merv

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Merv (Turkmen: Merw [ˈmeɾβ]; Persian: مرو [ˈmæɹv]), also called the Merve Oasis, was a major Iranian city in Central Asia, located on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium BC until the 18th century AD. It changed hands repeatedly throughout history. Under the Achaemenid Empire, it was the center of the satrapy of Margiana. It was subsequently ruled by Hellenistic Kings, Parthians, Sasanians, Arabs (Rashidun, Umayyads and Abbasids), Ghaznavids, Seljuqs, Khwarazmians and Timurids, among others. Merv served as the capital of several polities throughout its history. In the beginning of the 9th century, Merv was the seat of the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun and the capital of the entire Islamic caliphate. It served later as the seat of the Tahirid governors of Khorasan. In the 11th–12th centuries, Merv was the capital of the Great Seljuk Empire and remained so until its fall. Around this time, Merv turned into...

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