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At the height of its glory, Merv was the city all other cities in the world aspired to be. It was perched on an oasis and one of the world’s largest trade routes of the time, it was rich and prosperous, and all over the civilized world to be “marwazi” — from Merv — was to be cultured and sophisticated. At the height of its power in the 12th century, Merv was the largest city in the world.
Located in modern-day Turkmenistan, this Central Asian city was built on an oasis; prominently located on the Silk Road, putting it on one of the biggest trade routes of historic times. But at the peak of its influence, it learned a painful lesson from which it never recovered: you don’t say no to Genghis Khan.
At the height of its power in the 12th century, Merv was the largest city in the world. Located in modern-day Turkmenistan, this Central Asian city was built on an oasis; prominently located on the Silk Road — putting it on one of the biggest trade routes of historic times.
