Mausoleum of Soltan Sanjar, Merv, Turkmenistán
The mausoleum of Seljuk ruler Ahmad Sanjar occupies the center of the ruined walled city of Sultan Kala, Merv. This mud brick mausoleum represents the architectural peak of the destroyed Seljuk capital in the Merv Oasis of the Karakum Desert, along the famed Silk Road. Muhammad ibn Aziz from Sarakhs in Khorasan built the mausoleum soon after the Khwarazm Shahs deposed the Seljuk dynasty. Unlike many of Sultan Kala’s solitary tombs, the mausoleum was part of a larger religious and palatial complex and connected by a grille window to a mosque on its west.
None of the ancillary buildings survive. The mausoleum is noted as a rare example of Seljuk commemorative architecture dedicated to a non-religious and political figure. It also marks a significant shift, from the typical vertically-accentuated Seljuk tomb tower towards squatter proportions with a new emphasis on interior space.
Epic Turkmenistan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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