Old Nisa, UNESCO, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
With its ancient tell surrounded by high defensive earthen ramparts, and its impressive palace complex, the ancient Parthian city of Old Nisa is one of Turkmenistan’s most significant cultural sites. Once considered a rival of Rome for control of the Near East, Parthia flourished between 300 B.C.and A.D. 300. Although the archaeological excavations of Old Nisa over the past 70 years have considerably enriched our understanding of the ancient Parthian Empire, they have been detrimental to what remains of the city, since excavated elements of the site have been left exposed to erosive rains without any conservation effort.
The National Department for the Protection, Research and Restoration of Historical Monuments, the Turkmen governmental agency that controls the site, is working with CRATerre-EAG (the International Center for Earth Construction) at the Grenoble School of Architecture to consolidate and preserve the already exposed elements, and persuade archaeologists to take conservation into consideration as they continue to excavate.
Epic Turkmenistan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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