Nisa, Turkmenistan

37.96666666666758.195Koordinaten: 37 ° 58 '0 "N, 58 ° 11 ' 42" O

Nisa (also Parthaunisa, Mithridakert or Mihrdatkart; Turkmen Gadymy Nusaý ) in Turkmenistan, 12 km west of Ashgabat, was the first capital of the Parthians. Since 2007, the excavation site is on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

History and organization

The town consists of New Nisa, the city proper, and old -Nisa with the royal palace, a pentagonal fortress with 5-7 m high and 8-9 m thick walls of rammed earth ( pisé ), which were covered with bricks and towers exhibited. Inside were barracks, a round temple (diameter 17 m ) and a dead palace with square columns theaters around a large central courtyard ( 38 x 38 m).

The residential buildings in New Nisa had stockpile and wine cellars where dug into the earth jars were. In New Nisa, a cemetery was discovered.

New -Nisa was the first place where the Neolithic Dschejtun culture was demonstrated. It was discovered in 1935 by AA Maruschtschenko, after excavations in 1955 Dschejtun defined ME Masson then the corresponding culture. The finds from New Nisa belong to the middle phase of Dschejtun culture.

New -Nisa was until well into the Middle Ages, while Alt -Nisa was abandoned at the beginning of the 3rd century AD.

Road in the excavation hill

Excavations

Details of an excavation

Pillars of a palace

View over the ruins Mountain

Research and discoveries

The city was discovered in the 1930s by AA Maruschtschenko. Since 1946, systematic excavations were carried out by the expedition under südturkmenische ME Masson. Since 1990, here again excavations by the University of Turin instead.

The findings show some strong Hellenistic influence, especially the marble sculptures, while the plaster reliefs are decorated in the typical Parthian style. Numerous than-life human figures made ​​of clay probably show Parthian rulers. Among the small finds seal impressions and animal figures are worth of precious metal. Ivory rhytons in Hellenistic style were figuratively decorated with ornamental bands with scenes from Greek mythology and protomes in the form of winged horses, centaurs, griffins and lions. Approx. 2500 ostraca bear Aramaic characters. There usually are short texts economy, in particular by dated receipts for delivery of wine from different regions of the Parthian empire to the royal cellar.

Part of the collection is in the Museum of Ashgabat.