Turkmen Babylon

Around four thousand years ago, a flourishing agricultural civilization thrived in the ancient delta of the Murgab River, leaving behind numerous traces of a highly developed culture. The search for the capital of this civilization was a lifelong pursuit for the archaeologist Viktor Ivanovich Sarianidi, the founder and longtime leader of the Margiana Expedition.

The first significant discovery made by Sarianidi was a small, intricate plate with winding grooves forming a complex pattern. Upon examining the plate further, Sarianidi realized that it depicted a special design, possibly representing a bull or musk ox surrounded by serpents and dragons. This object, an amulet with a narrative composition, became the first tangible evidence for Sarianidi that people had inhabited this region thousands of years ago.

Following the discovery of this amulet, extensive excavations were launched, leading the team of scientists and archaeologists to astonishing results. They uncovered the ancient city of Gonur-Depe, the capital of Margiana. Gonur-Depe was not only the largest settlement in all of Margiana but also one of the most significant cities of its time. Among the discoveries were a palace and temples whose elegance rivaled that of similar structures in ancient Assyria and Babylon.

Archaeologists determined that the city was founded between 2300 and 2250 B.C. and flourished for approximately 600 to 800 years. By the time the settlement was abandoned, the central area of the monumental structures alone occupied over 25 hectares.