Greater and Lesser Kyz-Kala

Greater Kyz-Kala is considered a rural castle, as it lies outside the boundaries of the large medieval city, now known as Sultan-Kala, which was encircled by a massive fortress wall. The size, meticulous architectural design, and robust fortifications of Greater Kyz-Kala lead scholars to believe that it was not merely the estate of a wealthy local aristocrat but rather a government residence for the Caliph or the sultans who ruled after him. Abundant archaeological material obtained during recent excavations indicates that the castle was in use for a long time, serving multiple generations and undergoing numerous repairs and renovations.

Ancient Merv reached its zenith in the 12th century when it became one of the capitals of the Great Seljuk Empire. Historical sources report that at that time, Merv’s architectural beauty and population size rivaled that of the largest cities of the era, such as Constantinople and Baghdad. Over the course of a millennium, these weathered walls have witnessed momentous events. They saw the Arab cavalry when the Turkmen adopted Islam, the armies of the Great Seljuks—led by rulers from Toghrul Beg to Sultan Sanjar—set out to conquer the world, and they survived the Mongol invasion that devastated much of Merv. In the centuries that followed, these walls silently observed the rise and fall of kingdoms, the movement of caravans along the Great Silk Road, and the free-spirited life of the Turkmen people, who defended their independence with arms in hand.

During the research conducted at Greater Kyz-Kala, numerous ceramic artifacts were found alongside several bronze objects. Among the most intriguing discoveries were Arab coins inscribed with angular Kufic script—Abbasid dirhams from the 9th and 10th centuries—rings with seals, jewelry, and small sculptural works. One of the rarest finds was a cosmetic spatula or ear scoop, nearly 8 centimeters long, fashioned in the form of a relief depiction of the goddess of water and fertility. This object is undoubtedly a rare example of early medieval toreutics—the art of creating relief images in metal. Although the features of the goddess’s face have not been well-preserved, it is evident that she had a round face, a raised dot on her forehead, and a simple hairstyle with her hair gathered into a bun at the top of her head. The goddess’s attire is particularly interesting: a light cape with folds at the waist, worn over a long dress that fully covered her legs, also featuring folds at the bottom. In her left hand, bent and pressed to her chest, she holds a symbolic object—likely an ear of grain or a plant branch. This depiction of the goddess, with its ornate clothing and adornments, is closely related to the iconography of the Zoroastrian Anahita, who is described in the Avesta as «always seen as a beautiful, strong, slender, tall girl, high-belted, straight, of noble birth, noble.» This iconographic type is well-known in Margiana from numerous terracotta statuettes and has deep local roots, tracing back to the end of the first millennium BC and surviving into the early medieval period. However, this is the first time a bronze version of such canonical religious sculpture has been found in Turkmenistan’s archaeology.

The name of the monument, which translates from Turkmen as «Maiden’s Fortress,» raises no fewer questions. Many generations of people living in this area saw the long-abandoned structure without knowing who built it, when, or why. And when facts are absent, legends are born. The imposing outer walls and the traces of the interior layout clearly indicate that this was once a country palace, a residence where wealthy and noble families, likely the rulers of this land, lived. Like the neighboring Lesser Kyz-Kala, these structures were built outside the boundaries of the vast medieval city, now known as Sultan-Kala, which was encircled by the still-standing massive fortress wall.

The name «Kyz-Kala» is quite common. In its Persian variant—Kala-i-Dukhtar—the term refers to the ruins of ancient castles near Herat in Afghanistan and in the mountains between Firuzabad and Shiraz in Iran. Gyz Galasy (Maiden’s Tower) can be found in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Two Kizkalesi exist in Turkey, both on small islands: one fortress in Istanbul, in the middle of the Bosphorus Strait, and the other off the Mediterranean coast, east of Antalya. Crimea has its own Maiden’s Fortress—Kyz-Kermen—near Bakhchisaray. Each of these sites is linked to legends that generally share the same plot. Rather, it is one legend in different interpretations—a typical wandering tale that moves from one country to another, changing only in details. The story’s foundation consists of two main themes: the despotic love of a king for his beautiful daughter and her early death by snakebite or suicide. According to experts, the origins of this legend date back to the distant pre-Islamic past. They are unlikely to be connected to the architectural monuments to which they are attached by later folklore.

Of course, Greater Kyz-Kala has not yet been fully studied and still holds many questions, the answers to which may be found during future excavations both inside the fortress and in the surrounding historical landscape. Its weathered walls are silent witnesses to a tumultuous millennium. They saw the armies of the Great Seljuks, who set out from here to conquer the world, survived the Mongol invasion that destroyed much of Merv, and later bore witness to the decline and rise of kingdoms, the movement of trade caravans along the Great Silk Road. These walls began to deteriorate rapidly in the 20th century as their structural strength waned, for nothing is eternal. But the monument’s life can indeed be extended by human effort, as has now been done at Greater Kyz-Kala.