Mary, Turkmenistan

Atanyýazow notes that the name "Muru" appears in Zoroastrian texts alongside the toponyms Sogd (Sogdia) and Bakhti (Bactria), and that the name "Margiana" appears carved into rocks at Behistun, Iran, dating back 2,500 years. Atanyyazow adds, "the name was used in the form Merv-ash-Shahizhan", with subsequent forms including Muru, Mouru, Margiana, Marg, Margush, Maru, Maru-shahu-jahan, Maru-Shahu-ezan, Merv, and Mary, and that some scholars interpret the word marg as "green field" or "grassland", noting that in Persian marg can mean a source of livestock.{{cite book|title= Түркменистаның Географик Атларының Дүшүндиришли Сөзлүги|trans-title= Explanatory Dictionary of Geographic Names in Turkmenistan |page=205 |publisher=Ылым |date=1980 |place=Ashgabat |first=Soltanşa |last=Atanyýazow|url=https://www.twirpx.com/file/2683178/ }}

The ancient city of Merv was an oasis city on the Silk Road. It was destroyed and its population annihilated in the 13th century by the Mongols. Because of its location on the Silk Road, it revived over time only to be largely destroyed again in the 19th century by nomadic Teke raiders. Edmund O'Donovan described Merv in 1882 as

{{blockquote|... only a "geographical expression". It means a certain amount of cultivated territory where half a million Tekke-Turkomans manage to eke out an existence by pastoral pursuits, plunder, and thievery, combined with the caravan service between Bokhara and Meshed. There is no central point which you can call Merv now, if I except the place which has grown into existence since my arrival. I speak of Koushid Khan Kala, a fort at a point on the river Murghab ...{{cite book|title=The Country of the Turkomans|date=1977|publisher=Oguz Press and the Royal Geographical Society|place=London|isbn=0-905820-01-0}}, Chapter 15, O'Donovan, Edmund, Merv and Its Surroundings, lecture delivered in 1882.}}

Mary was founded in 1884{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Mary-Turkmenistan |title=Mary, Turkmenistan |author= |date= |work=Encyclopedia Britannica |accessdate=January 17, 2025}} as a Russian military and administrative post (and named after the nearby ancient city of Merv) after Imperial Russia occupied the area earlier that same year, which triggered the Panjdeh incident between Afghanistan, British forces, and the Imperial Russian Army.

In August 1918, a force of the British Indian Army consisting of a machine gun detachment comprising 40 Punjabi troops and a British officer resisted the Bolsheviks near Mary (then Merv) in what was the first direct confrontation between British and Russian troops since the Crimean War.Peter Hopkirk (1994). On Secret Service East of Constantinople. John Murray.

Later, the Soviet Union developed the area around Mary as a center for cotton production through the use of extensive irrigation. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia article on Mary reads in part,

{{blockquote|Mary (until 1937 Merv), city, center of Mary Oblast of Turkmen SSR. Located on the Murghab River and Karakum Canal. Junction of railroad lines to Tashkent, Krasnovodsk, and Kushka. 67 thousand residents (1973; 8.5 thousand in 1897, 37 thousand in 1939, 48 thousand in 1959). Large wool degreasing plant, cotton gin, machine building factories; building construction amalgamate; food (milling, baking, and meat packing amalgamates, dairy plant, etc.), leather industry, carpet production. Near to Mary began to operate in 1973 the Mary District State Electrical Power Plant. Medical and pedagogical colleges. Museum of history of the revolution. Drama theater.{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://bse.slovaronline.com/18666-MARY |script-article=ru:МАРЫ|script-title=ru:Большая советская энциклопедия|edition=3rd|language=ru}} (online version)}}

In 1968, huge reserves of natural gas were discovered 20 kilometers west of the city in the Shatlyk Gas Field.{{cite web|url=http://www.pdfio.com/k-251915.html|title=Petroleum Geology and Resources of the Amu-Darya Basin|year=2004|publisher=pdfio.com|access-date=2014-05-05|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140505213018/http://www.pdfio.com/k-251915.html|archive-date=2014-05-05}}

Mary became the center of Mary Province on 18 May 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Turkmen proclamation of independence.

In the 2000s, many streets and new residential areas were built. The new airport terminal was constructed, as was a new building for the Turkmen State Power Engineering Institute, a theater, the new library, a new historical museum, the Palace of Spirituality ({{langx|tk|Ruhiýet Köşgi}}), the Margush Hotel, a medical diagnostic center, the Ene Mähri obstetric-pediatric medical center, the Gurbanguly Hajji Mosque, a stadium, an equestrian complex, an indoor swimming pool, and a new railway station.[http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id=1587 "Гостеприимство древнего и вечно юного города"] {{in lang|ru}}

In 2012, the city was declared one of the cultural capitals of the CIS.[http://www.turkmenistan.ru/ru/articles/37338.html "Туркменский город Мары получил сертификат культурной столицы СНГ"] {{in lang|ru}}

{{Weather box

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|location=Mary

| Jan high C =11

| Feb high C =12

| Mar high C =19

| Apr high C =26

| May high C =33

| Jun high C =38

| Jul high C =40

| Aug high C =37

| Sep high C =32

| Oct high C =24

| Nov high C =15

| Dec high C =11

| year high C =

| Jan mean C =5.7

| Feb mean C =7.5

| Mar mean C =14

| Apr mean C =20.1

| May mean C =26.9

| Jun mean C =31.6

| Jul mean C =33.3

| Aug mean C =30.2

| Sep mean C =24.9

| Oct mean C =17

| Nov mean C =10.3

| Dec mean C =6

| year mean C =

| Jan low C =2

| Feb low C =3

| Mar low C =9

| Apr low C =15

| May low C =21

| Jun low C =26

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| Jan precipitation mm =17.6

| Feb precipitation mm =36.7

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| Nov precipitation mm =16.8

| Dec precipitation mm =10.0

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| Jan snow cm = 1.2

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| Jan precipitation days =7.2

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| Apr precipitation days =6.2

| May precipitation days =3.7

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| Oct precipitation days =2.6

| Nov precipitation days =3.6

| Dec precipitation days =6.8

| year precipitation days =

| Jan humidity =52.9

| Feb humidity =51.9

| Mar humidity =41.9

| Apr humidity =31.8

| May humidity =22.7

| Jun humidity =15.7

| Jul humidity =15.2

| Aug humidity =15.9

| Sep humidity =20.2

| Oct humidity =28

| Nov humidity =42.1

| Dec humidity =49.9

| year humidity =

| Jan dew point C =-1.6

| Feb dew point C =-0.5

| Mar dew point C =3.7

| Apr dew point C =8.6

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| Sep dew point C =5.6

| Oct dew point C =3.9

| Nov dew point C =2.1

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| Jan light = 10.4

| Feb light = 11.3

| Mar light = 12.4

| Apr light = 12.4

| May light = 14.7

| Jun light = 15.2

| Jul light = 15

| Aug light = 14

| Sep light = 12.8

| Oct light = 11.6

| Nov light = 10.6

| Dec light = 10.1

| year light=

| Jan percentsun =43.8

| Feb percentsun = 45.9

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|source=World Weather Online(Temperatures-Precipitation-Snow-Humidity-UV)(2009-present){{Cite web |url=https://www.worldweatheronline.com/mary-weather-averages/mary/tm.aspx#google_vignette |title=Mary Annual Weather Averages - Mary, TM |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=World Weather Online}}

|source 2=Weatherbase(Sunshine-Dew point-Precipitation days){{Cite web |url=https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=605839&cityname=Mary%2C+Mary%2C+Turkmenistan&units= |title=Mary, Turkmenistan Travel Weather Averages |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Weatherbase}}

}}

The city of Mary is the capital of Mary Region. Mary is a city of district-level importance, meaning that it is not part of any district, and is administratively directly subordinate to the region. However, there also is Mary District which surrounds the city. The administrative center of the district is also the city of Mary, despite not being part of it.

The city of Mary includes the town of Saparmyrat Türkmenbaşy, and the villages of Mülkburkaz, Soltanyz, and Ýolly.

Mary is Turkmenistan's fourth-largest city and a large industrial center for the natural gas and cotton industries, two of the nation's major export earners. It is a trade center for cotton, cereals, hides, and wool.

Mary is linked[https://mir24.tv/news/16481168/novaya-trassa-prezident-turkmenistana-proehal-po-uchastku-avtobana-ashhabad-turkmenabat-na-kamaze Новая трасса: президент Туркменистана проехал по участку автобана Ашхабад – Туркменабат на КамАЗе] to Aşgabat,[https://orient.tm/ru/post/35050/skorostnaya-trassa-ashhabad-tedzhen-otkryvaetsya-29-oktyabrya Скоростная трасса Ашхабад-Теджен открывается 29 октября Orient Link: https://orient.tm/ru/post/35050/skorostnaya-trassa-ashhabad-tedzhen-otkryvaetsya-29-oktyabrya][https://turkmenportal.com/blog/43361/novaya-doroga-soedinit-tedzhen-i-turkmenabat Новая дорога соединит Теджен и Туркменабат] Tejen[https://mir24.tv/news/16577740/stroitelstvo-tretego-etapa-avtobana-ashhabad-turkmenabat-nachali-v-turkmenistane Строительство третьего этапа автобана Ашхабад – Туркменабат начал Туркменистан] and neighbouring countries[https://business.com.tm/ru/post/10827/turkmenistan-avtomagistral-ashhabadturkmenabat-posposobstvuet-razvitiyu-transportnogo-soobshcheniya-s-uzbekistanom Автомагистраль Ашхабад–Туркменабат поспособствует развитию транспортного сообщения с Узбекистаном] by the country's 600 km motorway network.[https://turkmenistan.gov.tm/ru/post/58206/prezident-turkmenistana-prinyal-uchastie-v-torzhestvennoj-ceremonii-vvoda-v-stroj-uchastka-ashhabad-tedzhen-vysokoskorostnoj-avtomagistrali Президент Гурбангулы Бердымухамедов принял участие в открытии участка Ашхабад–Теджен автобана Ашхабад–Туркменабат][https://salamnews.tm/ru/section/ykdysadyyet/ulag-kommunikasiya/turkmenistan-vstupil-v-stroitelstvo-zaklyuchitelnogo-etapa-vysokoskorostnoj-trassy-ashhabad-turkmenabad-0574d4 В Туркменистане приступили к заключительному третьему этапу строительства высокоскоростной автомобильной дороги Ашхабад-Туркменабат]

Mary's library is the largest regional library in the Mary District.{{cite web|url=http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id=1587|title=Золотой век|website=www.turkmenistan.gov.tm}} Construction of the library began in February 2010. The library officially opened on October 20, 2011 and the President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, held the official opening ceremony.{{cite web|url=http://www.turkmenistan.ru/ru/articles/36618.html|title=К услугам жителей Марыйского велаята открылась областная библиотека - Интернет-газета Turkmenistan.Ru|website=www.turkmenistan.ru}}

The building has a spherical shape, and is supported by 62 columns. The height of the library is 42 meters. The three-story building is designed for the storage of three million books,[https://archive.today/20121221163031/http://cci.gov.tm/ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=702:2011-10-21-05-56-20&catid=38:-2011&Itemid=1 Президент Туркменистана принял участие в открытии нового здания Марыйской велаятской библиотеки] and can manage 600 concurrent readers. The library's collection includes a book shop, nine reading rooms, internet facilities, a separate reading room for elders, an office of special departments, conference rooms, and a children's room. Under the dome of the library, which is in the form of tulip petals, is a telescope.

File:151127-worlds-largest-yurt-Mary-Turkmenistan.jpg built in 2015 for large events.]]

Mary is known for its regional museum.

The main football team is Merw Mary, who play at the Mary Stadium.

Turkmen Keraites believe, according to a Nestorian tradition, that Tomb of the Virgin Mary is located in Mary.

• Akmammedov Myratgeldy, Turkmen politician
• Khadyr Saparlyev, Turkmen politician
• Yelena Bonner, Soviet/Russian human rights activist
• Eduard Asadov, Soviet/Russian poet and writer
• Meredov Sytdyh, economist and writer
• Elen Shakirova, Olympic gold medalist in handball
• Nazar Petrosyan, former football player and coach
• Mekan Nasyrov, former football player

File:MIG in Mary (3891837429).jpg|MiG monument in Mary

File:MAMaryMarkt6.jpg|Market in Mary, 1992

File:MAMaryMarkt5.jpg|Market in Mary, 1992

File:MAMaryMarkt3.jpg|Market in Mary, 1992

File:MAMaryBushaltestelle.jpg|Bus stop,1992

File:MAMaryHZ3.jpg|Wedding in Mary, 1992

File:MAMaryHZ2.jpg|Women in Mary, 1992

File:MAMaryMarkt2.jpg|Market in Mary, 1992

File:MAMaryMarkt1.jpg|Man in Mary wearing a traditional telpek hat, 1992

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Asia#Turkmenistan|l1=List of twin towns and sister cities in Turkmenistan}}

Mary is twinned with:

• {{flagicon|KSA}} Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• {{flagicon|UZB}} Samarkand, Uzbekistan
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Oryol, Russia
• {{flagicon|PRC}} Xi'an, China

{{Reflist}}

{{Cities of Turkmenistan}}

{{Turkic Capital of Culture}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Murghab basin

Category:Populated places in Mary Region

Category:Transcaspian Oblast