Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1910-08-25

forty--or ruins indicate what the city
has been and what 1t Is today.
recent writer declared that forty
square miles OF ruins in ancient Merry
tesnpt the archeologist. but they have
never been examined. and 1t 10 be-
lieved that they offer unprecented op-
portunities for the study of the ancient
civilizations OF Central Asia.
There were three cities of the same
name in successive periods upon ad-
Joining sites. At one time THE Queen
or the World" had population OF
million or more--perhaps several times
in It's history. Its commercial import.
ance was greater than that OF any
city between China and Greece. 1t
was the central point on the caravan
roate between the east and the west
and the north and the south. It's
khans and caravanserias were the larg.
est in Asia, and were filed with the
goods of China and India which met
the merchandise of Europe here.
The visitor at Hairam All will find
no accommodations, although he can
get wholesome meal at the railway
station. and carriage that will take
him as far as he cares to go through
Ia wilderness of roofless walls, hears
OF crumbling brick and stone and
ghostly remnants OF palaces. castles,
towers, ramparts and other military
works and the domes OF mosques, mo.
dresses and tombs. Most of the build
ings are shapeless masses OF debris
and crumbling walls. A few preserve
their outlines sufficiently to give an
Idea of their ancient dimensions and
grandeur, but | do not believe such
u wreck of human habitation exists
anywhere else in the world There Is
no map or diagram by which they
can be traced or Identified. There Ia
no one to guide stranger about or
point GU the objects of interest. All
Is confusion and the visitor will be
bewildered at what seems to be linn
itless labyrinth of ruins.
Archeologlsts have been here again
and again. but the task OF investigat-
ton is so prodigious that 1t frightens
them away. They usually study the
situation for a few days. sometimes
Tor week, but they never come again.
although 1t is difficult to Imagine any
Held of research that offers so much
in return for labor.
The climate Is severe In the sum
mer because of the heat and In the
winter because OF the cold, but the
spring and autumn months are con-
genial and cloudless, and railway
trains go by In both directions every
{ few hours. with an express each way
) daily. Camping equipment can be
| bought without much expense, and
, provisions can be obtained at the
neighboring cities as easily as In New
J York or London. There is no difficulty
J that cannot be easily overcome, and
4 yet nobody can be induced to rum
+ mage about the ruins of ancient Merv
y and tell us who lived there and what
S happened to them.
There is not single perfect build.
ing In an area of from twenty to forty
4 square miles, thickly covered with
, crumbllng walls. where three famous
0 cities have risen and flourished and
. fallen, but many lofty dome and
4 | much masonry remain in their original
Q condition. The first city, called Giaonr
4 kala-that Is. the first we know about
lis believed to have been founded by
Zoroaster. the Persian fire worshiper
date unknown: the second Is said
to have been built by Iskander-the
Turcoman name for Alexander the
Great-upon the ruins Of the first,
which he destroyed on his return from
India 1913 d. c. The third city is at
tributed to Alp Arslan, THE Great
Lion" and was destroyed In the
twelfth century by u son OF Genghis
Khan and his Mongol hordes.
The tomb OF Alp Arsian still stands,
partly preserved The Inscription
which Genghis is said to have written
upon 1t can no longer be found and
1t was this:
All ye who have seen the glory OF
Alp Arslan exalted to the heavens,
come hither to Merv and behold II
buried In the dust"
One OF the most important build.
ings Is the tomb of Sanjur, famous
sultan, erected in the year 100 A. D.
It is 40 feet high from the ground to
the crest OF the dome and was built
OF brick covered with Persian tiles
Much of the porcelain veneer is stin
preserved, and the beautiful blue tints
have not been dimmed by the ages. A
curious feature is the use of that COM
mon design known al "the wall OF
Troy" In the freezes.
There are Persian tiles enough
among the ruins to build the biggest
mosque In the world They must have
been very popular, AMI Mt the same
time very expensive, because there
was no way to bring them here in
those days except on the bncks OF
camels.