Mary, Turkmenistan

Mary (pronounced Mur-ree) is a ceety o Turkmenistan, caipital o the Mary Province. Umwhile names include Merv, Meru an Margiana. In 1999 its population wis 123,000 (up frae 92,000 in the 1989 census).

Geography
It is locatit at . The ceety is an oasis in the Karakum Desert, locatit on the Murghab river.

History
Ancient ceety o Merv

Merv wis an oasis ceety on the Silk Road.

Modren history
Merv Oasis wis occupied bi Imperial Roushie in 1884, triggerin the Panjdeh Incident atween Afghan forces an the Imperial Roushie Airmy. The modren settlement wis foondit later that year as a Roushie military an administrative post.

A force o the Breetish Indian Airmy consistin o a machine gun detachment comprisin 40 Punjabi troops an a Breetish officer resistit the Bolsheviks near Merv in August 1918 in wha wis the first direct confrontation atween Breetish an Roushie troops since the Crimea War.On Secret Service East of Constantinople by Peter Hopkirk, John Murray, 1994

It wis developed bi the Soviet Union as a center for cotton production through the uise o extensive irrigation. In 1968, huge reserves o natural gas wur discovered 20 kilometers wast o the toun.

Economy
Mary is Turkmenistan's fowert-lairgest ceety, an a lairge industrial centre, for the natural gas an cotton industries, the naition's twa major export industries. It is a trade center for cotton, cereals, hides, an oo.

Sichts
Mary haes little tae recommend it ither than its interestin Regional Museum. Housomeivver, it lies near the remains o the ancient ceety o Merv, which in corruptit form gives its name tae the modren toun. The main fitbaa team is Merw Mary who play at the Mary Stadium.

Notable fowk
Akmammedov Myratgeldy -politeecian
Khadyr Saparlyev-politeecian

Sister ceeties
 Istanbul, Turkey
 Jeddah, Saudi Arabie
 Samarkand, Uzbekistan

 References 

Category:Populatit places in Turkmenistan