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| | World Heritage Review #24 |
 | | Once one of Central Asia's greatest cities, Merv is among the oldest and most completely preserved of the oasis cities along the Silk Roads in Central Asia. |
| | In the 740s, the commander Abu Muslim took control of Merv, raising fl banners to proclaim the start of the Abbasid revolution. Baghdad was soon established as the capital of the new empire, but Merv's status as the capital of Khurasan, from east of the Great Desert to the frontiers of India, had grown. |
| | The challenge for Merv are manifold. There are a number of standing mud-brick buildings, many of them examples of a unique architectural tradition, which are under considerable threat from rising groundwater, rain, and especially from wind. |
| whc.unesco.org /whreview/article24.htm (323 words) |
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