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Information About

Mary, Turkmenistan





GEOGRAPHY


It is located at latitude 37.6000 North, longitude 61.8333 East. The city is an Oasis in the Karakum Desert , located on the Murghab river.


HISTORY

''Main article: Merv ''

In some Indian traditions Mary (Merv) is cited as the original home of the Aryans . Between 1145-1153 it briefly surpassed Constantinople as the largest city in the world with a population of 200,000 {Link without Title} .

The modern city was founded in 1884 as a Russian military and administrative center. It was developed by the Soviet Union as a center for Cotton production through the use of extensive Irrigation . In 1968, huge reserves of Natural Gas were discovered 20 kilometers west of town.


ECONOMY


Mary is Turkmenistan's fourth-largest city, and a large industrial centre, for the Natural Gas and Cotton industries, the nation's two major export industries. It is a trade center for Cotton , Cereal s, Hides , and Wool .


SIGHTS


Mary has little to recommend it other than its interesting Regional Museum. However, it lies near the remains of the ancient Islamic city of Merv , which in corrupted form gives its name to the modern town.