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18 km to the w est of Ashgabat can be found to be towering ruins of Nissa the capital city of ancient Parthian state which existed between 1,000 B.C. and 1,000 A .D. In the third century B.C. New Nissa was a capital of Parthian state, and Old Nissa fortress was considered an imperial residence.
Old Nissa was rich in temples and palaces . There was also the treasury, huge wine warehouses there . The f ortifications were 8- 9 meters thick in the bas e and were reinforced by 43 rectangular towers.
During the time when Parthian E mpire was a world power Old Nissa was called Mitridatkert named after King Mitridat I (171-138 B.C.) who ordered to build the city . Later on the ruler s of Parthia transferre d the capital to Minor Asia but the special attitude toward Old Nissa remained : t here were tombs of the ruling Arsakid dynasty members , in times of great feasts t he k ings arrived in Nissa for sacrifice ceremonies .
In the year of 226 Parthia ceased to exist and Artashid, the former representative of Arsakid dynasty founded a new state led by Sasanid dynasty . Hoping to eradicate the memories of everything connected with P arthian rulers he ordered to destroy Old Nissa . Arsakid family place was plundered and turned into ruins. Although it was revived a few centuries later , when Nissa became a part of Arabian caliphate, it did live up to its former power ful position . Today only the finds of archeologists testif y about Mitridatokert's former majesty - fine horn-shaped ivory vessels ( ritons ), unique documents of the 2nd - 1st centuries B.C. written by means of a brush on clay fragments , amazing white marble sculptures etc.
The latest find in Old Nissa is a unique fresco fragment - a genuine masterpiece of P arthian painting.
By the government decree Nis s a was declared an archeological reserve of state significance is a candidate to be included into the list of "World Legacy" as one of the most interesting historical landmarks of ancient Oriental states.
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