The central complex
Mud brick and tall slots.
Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0
Old Nisa is the site of a Parthian settlement at the foot of the Kopet Dag, near the Bagyr district 18 km west of central Ashgabat. Some describe it as the first seat of the Arsacid Empire. UNESCO declared its fortress a World Heritage Site in 2007, and it is the easiest major historic site to reach if you are staying in the capital. It is traditionally held to have been founded by Arsaces I, who reigned from about 250 to 211 BC, and to have been a royal residence of the Parthian kings, though it has not been shown that the fortress was a royal home or a mausoleum. Mithridates I renamed it Mithradatkert, the fortress of Mithradates. The region was famous for its fine horses, and an earthquake destroyed the city in the 1st decade BC. You walk on high earth mounds that are the fortress walls, then look down on a central complex of mud brick, with tall slots in its walls and narrow passages between them. A modern mud coat protects part of it. From above you see the green plain and the brown Kopet Dag behind. Large buildings, tombs, inscribed documents and ivory drinking horns were found here. It is about 10 km from central Ashgabat in a straight line, so a few hours by taxi or with an agency is enough. There is no shade, so bring a hat and water, and wear comfortable shoes on the earth. The ground is fragile, so keep to the paths. Many finds are shown in the capital's museums, so ask about them.
Mud brick and tall slots.
Between high walls.
Plain and Kopet Dag.
Near Bagyr, west of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Yes, one to two hours is enough, and it fits a day in Ashgabat.
In Ashgabat's museums, including the famous ivory drinking horns.