Caspian Sea

17.11.2001

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Girkan…

Khazar…

Caspiy…

Yes, this grey sea in the different periods of time, in the different historical epochs has been named differently. Not without reason people address to it as to the wise old man: «The Grey Khazar!»

Ancient tribes, such as Massagets, Alans, Khazars, inhabited the seacoast had been well known in the history since olden times. Just through a prism of culture and style of life of these peoples the Caspian sea had been always considering as arena of the most significant historical events. Events, full of glory and sometimes dramas, born in the epoch of legends brightly indicative of the antiquity of Caspiy. Gerodot truly reputed «Father of the History» had described, for example, one of such important facts related to Gircan, i.e. to the Caspian Sea and bellicose Amazons who inhabited the sea shore.

…In the ancient times on the east coast of the Gircan Sea had lived the people called themselves Massagets. Tsarina Tomiris had ruled their state. Once Persian King Kir had gathered the huge army and declared the war on this free steppe people. To defend the state and the thrown Massagets led by tsarina Tomiris had gone towards Kir. The Persian army, which had been watchful the whole night in the expectation of Massagets’ attack, had been off its guard and fallen asleep. When the gold morning fog had been softly spread on the grey surface of the sea, with wild whooping the steppe riders had burst into the enemy?s camp. Sudden, whirlwind appearance of countless number of the warriors, as if they had come from the sea waves, in a moment had demoralised Persian army. The riders had been going out from the marine foam and disappearing in it, had been perceived by the invaders as witchcraft and a magic phenomenon. The battle had been ended by a full victory of Tomiris’ army…

For a long time after that event the Caspian lands of Turkmen had been considered as the great Motherland of mysterious Amazons. The Gircan Sea, covered by a secret, as well as its legendary women-warriors, had remained in people’s memory as a myth, lost in inaccessible sandy dunes.

Today, peering into a calm ripple of azure rays, or listening to thunderous raging waves in a bad weather, you are involuntarily carried in the times of Gerodot events and by your own eyes see the olden centuries.

In truth, the legends live with us. The Fortune is endowing «the Grey Old Man» with a new destiny — destiny of a sea of the independent and free state of Turkmen. This ancient Turkmen land seems has no «velvety season». The year round, all four seasons tender sun shines here, gold sand rustles and wave of me warm blue sea gently swash. You may say, that the whole year there is «a velvet season». And that’s why the shores of the Caspian Sea never are empty. Certainly, this was initially furthered by its natural origin. From time immemorial enclosed by sandy hills of the great Garagum, lighted up by hot Turkmen sun for centuries, the Caspian Sea differed by its unique structure of various microelements, ecologically clean water and environment. Just pure sandy dunes and hot sun make the Caspian Sea a desired rest place for tourists and fans of the marine elements. The sloping sandy shores are convenient to create the places for rest and beaches, which are similar to the natural landscape, A net of tourist sanatorium complexes and bases for rest edging today the shores of «the gray» Caspiy, change their usual appearance, adorning it with modern attires of glass and steel. Fashionable hotels, motels, comfortable cottages and spacious healthy recovering centers already stand upright, giving a modern European view to the ancient legendary shores of Caspiy. Today looking at a pearl of Turkmen land and eternal beauty of the Caspian Sea you satisfy yourself that its «mild seasons» is measured not by months and years, but the milestones.

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