Abiverd

10.11.2001

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Ancient Turkmen land possesses the rare and unique richness — archaeological rarities that evidence about once prospering cultural centers of the world history, such as Nisa, Merv, Dekhistan, Anau, Amul.

One of them is the city of Abiverd. According to the historical sources, Abiverd as far back as the IV-V centuries was known as a city, in which agriculture and handicrafts have prospered. At the excavations of the ruins of Abiverd the blocks of buildings of handicraftsmen were uncovered, where the archaeologists found different articles made of metal — jewellery for the women, harness. Ceramic items, found at excavation, testify about high level of pottery in Abiverd.

In the geographical works of the Middle Ages Abiverd is characterized as a city with fertile lands and rich yields of crops. Developed agriculture and productions of handicraft items promoted, in their turn, the development of trade ties: Abiverd was famous for its magnificent bazaars and mosque. But the most remarkable was the fact that Abiverd minted its own coinsevidence of its economic power and independence. From the works of Arab-Persian historians, we can make a conclusion that the prosperity of Abiverd culture belongs to the Middle Ages, which, in their turn, are related with the names of Turkmen-Seldjuk Sultan Togrulbek and Gaznevid Sultan Masood.

As the ancient city of Abiverd is covered by cultural layers of the late period, it is difficult to establish an architectural type and layout of urban blocks of buildings. In the central part of the city, not far from the citadel, a number of wells, reservoirs, aryks were discovered. All these testify the existence of the centralised water supply. Without stable archaeological study of the issues concerning the urban life of Abiverd, a number of secrets from its history are remained as unopened.

Totally 8 km to the west of Kaka, almost in the middle of the capital of Turkmenistan Ashgabat and the center of Mary velayat — Mary, the ruins of ancient settlement — in immemorial times cultural and trade center of the northern Khorasan — Abiverd-Bavard was found. More than 4 thousand years ago the name of this city has appeared in the annals of the history: Romans Yustinian and Pliniy wrote about it, as the capital of one of the Arshakid governors Tiridat-Dar at the foot of mountain Zapaortenon or city of Apovarktiken.

The famous Christian historian Isidor Kharakskiy has named it Apavarktike, tracing its origin form the words «Apavar» and «Ratke». At that time Abiverd was represented by unassailable fortress, walls of which withstood powerful of the steppe nomad tribes. The Sasanids strengthened the significance this city. The Governor of Abiverd was Bakhman. Near to the city the fortresses of the Shakhinsheikhs Yezdigerd and Peroza were erected. There is an interesting fact, in Abiverd the great role played the early Christian Nestorian church. In particular the names of the bishops of Abiverd and also the names of the cities of Tus, Abapshahr, Merv, Gurench, Merverud are mentioned in the annals of the church works of 499 — year of governing of Djamasba and 553 — year of governing of Djasalik Yusuf.

Since the XVI century (the X century — according to Muslim chronology), in connection with the intrusion into the territory of Abiverd the Uzbek tribes from the area of Khiva and Bukhara, the Turk name «Etek» was arisen, the meaning of which is «foothills». Under this name, practically, all the modern Akhal velayat (in ancient times — city of Abiverd, Nisa, Serakhs) was united. At that time such names as Dag Boyu («Mountain Place») and Su Boyu («Water Place») in the lower of Amu Darya appeared. There are some versions of the name of Abiverd. So, one of them — that the founder of the fortress, granted as «ikta» (donative land for military campaigns), was Bavard son of Gudarz, who received it from Keikabus, another — that Abiverd was called on the name of Persian King Giva.

In this period Abiverd was in prosperity that evidenced in the annals of the medieval historians. Ibn Khaordadbe wrote that the land-tax of Abiverd was 700 thousand silver drachmas, and Makdisi noted that Abiverd was more developed and busy administrative center than Nisa.

Less cultural centers that were in subordinate to the Center surrounded the city of Abiverd; among them the historians mention Sangan, Mikhene, Kofan, Azdja, Bazan, Kharvaldjabal, Shokan, all these settlements were located on the territory of modern Serakhs.

Since the time of governing of the Caliph Osman in 652 (in 31 according to Khidjra) Abiverd became «bone of contention» between different Arabian caliphs. Almost every fifty years the city was subjected to military intervention, the most sizeable of them were connected with the names of Gotaibe-ibn-Moslem Bakhal and Abu Moslem Khorosan.

During the dynasty governing of the Abbasids Abiverd was in supervision of Khorosan. But in 801, during the governing of the legendary caliph Kharun al Rashid, Abiverd was up in arms under the leadership of the local commander Abdul Khasiba; such powerful cities as Tus, Nishapur, Merv and Serakhs obeyed to his will.

The Dynasty of Abiverd included such the families as the Takhirids, the Saffarids and the Samanids. The last representative of the Samanids Abu Ibrakhim Ismail, on a sobriquet of «Montasar» unsuccessfully tried to save the political power^above the city, but was come off second-best under the attacks of the army of the Khorezmsheikhs. In this difficult period of history of Abiverd, the treat of destructive aggressions of nomadic hordes of the Central Asia was being increased. In 1153 (548 of Khidjra) the city alongside with Tus, Nisa and Nishapur became military loot of one of the Mamlyuks — Sultan Sandjar, who also was well known as Almoayed and who belonged to the tribe of the Gozs (i.e. the Oguzs).

The most severe and destructive for Abiverd became the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars under the leadership of Tuli-Khan — the elder son of Chingiz-Khan Tuli-Khan razed this blossoming powerful city to the ground. 1221 (618 of Khidjra) was for Abiverd the sign of untimeliness and fading away. And only in 1404 (807 of Khidjra) one of the travellers mentioned Abiverd as the rather large city, which was not protected from any side by fortified walls.

During the governing of Nadirsheikh Abiverd was under the control of Iran, moreover, many historians of that times called this city as the Motherland of this state.

Today Abiverd appears to us as a small settlement in 117 km from Ashgabat, and only soft contours of ancient structures tell about a drama history of the city. Time kept to us the rather modest evidences of former power and luxury, but the names of the great representatives of Muslim culture, natives of Abiverd, we can and have to name. They are poet Ovkhad-ad-din Anvari Abivardi, interpreter of Muslim religious treatises Abul Abbas Akhmed ibn Mohammad ibn Abdulrakhim ibn Said Abivardi, poet, philologist of Arabian language, historian of Muslim culture Abul Mazaffar Mohammad ibn Akhmad, philosopher Abu Said Khair, sheikhs of sufizm — Abu Sakhl Zeid ibn Abduldjabbar Abivardi, ibn Abil Gatra, Sadr-ad-din Mohammad ibn Rokh-ad-din Abu Said ibn Ovkhad-ad-din Abu Bakhr ibn Mohammad ibn Khosein Sufi Abivardi, Fozayl ibn Ayaz. Their philosophical, scientific, religious and poetic creations represented Abiverd all around the territory of Muslim East and evidenced the highest level of the culture of this city, its ancient and rich history.

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