Nisa — the Parthian fortress

Nisa lies 18 km west of central Ashgabat at the foot of the Kopet Dag. Tradition credits its founding to the Parthian ruler Arsaces I in the 3rd century BC, and some scholars regard it as the first seat of the Arsacid Empire.

Excavations have uncovered palace and temple buildings, carved ivory rhytons and marble and clay statues that show the meeting of Greek and Eastern art.

The fortresses of Old and New Nisa were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007, and many finds are kept in the National Museum in Ashgabat.