On July 31, staff from the magazine "Culture and Art" and specialists from the Department of Culture of the Ahal velayat took part in a tour of historical sites, organized jointly by the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan and the National Department for the Protection, Study, and Restoration of Monuments.

The route included a visit to the medieval architectural complex of Seyit Jemaleddin and the fortress of Köne Nusay, located along the route of the Great Silk Road, according to the website of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan.

Specialists from the National Authority for the Protection, Study, and Restoration of Monuments briefed participants on the history and significance of ancient architectural sites, emphasizing their role in developing domestic tourism and preserving the country's cultural heritage.

Seyit Jemaleddin and Köne Nusay are two unique monuments in Turkmenistan that reflect the region's rich history: the former is an outstanding example of XV century medieval architecture, while the latter is the ancient capital of the Parthian Empire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Seyit Jemaleddin architectural complex is located in Anau, 12 km from Ashgabat. Built between 1446 and 1457, it included a mosque, a mausoleum, and additional buildings. The mosque's entrance portal was once decorated with mosaic dragons, unique to Islamic architecture in Central Asia. The building was faced with majolica and featured a high elliptical dome. This unique monument was destroyed by the Ashgabat earthquake of 1948, leaving only ruins. Fragments of the mosaic are on display at the Museum of Fine Arts of Turkmenistan.

Köne Nusay, or Old Nisa, was founded around the III century BC by the Arsacid dynasty. The open-air monument is located 18 km west of Ashgabat, at the foot of the Kopetdag Mountains. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007. It was the first capital of the Parthian Empire and a strategic center of trade and politics on the Silk Road.