Two squat, ribbed fortresses stand on the plain outside ancient Merv, and they have kept their purpose a mystery. Greater Kiz Kala and Lesser Kiz Kala, the Maiden Fortresses, are fortified buildings dating from the sixth to the seventh century AD, when Merv was a provincial capital of the Sasanian Persian Empire, and they are a fine example of the fortified country house of the period. The larger one is about thirty metres square, with massive walls, rounded corner towers, and a surface made of shallow vertical grooves and arrow slits that give it a corrugated look, and the smaller one stands a short distance away, built in much the same style.
The legend that gave them their name says that a king had two daughters, and each had her own fortress, though the stories are late and charming rather than historical. Archaeologists think that they were the residences of wealthy landowners, built for protection, a place to store crops and to shelter from raids by nomads. Inside the larger fortress there are rooms around a courtyard, a staircase, and the remains of a vaulted ceiling, and at its heart is a kind of tower. Local legends also say they were joined by a secret tunnel, though no tunnel has been found.
The setting adds to the effect. The two buildings stand alone in the flat, pale landscape beyond the main city walls of Merv, with irrigated fields, cotton and dusty tracks nearby, and the walls take on a pink and gold colour in the morning and evening light. In midsummer, the heat reflected from the clay is hard to endure, so visit early. Winter brings cold winds and occasional rain, which turns the ground to sticky mud.
The nearest town is Bayramaly, about four kilometres away, a city of about seventy-five thousand people with fuel and shops, and Mary is a bigger regional centre. Foreign riders must check in advance what is possible, as visas, guides and vehicle permits are tightly controlled. Take plenty of water and a hat, and look closely at the wall surfaces, since the patterns are the best part of the site.