Serahs

Serahs oasis, situated between Nishapur and Merv was one of the important points on the way of the Great Silk Road. The significance of Serahs increased after the invasion of Arabs in the second part of the 7th century. It was in those days that the direction of one of the main routes of the Great Silk Road has been changed; it led from the central areas of Iran to Nishapur and from there, across Serahs, to Merv and further to the east.

The 11th century is marked by the formation of a strong Turkmen state with the dynasty of Great Seljuks at the head, which left a brilliant mark in the history of Middle and Near East people. Creation of two and even three - layered dome constructions became a remarkable achievement of the architectural style of the Serahs architecture. The Serahs fortress became an important town, surrounded with clay walls with towers and moats. In 11-12 centuries the town presented the mausoleum of Abul Fazil (its folk name is Serahs Baba). It is one of the most perfect pieces of the south Turkmenistan architecture (1024) which in spite of its small dimensions (15,4X 15, 4m in plan) looks monumental enough. It has a double sphere conic dome.