Kyz Kala
The Great Kyz Kala is an awe-inspiring and dramatic mud-brick structure, sited in Merv, Turkmenistan. It comprises a rectangular earth platform with slopping slides containing lower-story rooms. The massive external walls rear dramatically from the mound and enclose the rooms of the upper story and parapet. Each corrugation is half-octagonal with a diameter of 1.3 m rising from a pointed base to form a pointed top. The walls are 1.98 m thick, gently tapering toward the top. Photo by: Amen-Ra
The Great Kyz Kala stands adjacent to a smaller monument called the Little Kyz Kala, also made of mud-brick, having an identical structure. These buildings perhaps served as residences for the wealthy and powerful. This architecture ideally suited in a hot climate. The Great Kyz Kala has survived relatively unscathed from a period in which the majority of buildings have been lost. The whole of Merv has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photo by: Amen-Ra
Photo by: elgalopino
