SULTAN SANJAR'S MAUSOLEUM

It dates from the th century. It is one of the best preserved monuments of the site, and one of the few to have survived Mongolian destruction. It was extensively renovated in 2004. The mausoleum comes in the form of a large square piece of 40 m side, surmounted by a dome. According to legend, the hole in the center of the dome allows an angel to visit Sultan Sandjar every Friday. Sultan Sandjar is one of the important figures in Turkmen history, and the month of November has been renamed Sandjar in the new calendar. In particular, Sandjar worked to make Turkmen the national language in place of Turkish. It has also built many libraries, thus contributing to local cultural diversity.