Mary

Mary is a city in Mary Province, Turkmenistan. Most travellers' main reason to visit it is to reach the ruins of the ancient city of Merv, which are 35 km to the east.

Get in

By plane

Turkmenistan Airlines operates two flights per day from Ashgabat. If you are short of time, you can fly from Ashgabat to Mary in the morning, visit Merv, and return to Ashgabat in the same evening. The airport is 5 km out of town on the road to Bairam Ali. A taxi to the city should cost about US$3.50.

By rail

Turkmendemiryollari (Turkmenistan Zeleznice) (Ashgabat, phone +993 12 255545, fax 473858) runs trains from Ashgabat to Turkmenabat via Mary. Night trains leave Ashgabat at 18:00 and 20:00 for Mary. They arrive in Mary at 01:15 and 03:15. Kupe (2nd class fare) is 32.5 manat per seat/sleeper (updated August 2018).

Trains to Mary leave Moscow at 07:40 daily, arriving at Mary at 17:00. Train 21 leaves Ashgabat every second day at 22:10, and arrives at Mary at 05:25 next morning. Train 212 leaves Turkmenabat at 04:20 daily, arriving at Mary at 10:23. Train 196 leaves Turkmenabat at 18:00 daily, arriving at Mary at 00:25. Train 22 leaves Turkmenabat at 21:55 daily, arriving at Mary at 02:51.

The railways station is near Hotel Sultan Sanjar.

• 1 Mary railway station (Mary şäheriň demirýol wokzaly). (updated Mar 2019)

By bus

From Iran

Take the bus from Mashad bus station to Sarakhs (3½ hours, 6500 rials). The bus will drop you in the center of the village. Walk or take a shared taxi to the Iran-Turkmenistan border crossing. You have to pay a fee US$10 to enter Turkmenistan. Change as little money as possible from the money changers on the Turkmen side of the border. Take a taxi to Mary.

See

• 1 Mary Museum (Mary muzeýi), Komsomolska köcesi 1. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00, lunch break 13:00-14:00 with no visitors allowed. The museum contains a model of Merv and objects displayed from Victor Sarianidi's excavations at the Bronze Age sites of Gonur-depe and Togolok in the northern part of the Merv oasis and discoveries from Sasanian-Islamic times at Merv. In the upper floor Turkmen carpets, a display of household items, everyday, wedding and ceremonial clothings and a fully decorated yurt are exhibited. 17.5 manat (updated August 2018), camera US$5. (updated Aug 2023)
• 2 Gurbanguly Hajji Mosque (Gurbanguly Hajy metjidi). (updated Aug 2023)
• Pokrovskaya Church. 
• MIG aeroplane. 

Do

1 Mary Theatre. Performances at 17:00 and 19:00. Theatre close to the river. Show lasts almost 2 hours, a lot of kids in attendance. Two Turkmen entertainers and a couple performing sketches. Funny experience, everything in Turkmen (and one song in Russian). No photos allowed during the performance. Very grandiose building. Tickets could be bought during the day or directly before the performance in the same building (Kassa). 5 manat. (updated Aug 2018)

Buy

• Tekke Bazaar (4 km out of town). Sun. 
• New Bazaar, Mollanepes sayoli. 

Eat

• 1 Gyzylgum. Very beautifully set restaurant at the river, cheap food and expensive drinks. Wide selection of food (Turkmen, Russian, European). Could be possible to eat vegetarian there. They speak English and have an English menu. 20 manat for a main course, 40 manat for a glass of red wine. (updated Aug 2018)
• Sachra, Magtymguly köcesi 40 (in Mary), ☏ +993 522 56177. Shashlik, Turkmen and Russian cooking. 
• Altyn Asir Kafe Bar, Gulistan sayoli (inear Hotel Sultan Sanjar in Mary), ☏ +993 522 39350. Shashlik, Turkmen and Russian dishes. 

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Sultan Sanjar, Mollanepes sayoli (in Mary), ☏ +993 522 67644. Check-out: 12:00. Former Inturist hotel in terrible condition. 50 manat for a triple room. (updated May 2023)
• Hotel Rakhat, 15 Serkhetabat Kocesi (a little bit out of the town center of Mary), ☏ +993 6026134970. US$20-25. 
• 2 Hotel Yrsgal, Ata Köpek Mergen köcesi 40 (in Mary), ☏ +993 522 5375, +993 522 53842, fax: +993 522 35119. US$35-45. 

Go next

By plane

Turkmenistan Airlines operates three flights per day to Ashgabat. If The airport is 5 km out of town on the road to Bairam Ali. A taxi from the city should cost about US$2.

By rail

Turkmendemiryollari (Turkmenistan Zeleznice) (Ashgabat, phone +993 12 255545, fax 473858) runs trains from Ashgabat to Turkmenabat via Mary and return.

Trains to Mary leave Ashgabat at 07:40 daily, arriving at Mary at 17:00. Train 21 leaves Ashgabat every second day at 22:10, and arrives at Mary at 05:25 next morning.

Train 212 leaves Turkmenabat at 04:20 daily, arriving at Mary at 10:23. Train 196 leaves Turkmenabat at 18:00 daily, arriving at Mary at 00:25. Train 22 leaves Turkmenabat at 21:55 daily, arriving at Mary at 02:51.

The railway station is near Hotel Sultan Sanjar.

By car

It is a full day drive on a poor quality road from Mary to Ashgabat in a private car.