Nisa, Turkmenistan

Nisa

Entrance to Nisa
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Alternative name	Parthaunisa Mithradatkirt Nusaý
Location	Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Coordinates	37°58′0″N 58°11′42″E / 37.96667°N 58.19500°E / 37.96667; 58.19500
Type	Settlement
History
Abandoned	100 B.C.
Periods	Parthian Empire
Cultures	Parthian
Associated with	Arsaces I, Mithridates I
Site notes
Condition	Ruined
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Parthian Fortresses of Nisa
Criteria	Cultural: (ii), (iii)
Reference	1242
Inscription	2007 (31st Session)
Area	77.9 ha (0.301 sq mi)
Buffer zone	400.3 ha (1.546 sq mi)

Nisa (Ancient Greek: Νῖσος, Νίσα, Νίσαιον;^[1][2] Turkmen: Nusaý; also Parthaunisa) was an ancient settlement of the Parthians, located near the Bagyr neighborhood of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 18 km west of the city center. Nisa is described by some as the first seat of the Arsacid Empire. It is traditionally assumed to have been founded by Arsaces I (reigned c. 250 BC–211 BC) and was reputedly the royal residence of the Parthian kings, although it has not been established that the fortress at Nisa was either a royal residence or a mausoleum.

In 2007, the fortress was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.^[3]