The Foreign Service Journal, April 2003

Parthia once vied with Rome for control of the world. The Parthian kings were defeated in 224 A.D. by the Sassanians, however, and Nissa then became a Sassanian city. As Turkic-speaking peoples spread from Turkmenistan to Siberia, ancient Parthian and Sassanian traditions melded with Turkic agriculturalist and nomadic- herdsmen customs. Nissa remained where it was, but its character reflected the evolving nature of the local civ- ilization. Some stately mud brick buildings (reconstructed to reflect the Parthian era) still stand on their original site. You can enter some rooms and even try your luck at digging (dis- creetly) a little farther on. As a frequent visitor, I would issue only one warning: Beware the illegal weekend dogfights orga- nized within the ancient walls — those dogs look dangerous! From the stately walls of Nissa you can see a long way — all the way back to the Bronze Age of Central Asia. And throughout that vast open space, other archaeological sights of equal importance — though less fame — beckon the connoisseur, dilettante and just plain tourist alike. For all of our sakes, I hope that the present turmoil and instability of Central Asia will soon recede. That would allow this great resource to be pre- served and developed with interna- tional assistance for the economic and cultural benefit of this fascinat- ing region. F O C U S 56 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / A P R I L 2 0 0 3 Possibly Central Asia’s most important archaeological site is the ancient Parthian capital of Nissa. Parthia once vied with Rome for control of the world. Gfoeller and her son Emmanuel on the roofs of Nissa; below, Gfoeller at the Great Kyz Kala; and right, with husband Michael and son in front of the Small Kyz Kyla.