Merv itself is thought to have originated around the 7th century BC, on the site of the 
Erk-Kala settlement, and quickly became the capital of the entire oasis. 
The name of the city and its oasis is interpreted in various ways. 
Medieval scholars attempted to explain the meaning of the toponym “Marya.” 
The geographer al-Yakut (12th century) considered it to mean “white stone,” 
from which fire is struck. The Herat author Abru (15th century) derived the 
name from the grass "marga" ("twisted"), which grew abundantly along the Murghab banks. 
Some modern scholars translate the word “maru” as “meadow” or “grassy place,” 
which could later be transformed into "mur" ("bird"). A convincing version was 
proposed by academician V.V. Struve, who derived the word "marg" from the name 
of the Saka tribe Amorg — the ancestors of the Oghuz-Turkmen tribe "Emir" (Emirili, Emreli).

In the second half of the 6th century BC, the entire region of Margush was 
forcibly annexed by the Achaemenid Empire. But in 522 BC, a rebellion broke out, 
which was brutally suppressed. The Bactrian satrap Dadarshish joined Merv to Bactria. 
In the 4th century BC, Alexander the Great, after defeating the Achaemenid army, approached Merv. 
According to the historian Curtius Rufus (1st century), Alexander built six fortresses near the city, 
and Merv was renamed Alexandria Margiana. However, the rule of the conquerors was short-lived. 
After the emperor's death, the lands of Southern Turkmenistan became part of the Seleucid Empire. 
In the late 4th century BC, Merv was captured by Seleucus Nicator. The oasis underwent some events, 
after which the city was destroyed. During the reign of Seleucid Antiochus Soter (280–261 BC), 
the city was restored and began to be known as Antiochia or Seleucia. Antiochus ordered the city 
to be surrounded by a wall 1500 stadia (230 km) in circumference. By this time, Merv had already 
moved beyond the boundaries of Erk-Kala and was located within the area enclosed by the walls of the Gyur-Kala settlement.

Throughout history, Merv has witnessed many rises and falls, from the arrival of 
the Parthians to the conquest of the Mongols. Despite its destruction, the city has 
always been rebuilt and revitalized by successive rulers, each contributing to its 
unique historical and cultural heritage. Today, Merv remains a key archaeological 
and historical site that offers a glimpse into the grandeur of ancient civilizations and their enduring legacy.