Excavations are underway at the Abiwerd Reserve in Akhal Velayat, where archaeologists have started the autumn field season with a focus on the 11th-century “Juma metjidi” mosque. The work is part of Turkmenistan’s State Program for the Careful Preservation of Heritage Sites for 2022-2028, according to Arzuw.news, citing the publication “Neutral Turkmenistan.”
The mosque sits within the “Abiwerd Peştak” fortification complex, about 7 kilometers from the administrative center of the Kaakhka etrap. Researchers are examining the mosque ruins and the remains of a monumental portal that collapsed in the mid-19th century, a loss that has long limited what was known about the building’s original scale and layout.
At the site, archaeologists have identified foundation bases and partially excavated the pylons of the former portal. Those structural clues are helping specialists rebuild an understanding of how the entrance was arranged and how the building was set out on the ground.
One of the most masonry-relevant findings so far is evidence that medieval builders used square-section plinth bricks in multiple formats to form a seismically resistant “shadow” patterned masonry. In a region known for seismic activity, that kind of unit choice and brick patterning shows how craft and structural intent can overlap, a lesson that still matters for mason contractors working in restoration, preservation, and repair.
Specialists are also processing finds and conserving exposed structures so architectural elements can remain in their original position until the full research cycle is complete. Reserve department head Akhmet Khalmyradov said the architecture of Abiwerd is being integrated into tourist routes connected to the Great Silk Road, tying technical discovery to long-term public stewardship.
Read the full, original article from Arzuw news here.