In 18 km west of Ashgabat, the ruins of Nisa, the capital of the ancient Parthian state, which existed at the turn of the 1st millennium BC, rise. e. – 1 thousand n e. In the III century BC New Nisa was the capital of the Parthian state, and the fortress Old Nisa was a royal residence. In Nisa, palace and temple buildings were concentrated. There was also a treasury, a huge winery, and warehouses with numerous reserves. In the 4th century AD Parthian region (whose capital was Nisa) became part of the state of Alexander of Macedon, who, next to the Nisa fortress, laid the city of Alexandropol (now Old Nisa). After the death of Alexander, the Parthian region for a short period passed to the Hellenistic power of the Seleucids. The following years did not reflect in the best way in the life of Nisa. In 2007, the fortress was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.