Huff Post: by Emily O’Dell.

Treasure Hunting in Turkmenistan

J-Lo isn’t the only one who went to Turkmenistan this summer. I was there too — but unlike J-Lo, I didn’t walk away a million dollars richer. But I did uncover something in the desert far more valuable — and priceless — than any sum of money.

While much has been written about J-Lo’s recent decision to perform for the President of Turkmenistan’s birthday, I’d like to present a different side of Turkmenistan — by highlighting my work there this summer, and focusing on what Turkmenistan is doing right in preserving its Islamic heritage.

Over the past several years, as Sufi shrines have come under widespread attack in Mali, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Pakistan, and Kashmir, Turkmenistan has been actively embracing, preserving, and promoting its Sufi heritage. To help with this commendable effort, I joined up with colleagues from around the world — braving snakes and sunstroke — to excavate Islamic archaeology and preserve Sufi shrines in Merv — a remote jewel on the Silk Road.

In the 12th century, the oasis of Merv, along with Baghdad, Cairo and Damascus, was one of the most important centers of Islam — when it served as the eastern capital of the great Seljuk Empire, and was referred to in Persian as “Shah-i jan” — “the soul of the king.”

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