Ancient Settlement of Afrasiab

At the entrance to Samarkand from the north, the ancient settlement of Afrasiab (VII-II centuries BC) is located on high hills. Moreover, it is interesting that there was no sign of the city of Afrasiab at this place. The locals named this place, believing in the legend of the existence of a huge city here, founded by the mythical king of Turan, Afrasiab. In fact, this is the ancient settlement of pre-Mongol Samarkand. It was here that urban life took place from the 6th century BC until the destruction by the Mongols in 1220.

Having survived the invasions of many conquerors, Samarkand could not recover from the raid of Genghis Khan. The Great Mongol ordered the city to be razed to the ground. Genghis Khan's act shocked the inhabitants so much that they did not dare to settle on these hills. Returning to the ruins of Samarkand, they settled at its foot. Now Samarkand is surrounded by a huge wasteland - the ancient settlement of Afrasiab.

During the excavations, it was established that the ancient settlement of Afrasiab consisted of a fortress, an inner city and a suburb. In the inner city, residential and craft quarters, a mosque, and the remains of the palace (VII-VIII centuries) of the Samarkand ruler were found, where amazing frescoes dedicated to the events of the city's life were discovered. The Afrosiab Museum is also located here, with a collection of archaeological finds made on the site of this ancient city.