Samarkand Afrosiab Museum

The Afrosiab Museum of the History of the Founding of Samarkand is a museum in Samarkand dedicated to the history of the founding of the city. The museum is located in the northern part of Samarkand behind the central bazaar, near the hills of the ancient settlement of Afrosiab.

The ancient settlement of Afrosiab, once located in the center of ancient Samarkand, was destroyed by the Mongols in the early 13th century. The exhibits of the museum clearly show the history of the development of the city of Samarkand, starting from the time of the conquest of Alexander the Great.

One of the most valuable artifacts of the museum are the finds made during the archaeological excavations at Afrosiaba, each of which belongs to a different period of the history of the settlement. These include assoirs, fragments of ancient swords, knives, arrows, coins, ceramics, as well as parts of frescoes of the Samarkand Palace belonging to the Ikhshid dynasty (VII-VIII centuries).

Archaeological excavations and the study of the ancient settlement began at the end of the 19th century and continues to this day. The most valuable exhibits of the Afrosiab Museum also include unique fragments of wall paintings dating back to the 7th-8th centuries, depicting hunting scenes and festive festivities. The museum building, which was designed by Armenian architect Baghdasar Arzumanyan in 1970, is more than 40 years old.