The ancient settlement of Afrasiab

The ancient city of Afrasiab (also known as Afrosiab) borders Samarkand from the north like a crescent moon. The settlement was founded in the 7th century BC and ended its existence as an active settlement in the 13th century. To date, only a scattering of hills remains of it.

Archaeological surveys have shown that Afrasiab has been an important commercial, cultural and educational center in Central Asia since ancient times, with its borders far beyond the 200-hectare area.

During the excavations, archaeologists found household utensils, jewelry, fragments of tools and unique artifacts, including fragments of wall paintings, transferred to the Samarkand Museum of History — "Afrasiab", located on the territory of the ancient city. All the finds found during the excavations are mute witnesses to the life of a highly cultured civilization that inhabited the territory of modern Samarkand many centuries ago.

Archaeological excavations in Afrasiab

The beginning of archaeological research on the territory of the settlement of Afrasiab coincided with the annexation of the Central Asian countries to Russia (the end of the 19th century). Thanks to research, reliable evidence has emerged that Samarkand, long before the advent of our era, was reputed to be the largest trading center, which hosted a vibrant trade and rich cultural life. Markanda (the Sogdian capital), the ancient name of Samarkand, was protected from all sides by deep ravines and cliffs formed after the flood of the river.

The excavations of Afrasiab showed that the city was divided into quarters (husars) and straight streets paved with stone. The territory of the settlement was hidden behind powerful walls that sheltered the Shahristan citadel, handicraft buildings, housing of the local population and temples. The powerful, high wall surrounding Afrasiab was dotted with passageways and topped with watchtowers.

Archaeologists also carried out the autopsy of the surviving residential buildings, inside which the researchers saw beautifully painted walls. For example, one of the rooms was decorated with unusual paintings with a specific plot. The images, located on the wall on three levels, tell about a kind of festive procession, in which solemnly dressed women and men participate, they are surrounded by unusual-looking animals, as if they had appeared from a fairy tale.

The ruler's palace, discovered during the excavations, surprised scientists with its huge compositions. One of the panels depicts a procession led by a white elephant with a faintly visible silhouette of a man, most likely representing a queen or princess. A fairly clear image of a woman sitting on a horse, walking as part of a procession, has been perfectly preserved. The female figure is dressed in a bright red dress, like a modern tunic, yellow chembars (trousers), short black boots on her feet, and completes the festive costume with a light scarf draped over her shoulders and many bracelets adorning her arms. Behind the female silhouettes, there are images of men riding camels, wearing military ammunition in the form of swords and short daggers. Apparently, the artist depicted a wedding procession in the painting — the bride, sitting on an elephant, accompanied by a high-ranking retinue, makes her way to her groom's palace.

In addition to the numerous images on the walls, there are also wooden sculptures in the houses of Afrasiab residents that survived the fire at the settlement and are therefore in a charred state. During excavations, bas-reliefs depicting natural landscapes were found on the territory of the palace.