The ancient settlement of Ershi in Andijan
One of the interesting sights of the ancient Fergana Valley is the ancient settlement of Ershi in Andijan. Its ruins can tell a lot, allow you to plunge into the deep past. Chinese primary sources of the I-II century BC report that the area was home to the rich and developed state of Dawan. Its capital was the city of Ershi, through which the Great Silk Road passed and trade was booming.
This fact has greatly influenced the life of the local population. She was very developed in her time and rich. Many branches of agriculture, including viticulture, were in demand here. The wines had a long shelf life. But horse breeding became especially famous. Rare horse breeds are the tall Argamaks, which were nicknamed “Heavenly Horses" and were distinguished by their unprecedented endurance and ethereal chiseled beauty. The aristocrats preferred to buy them. According to legend, it was because of horses that the Chinese attacked Davan in 104 BC, because they dedicated entire odes to these animals. In their opinion, it was only on such horses that it was possible to get to the “land of immortality.”
After some time, under the rule of the Turks, the Davan state was renamed Mingtepa. Gradually, everything was falling into disrepair. This was caused by the decline of trade on the Silk Road and the bloody conquests. The inhabitants founded a new settlement (on the site of Andijan) and moved there. But this ancient object attracts attention to this day. There's a lot left unexplored here.
Archaeologists are finding various artifacts at the site of the ruins. After all, the ruins of Mingtep in Andijan can tell a lot of interesting things about the era when everything was flourishing. There is an opportunity to see a recreated element of a street, an apartment building. This object is an open-air architectural monument that has not yet been fully explored.
The city of Ershi is located 30 km from Andijan. Numerous excursions do not ignore this historical monument. There are many unique objects on the territory of the settlement that can tell a lot. Some shrines (Imam Ota, Tuzlik Masar, Ok Gur, Shirmanbulak spring) are especially revered by the local population and carefully guarded.
