Poykent, or Paykend, an ancient city in

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...

, is located in the lower stream of

Zarafshan River The Zeravshan; uz, Zeravshon, Зеравшон, زېرەۋشان; from Persian fa, , Zarâfšân – meaning "the spreader of gold" is a river in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Central Asia. Its name, "spreader of gold" in Persian, refers to th ...

and was one of the largest cities of the oasis. The city consisted of a citadel, two settlements, and a ''rabod'' (suburb). Poykent is currently under consideration for inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Site description

According to the archaeological research, Poykent was founded as a small village in the 4th century B.C., and was later transformed into a fortress. During that period, it was a trade center, as the city connected Southern countries (Bactria, India, Iran) with Northern countries (Front of Ural, Coast of Volga, Northern Caucus). Poykent was one of the important military and trade centers of the Western borders of the

Sogd Sogdia ( Sogdian: ) or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also a province of the Achaemenid E ...

. Due to the development of the

Great Silk Road Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

and joining with Poykent fortress have been founded first and second sites of ancient settlement. Hence the city Poykent was founded. According to Chinese chronicles, this city was under the "An" (

Bukhara Bukhara (Uzbek language, Uzbek: /, ; tg, Бухоро, ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan, with a population of 280,187 , and the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara ...

) kingdom and was the centre of "Bi"

khanate A khaganate or khanate was a polity ruled by a khan, khagan, khatun, or khanum. That political territory was typically found on the Eurasian Steppe and could be equivalent in status to tribal chiefdom, principality, kingdom or empire. Mong ...

. It has also been noted that in Poykent there was no khokim (governor), the city was ruled by traders' council, and in the full sense of the word the city was a republic in the 6th-7th century. The scientists of Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan have carried out scientific research in the ruins of the city for a long time. As a result,

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic on ...

temples, a palace, and a mosque, built in the 9th century, and remnants of a tower were found in citadel. In the inner part of city were discovered defensive walls, a gate, roads, and the remains of

iving Iving may refer to: *Intravenous therapy Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly ...

quarters (makhallas), while on the outside rabads (suburbs) of the city - there are pottery centers and caravanserais. According to the researcher, due to the inaccessibility of the lower flaw of Zarafshon River, the city ceased to exist in the middle of the 9th century.Poykent - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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History

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Tentative List on 18 January 2008, in the Cultural category.

Notes

References

{{Authority control Archaeological sites in Uzbekistan Populated places in Uzbekistan World Heritage Tentative List