Afrasiab archaeological site

E334668

The Afrasiab archaeological site is the ancient heart of Samarkand, containing the remains of early settlements, fortifications, and notable Sogdian-era murals that illuminate the region’s pre-Islamic history.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Afrasiab archaeological site canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient settlement
archaeological site
abandonedAfter Mongol invasion of Central Asia
contains Afrasiab murals
Sogdian palace murals depicting ambassadors
Zoroastrian religious remains
burial grounds
country Uzbekistan
culture Sogdian culture
linked to: Sogdians
endDate 13th century
excavatedBy Uzbek archaeologists
excavatedSince 19th century
functionInAntiquity political capital of Sogdiana
urban center
governedBy authorities of Uzbekistan
hasArea approximately 200 hectares
hasHeritageStatus UNESCO World Heritage Site component
hasMuseum Afrasiab Museum of Samarkand
hasPart Afrasiab Museum of Samarkand
citadel
city walls
palace complex
residential quarters
water supply system
heritageSiteOf Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures
linked to: Samarkand
knownFor Sogdian-era murals
fortification walls
pre-Islamic history of Central Asia
remains of early Samarkand
locatedIn Samarkand
locatedInCountry Uzbekistan
locatedInRegion Samarkand Region
locatedNear modern city center of Samarkand
locatedOn Afrasiab hill
linked to: Fayaz Tepe
namedAfter Afrasiab (legendary Turanian king)
linked to: Afrasiab
openToPublic true
partOf Silk Road network
linked to: Silk Road routes

historic Samarkand
linked to: Samarkand
period Achaemenid period
linked to: Achaemenid Empire

Hellenistic period
Kushan period
Sogdian period
early Islamic period
significance evidence of Samarkand as major Silk Road center
key source for history of Sogdiana
startDate 7th century BCE
topography plateau above the Zeravshan River

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Samarkand hasLandmark Afrasiab archaeological site