Idea #611 – Visiting the remains of the city of Uzgen in Kirghizstan
According to Chinese chronicles, Uzgen was founded in the second century BC, making it one of the oldest Kyrgyz cities. Known as Mavarannahr, it became the regional capital of the khanate of Karakhanid Turks at the end of the 10th century. The Kara-Khitans seized the city in the twelfth century, before it was destroyed in the thirteenth century by Genghis Khan
.From the Karakhanid period remains the remains of a madrassah, a mosque, a minaret 20 meters high – which had 44 meters to its construction – and the mausoleums of three members of the dynasty: Nasr ibn Ali, first khan karakhanide in the eleventh century, Hassan ibn Hussein ibn Ali, of the mid-twelfth century, and a second character of the late twelfth century. Naked bricks decorate the exterior of the minaret and mausoleums, characteristic of the decorative arts of the pre-Mongol era. There are also the remains of a fortress from the 12th century, as well as a mosque of the 19th century. The site is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Uzgen, Kirghizistan