Idea #617 – Visiting the ancient Sogdian town of Pendjikent in Tajikistan
The ancient city of Penjikent was established in the fifth century AD. In 722, the city was captured and set on fire by the Arabs, who precipitated its disappearance. The city consists of an Ark, an ancient citadel, three belts of fortifications, a shrine called Shakhristan, and a necropolis. The palatial complex included reception rooms, municipalities and residential buildings. A large throne room, of 250 square mothers, and three rooms of almost equal size were the setting of court life in Pendjikent. The fire caused by the Arabs in 722 petrified carved wooden posts from the throne room and a remarkable set of murals. The sanctuary, called Shakhristan, had two temples of the same disposition, and a large central residential area for priests, with shops, workshops … The two- and three-storey houses were built of raw brick and cob. The necropolis includes burial vaults dug in the ground – with ossuary niches. The main objects still preserved in Tajikistan can be seen in the Modern Punjikent History Museum. The site is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Where is it ?
Pendjikent, Tadjikistan