Idea #643 – Visiting Urgench, capital of the Achaemenid Empire in Turkmenistan
Kunya-Urgench is located in the province of Dashoguz, on the left bank of Amou Daria, in northwestern Turkmenistan. Urgench was the capital of the Khorezm region, which belonged to the Achaemenid Empire. The old town contains a series of monuments dating mainly from the 11th to the 16th century. This area has remained a vast deserted area, with some remains of ancient fortified settlements, including a mosque, the doors of a caravanserai, fortresses, mausoleums and a 60-meter high minaret.
The monuments of Kunya-Urgench are an example of the immense variety of techniques and scenery used by Islamic architecture in Central Asia. There are adobe and terracotta buildings, buildings ranging from one-room buildings with a dome to the old chartaks and complex buildings, often with a long history of construction, renovation and renovation. successive reconstruction. These monuments also show the evolution of methods of interior treatment of domes, whose decoration, from honeycombs to stalactites called “muqarnas”, has been brought to perfection by local master craftsmen.
The most beautiful monuments of the city are distinguished by the extreme finesse of their decor. They are outstanding examples of classic arabesques in monochrome terracotta combined with the brilliant colors of enamel.The monuments bear witness to the exceptional levels of development attained in architecture and craftsmanship, the influence of which was felt as far back as Iran and Afghanistan, and later in the architecture of the Mughal Empire. India, in the sixteenth century. The sacred Islamic objects concentrated in this city attract huge crowds of pilgrims.
Some pictures
Where is it ?
Kunya Urgench, Turkmenistan
