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Visit Guide to Afrosiab Museum

“Afrosiab” is a museum dedicated to the history of the founding of Samarkand. The museum is located in the northern part of the city behind the central bazaar, next to the hills of the ancient settlement Afrosiab. The settlement Afrosiab, once located in the center of ancient Samarkand, was destroyed by the Mongols in the early 13th century. The exhibits of the museum clearly show the history of the development of the city, starting from the time of the conquest of Alexander the Great.

Main image: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Getting There

The Afrosiab Museum is located, on Tashkentskaya Street, Samarkand. Depending on which part of Samarkand you are in, this attraction can be reached by taxi or by bus.

Bus: The nearest stops are: Registon Ko’chasi; Chashma; Bustonaroy; Afrosiob. These lines and routes have stops nearby: (Bus) 32, 35, 56, 6, 60, 97

What to Expect

The museum presents various exhibits, including artifacts found during excavations on the territory of Afrasiab, Samarkand and their surroundings. Among them, the remains of ancient blades, ossuaries, knives and other cutting objects, arrows, coins, ceramics, ancient manuscripts and books, figurines and other ancient everyday objects.

One of the remarkable exhibits is the unique preserved frescoes of the Samarkand palace belonging to the Ikhshid dynasty (VII-VIII centuries). Some of the exhibits in the museum are related to the pre-Islamic era, partly related to the local version of Zoroastrianism, which was the main religion in Sogd before the arrival of Islam.

History

The museum is dedicated to the history of the city of Samarkand and its surroundings. The museum building is located in the north-eastern part of the city, near the ancient settlement of Afrasiab, which is one of the largest archaeological sites in the world.

The museum building was built in honor of the 2500-year anniversary of Samarkand on the initiative of the leadership of Uzbekistan, the architect is Shmavon Azatyan, 1970.

The museum tells about the history of the founding of the city of Samarkand, about its further history, tells about the settlement of Afrasiab.

Facilities Available

Hotels near the Afrasiab museum and archeology site are popular and in demand among tourists. Inexpensive accommodation facilities are ready to offer comfortable accommodation for a holiday or business trip. It is worth noting that guests can also book a room with a view of a landmark or an architectural monument. Such hotels as the Bek Samarkand Hotel, Regal palace Samarkand Hotel, bahodir B&B Hotel, and others.

You can also eat delicious food in restaurants near the statue: Center of Plov, Restaurant Platan, Bibikhanum Teahouse, Du chinar restaurant and others.