Panjakent
Panjakent is the "treasury" of Tajikistan.
Like many cities of Central Asia, Panjakent is divided into two parts - modern and ancient. The age of the ancient part of Panjakent, according to the research of scientists and archaeologists, is about 5500 years. That is, in fact, Panjakent is the same age as Egypt, if not older than it.
Panjakent is translated as “five settlements”. Based on this, we can assume that initially on this territory 5 small villages were founded, which laid the foundation for the modern city.
Today, the ancient settlement of Panjakent is a historical reserve and an open-air museum. Here for 60 years (1978 - 2008) archaeological excavations were carried out, during which the remains of the destroyed palace and citadels of the Middle Ages were found. Not far from them is a necropolis, which has reached our time in good condition. On its walls, glue painting is still preserved, and there also are ossuaries with ancient burial places.
For archaeologists, Panjakent turned out to be a real “treasury”. Silver and bronze coins, sculptures made of wood and ceramics, metal and glass wares, and various household items were excavated here and moved to the local history museum after the name of Rudaki. But the historians and experts from all over the world continue examine the discovered items.
Already in antiquity, the city of Panjakent was a cultural value and was the center of the artisanship of Sogdiana in the era of Zoroastrianism. The city was built like a project, the area was divided into quarters with residential buildings, artisans workshops, shops and bazaars. Closer to the east of Panjakent, on its outskirts were unique temples with magnificent architecture and the residences of local rulers.
The ancient city was rich, the houses of ordinary citizens evidence about it which differed in decoration and comfort. The dwelling of every average citizen was decorated with paintings and sculptures of ancient gods. According to some sources, Panjakent was even called “Pompeii of Central Asia” as far as it was developed.
It is worth mentioning that Panjakent was the last city in Central Asia, where caravans of the Great Silk Road stopped, going from Samarkand to the mountains of Kuhistan.
Tourists and guests of Panjakent may be interested the following sights of the city: the settlement of Sarazm, the complex of Hazrati-Bobo, the mausoleum Rudaki and the Mausoleum of Muhammad Bashoro.