Registan Ensemble

The eastern wall

In the middle of the eastern wall comprises the main part of the hall entrance. Here the pictures of swimming fish, bathing children and oxen are well preserved. Perhaps it reminds India or Zoroastians, or being in the paradisiacal condition and the river, which separates the livings and the dead.

Discussions and considerations show that the meaning of the plot on three walls is aimed at one thing and namely at the examining the policy of King Varkhuman from three different viewpoints. The first one is festive diplomacy, described on the western wall, the second is friendly relations with China, described on the northern wall and the third is religious celebrations, described on the southern wall. Religious ceremonies were novel to Samarkand as there were no stable dynasties at that time. In 710 king Tarkhun was removed by people (meeting of the elderly). As to the history of king Varkhuman, his attempts to be the only ruler were vain. After the first Arab attack in 675 the city was without a governor. During the excavations it became known that the present condition of the walls, i.e. damage to the pictures was not caused intentionally by Arabs. Hall with the pictures was closed with the stone before the Arabs conquest. Therefore pictures were preserved.

The content of the wall pictures tells about the friendly relationships of king Varkhuman with foreign countries and the high position of Sogd.

The show of the exposition on the second floor includes the time which began from Arab occupation of Central Asia till the period of Chenghiz Khan. At that time Samarkand extended very much and surrounded with defensive walls up to the territory of a present “old city”.

The display begins with the system of water supply of Afrasiyab and the map of the city. Here we get acquainted with the history of Afrasiyab, revealed during the excavations in the last 15 years and the history of the palace belonging to the period of Abu Muslim, the representative of Khurasan caliphate. In the history of the palace, contrary to the ancient Sogdian traditions we can observe the architectural traditions of Ummavians known in Syria and Mesopotamia. During the excavations the scientists came to the conclusion that the construction of the palace wasn’t finished as they could not find any general designing patterns of that period.

In the display hall of the museum the findings are shown as a system of the middle aged city. At the front of the museum halls we can see the rabot, which was the manufacturing part of the city, the next is the main castle (Ark) and things found in the shakhriston. Here we can see pottery producing technology, blacksmith, the patterns of glassware and the models of vessels for baking bricks and designed patterns of bricks.

In written sources it was noted that in Samarkand were more than 100 bathhouses in the Middle ages. The model of one of the bathhouses, toshnav, the pats of the ablution rooms were displayed in the exposition.

Moving from the demonstrations of city rabot to the Main castle (Ark) particular attention is paid to the importance of the notions halal and haram.

In the city Ark huge archeological excavation works were conducted in the place of Jome’ Mosque (the main praying place) of the city. We can see that the temples or mosques were the centers of culture and education in the past.

In the latest years the photocopies of wall pictures of “Afrasiyab” found in the governer’s palace of the Karakhaniys are displayed for the public for the first time.

Models of dwellings of aristocracy uncovered in the shakhriston of Afrasiyab and antiques dug out during the excavations are also displayed here. When we see stone pots at the exhibition hall of the museum, we’ll be sure of the high development of stonemasons craft. Among the exhibits there are also tail ware brought from Iran, showing the relations of trade at that time and local vessels resembling them.

In general the subject area of the first floor includes the articles partly displaying the high development of Muslim renaissance.

In the funds of the Afrasiyab Museum things found during the archeological excavations are kept. Most of them are building materials (bricks, engraved tails), pottery, glass, metal, bone and stone articles.