Near the city of Namangan lies the fascinating open-air museum of the ancient city of Ahsikent, where archaeological excavations have been ongoing for several decades, revealing magnificent treasures from one of the capitals of the Fergana Valley.
Archaeologists have determined that Ahsikent was a large settlement, with its main structure being a huge citadel built as early as the 3rd century BCE. By the 1st century CE, this city had become the country’s main economic center, attracting wealthy merchants from China, Anatolia, and even Byzantium. They brought with them expensive fabrics, ceramic ware, and metalwork. After the Arabs conquered the Fergana Valley, ancient Ahsikent became its capital.
This significant city, with defensive walls spanning 18 kilometers, boasted five beautiful entrances. Inside the walls were not only military and defensive structures but also, by the 9th century, a magnificent palace, a large prison, a cathedral mosque, and comfortable baths. Suburbs housed markets and craft workshops, while on the banks of the Syr Darya River, there was a huge square for communal festive prayers.
Unfortunately, the city was almost entirely wiped out during a devastating earthquake in 1620. The survivors who managed to escape the ruins settled near Ahsikent, in a small village that eventually grew into the city of Namangan.
Serious excavations at Ahsikent began relatively recently. In 2002, scientists from Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom began studying the ancient city, leading to a significant historical discovery. Coins minted in the city from the 9th to 11th centuries, large fire-resistant furnaces used for metal smelting, a large quantity of clay and ceramic ware, horse harnesses, and many other artifacts now adorn the museum collection, displayed directly on the site of the ancient city.
