Bukhara - the settlement Poykend

Poykend settlement in Bukhara – the “Pompeii of Asia”

Around 60 kilometres southwest of Bukhara, the ancient settlement of Poykend covers an area of around 20 hectares. Until the middle of the 11th century, Poykend was an important trading town, known as the ‘Lower Town’, and was strategically located in the lower reaches of the Zeravshan on the western border of Sogd.

The heyday of the Great Silk Road: In the 5th to 8th centuries, Poykend was one of the most prosperous cities in the Bukhara region. Together with Samarkand, it was one of the most important trading centres on the legendary Great Silk Road. Every year in spring, a large proportion of the male population travelled for months to China to maintain trade relations and bring prosperity to the city.

Conquests and reconstruction: The history of Poykend is characterised by conquests and resistance. At the end of the 6th century, the city was besieged by the Persian commander Bahram Chubin in the course of a bloody war between the Turkish khans and the Persian shahs. At the beginning of the 8th century, Poykend and Bukhara submitted to the Arabs. They plundered the city, took the population captive and melted down gold and silver statues of pagan idols into ingots, which were sent to the caliph’s court.

Despite this destruction, the city recovered: returning merchants from China bought back captured citizens and helped to rebuild it. The city centre was characterised by an imposing citadel (90 x 90 metres), the first settlements of which existed before our era. In the early Middle Ages, the palace of the ruler, temples and administrative buildings were located there.

City structure and defences: Poykend consisted of two shahristans – city districts – which adjoined the citadel: The first shahristan covered 12 hectares and was inhabited by the Ephtalites, while the second, with an area of 7 hectares, was built at the beginning of the 6th century. The city was surrounded by fortress walls, which were reinforced with defence towers at regular intervals of 60 metres. To the north of the city was a necropolis with Zoroastrian burial sites.

Splendour under the Samanids: Under Samanid rule, Poykend experienced a renaissance and once again became a centre of trade and crafts, competing with Bukhara. Numerous caravanserais were built to accommodate the lively trade traffic. Archaeological excavations on the citadel brought to light the remains of the Juma Mosque from the 11th century. The foundations of its minaret suggest that it surpassed the dimensions of the Kalon minaret in Bukhara.

Decline and oblivion: With the increasing deepening of the Zeravshan River, Poykend’s water supply dried up in the 11th century, which inevitably led to the city’s decline. The once flourishing trading metropolis was gradually swallowed up by the desert and fell into oblivion.

Rediscovery and archaeological significance: It was not until the 20th century that archaeologists brought the buried relics of Poykend back to light. Due to its outstanding historical significance and the remarkable state of preservation of the ruins, the city was nicknamed the ‘Pompeii of Asia’. Today, Poykend is considered a fascinating testimony to a lost civilisation and attracts historians and travellers from all over the world.

A report from the “Tarikhi Bukhara”

In his 10th century work ‘Tarikhi Bukhara’, Muhammad Narshakhi describes the fascinating history of the founding of the city of Poykend. This city, also known as ‘the rich city’, was founded by Turkestan people from the southern Kazakh region near Bukhara.

The beginnings of the settlement: the first settlers chose this area because of its abundance of water, numerous trees and rich hunting grounds. At first, the new arrivals lived in yurts and tents. Over time, the population grew steadily, which led to the construction of permanent buildings. Eventually, the community came together, elected a leader and appointed him Amir. His name was Abruy.

The rise and fall of Abruy: At the time of the arrival of the first settlers, the town of Poykend did not yet exist. However, there were already several villages in the neighbourhood, including Nur, Harkan-Rud, Vardana, Taravja, Safna and Isvana. The largest village, where Abruy himself resided, was called Poykend, while the emerging town became known as Kala-i-Dabusi.

Over time, Abruya’s power grew, but his style of rule became increasingly cruel and oppressive. The patience of the inhabitants was soon exhausted. Wealthy merchants and farmers fled to Turkestan and Taraz, where they founded a new city called Khamukat. The name ‘Khamukat’ comes from the language of Bukhara: ‘Khamuk’ means pearls, while ‘Kat’ stands for city – thus the name meant ‘city of pearls’.

The liberation by Shiri-Kishwar: Those who stayed behind asked their noble compatriots for help, who then turned to Kara-Jurin-Turk, a ruler of the Turks, who was called ‘Biyagu’ by the people because of his greatness. Biyagu sent his son Shiri-Kishwar to Bukhara with a large army. Shiri-Kishwar seized Abruy in Poykend and had him executed in a cruel manner: Abruy was thrown into a large sack of red bees, from which he died.

Shiri-Kishwar’s rule and reconstruction: Shiri-Kishwar liked the conquered land so much that he asked his father to install him as ruler over the region and allow him to settle in Bukhara. Biyagu agreed, and Shiri-Kishwar became the new ruler. He sent an ambassador to Khamukat to bring back the nobles and wealthy citizens who had fled. In a letter, he promised that all returnees would become his neighbours and live in safety.

A new chapter in Poykend’s history: this promise was of particular importance, as the once prosperous city had been impoverished by the flight of the rich and nobles, leaving only the poor and lower classes behind. The return of the fleeing population marked a new beginning for Poykend and cemented its reputation as a ‘rich city’.

Narshakhi’s report sheds an impressive light on the eventful history of Poykend, which is characterised by power, flight and return – an important chapter in the history of Bukhara and the entire Central Asian region.