Afrasiyab is the 120-hectare mound where Samarkand actually began, occupied from around the 6th century BC until the Mongols destroyed the settlement in 1220. What's visible today is mostly earthworks and citadel remnants rather than standing buildings, but walking the open grounds gives a real sense of the city's scale before Timur rebuilt it a few kilometres south.
The open-air site grounds are free to walk; a separate on-site museum nearby charges admission for its collection of Sogdian wall paintings, so don't assume the two are the same visit.
Local tip: Combine it with Shah-i-Zinda next door, since both sit at the same north-eastern edge of the old city.
Good to know
- Where: Near Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand
- City: Samarkand
Plan your visit to Samarkand