Shahruhiya
Encyclopedia
Shahruhiya is a site of ancient settlement located 88 km to the southwest of Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...

, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....

, on the right coast of Syrdarya River. It is the first large city of the Tashkent oases, situated on the Great Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...

 through Yaksart (Syrdarya). In the oriental sources, it was famous under the name Benaket, and the portion of the Great Silk Road direction called by its name.

Background

Shahruhiya consisted of a citadel, two cities' territories, and a wide tradecraft suburb (a "rabad"), in a total area of 400 hectares. Fortress walls with towers are surrounded by the citadel, Shahristan, and rabad. The walls were erected by Amir Temur
Timur
Timur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...

, called Ancient Benaket by the name of his youngest son Shahruh in 1392. Archeological research has discovered fortification constructions, handicraft workshops of potters and glass blowers, bazaar areas, systems of municipal improvements on the city, and the remains of the front residential constructions of the Epoch of Temurids and Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...

 Khanates. The memorial complex, "Shomir-kara ovlia", functioned in the northwestern part of Rabad in the 16th century. The traces of the memorial mosque of Abdullakhan I were preserved here, that was built for Shah Emir Asadulla, the ishan of Shahruhiya, and a marble grave. A site of ancient settlement of Shahruhiya existed from the 3rd-4th century until the 18th century. Originally, it was a small city at the passage, but it became a huge city during the 10th-11th century. It was destroyed by the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...

, and later reconstructed by Amir Temur, and named Shahruhiya. Since that time, it became an important economic and cultural center in the state of the Temurids and Sheybanids. The city had its own mint, and outstanding scientists, poets, penmen, and artists have lived here.

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 World Heritage Tentative List on 18 January 2008, in the Cultural category.
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