Afrosiab Museum
Located in Samarkand, the Afrosiab Museum displays artifacts from ancient Samarkand and the Afrosiab settlement, including frescoes from the 7th-8th centuries.
Planning your visit
Afrosiab is the mound of ancient Samarkand — the city Alexander took, destroyed by the Mongols in 1220 and never rebuilt on that spot, with the modern city growing beside it.
The museum's reason for existing is a single find. In 1965, road construction uncovered a seventh-century palace with wall paintings across four walls: ambassadors arriving from China, Korea and elsewhere, a Chinese princess on a boat, a hunting scene, and a Sogdian ruler receiving them. Sogdian painting survives almost nowhere else, and these frescoes are the principal evidence of a culture that dominated Silk Road trade for centuries.
The Sogdians were merchants whose language served as the lingua franca of the trade routes, and whose religion mixed Zoroastrian, Buddhist and other elements.
Other galleries cover the site's archaeology from the seventh century BC.
Bookable options combine the museum with Ulugh Beg's observatory nearby. Allow an hour. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Afrosiab Museum?
Afrosiab Museum is in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
How long should I allow for Afrosiab Museum?
Allow an hour. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Afrosiab Museum in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.