turkmenistan
The capital of the ancient Khorezm ,the city Kunyaurgench (Old
Urgench),
was one of the most powerful of the medieval empires in
Central Asiais. Kunya Urgench is located on the territory of
Dashoguz. Beginning from 995th Gurgandzh was the capital of the
Khorezm and was the second largest and important city after
Bukhara. Kunya Urgench has preserved its magnificent
architectural monuments such as the mausoleum of il Arslan and
Khorezm shah Tekesh, dating from the XII century. Especially
important monuments of Kunya Urgench related to the XIV century,
are the mausoleum of Tyurabek Khanum with mosaic panels on the
inside of the dome, which is a masterpiece of oriental art,
unparalleled in all of medieval architecture as well as a grand
60-meter minaret Kutlug Timur, the highest in Central Asia. Also
here are the magnificent ancient city-fortress Devkesen,
Shasenem, Zmukshir, Kenevas and many others.
Kunya Urgench had extremely advantageous geographical location
being located at the crossroads of two major caravan routes: in
the east, to China, and from the south to the north-west to the
Volga. This factor had an impact on growth, and the town
grew rapidly expanding their possession and became the real
center of civilization. At the beginning of XI
century Gurgandzh became so famous that has eclipsed the glory
Bukhara. Several scientists and poets began arriving in the
town, who glorified the city as "the capital of
thousands thinker". A brilliant scientist, physician
and philosopher Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and the
Great Encyclopaedist Abu Rayhan Biruni worked here.
Throughout the XIII century Gurgandzh was heart of the "Islamic
world", till the leader of the city did not rebelled against
Genghis Khan. The Mongols completely destroyed the great city
leaving nothing. That is why modern Kunya Urgench pretty much
destroyed.
The city was rebuild after Genghis's attck, but the sudden
change of Amu-Darya's course to the north and the town's
demolition again by Timur in the 1370s forced the inhabitants to
leave the city forever.
The area was later inhabited by Turkmen in
1831, but they built new town outside the old town, using it as
a graveyard. A new town of Urgench was developed to the
Southeast, in present-day Uzbekistan. First archeological
research on the old city site was conducted by Alexander
Yakubovsky in 1929.
