And what do you know about the mysterious country of Sogdiana? Isn't it a pretty name? No, you will not find it on modern maps, but if you turn to the times of Alexander the Great, you will find out that for the first time his army was defeated precisely at the battle with Sogdians - the inhabitants of Sogdiana. It was already in the 4th century BC! Sogdiana was nevertheless captured by the commander, but the pride of the Macedonian in the failed battle was clearly infringed upon.
Murals of Sogdiana. Hermitage.
Sogdiana is translated as "sacred", "pure". Now the territory of this state is located within the borders of Uzbekistan (Samarkand was the capital of Sogdia) and Tajikistan. And Sogdiana led its history from the VIII century. BC, when Samarkand (or Marakand at that time) was founded until the 8th century AD. Just read these numbers! For a huge time before our era, there was a flourishing eastern country, about which 90% of the earth's population now does not know.
Kalai-Mug Castle, or Abgar, VII-VIII centuries, now Mount Mug.
Sogdiana is a country with a rich, but little-studied culture, founded for Zoroastrianism, before the advent of Islam. The finds, which were made mainly during the Soviet era, allow us to say that this country had an excellent fortification architecture and a high level of ceramic art. Just what is the Kalai-Mug castle - a two-storey building of stone and brick, with a system of vaults and courtyards. Finds from there are kept in the Hermitage.
Fragment of a frieze with a figure holding the base of a column from Sogdiana. Hermitage.
The excavations of Panjikent, Samarkand and Afrasiab (ancient settlement of Samarkand) are rich in samples of paintings, clay and metal vessels, coins and items of military and peaceful life. In the Hermitage, two halls are dedicated to the finds of the ancient cities of Sogdia.