User:AirshipJungleman29/Ai-Khanoum
Ruined ancient city in modern Afghanistan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ai-Khanoum (Uzbek: /aɪ ˈhɑːnjuːm/; meaning Lady Moon[1]) is the archaeological site of a Hellenistic city in Takhar Province, Afghanistan. The city, whose original name is unknown,[lower-alpha 1] was probably founded by an early king of the Seleucid Empire and served as a military and economic centre for the rulers of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom from the time of Diodotus I. Many of the present ruins date from the time of Eucratides I, who substantially redeveloped the city and who may have renamed it Eucratideia, after himself. However, soon after his death in around 145 BC, the Greco-Bactrian kingdom collapsed—Ai-Khanoum was captured by Indo-Scythian invaders, and its inhabitants abandoned the city.
Location | Takhar Province, Afghanistan |
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Region | Bactria |
Coordinates | 37°09′53″N 69°24′31″E |
Type | Settlement |
History | |
Material | Mud brick |
Founded | 3rd century BC |
Abandoned | 145-120 BC |
Periods | Hellenistic |
Cultures | Greek |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | Between 1964 and 1978 |
Archaeologists | Paul Bernard |
Condition | Ruined and near-completely looted |
Ai-Khanoum was located on the confluence of the Amu Darya and the Kokcha River, surrounded by well-irrigated farmland. The city itself was divided between a lower town and a 60 metres (200 ft) high acropolis, which may have been garrisoned by the Achaemenid Empire because of its natural defensibility. Although not situated on a major trade route, Ai-Khanoum controlled access to both mining in the Hindu Kush and strategically important choke points. Extensive fortifications surrounded the entire city, including the acropolis.
While on a hunting trip in 1961, the King of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah, rediscovered the city; an archaeological delegation, led by Paul Bernard, investigated the site. Bernard and his team unearthed the remains of a huge palace in the lower town, along with a large gymnasium, a theatre capable of holding 6,000 spectators, an arsenal, and two sanctuaries. Several inscriptions were found, along with coins, artefacts, and ceramics. The outbreak of the Soviet-Afghan War in the late 1970s halted scholarly progress, and during the following conflicts in Afghanistan, the site was extensively looted.