AFROSYAB MUSEUM
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It is here that you will see the main pieces unearthed throughout the many excavation campaigns that have marked the life of the site since the Russian conquest. In particular, you will find many period photos and the history of the excavations that have brought to light the life on Afrosyab Hill at the time of the first installations and foundations of the city. The centerpiece of the museum is a 7th century fresco known as "The Ambassadors". It is a unique work, and one of the few available to archaeologists and historians to study Sogdian painting and art. On the four walls of a house discovered by chance in 1965, while the municipality was drilling a new road, this major fresco depicts the Sogdian king Vakhourman receiving ambassadors from neighboring countries. Thus, it is China which is represented on the north wall. It shows the emperor hunting and the empress on a boat. The south wall depicts Samarkand celebrating Navrouz and the east wall depicts India, its pygmies and astrologers. Archaeologists and specialists disagree on the western wall at the moment. The hypotheses of each one are still debated. This major fresco was greatly deteriorated in places. In 2014, France has decided to finance major restoration work. These should last 8 years, under the direction of a French team. In the meantime, a copy can be seen at the Museum of the Peoples of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.
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