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Toprak-Kala

The remains of a walled town and royal palace of ancient Khorezm, with a high citadel rising above a rectangular grid of streets.

ArchaeologyAbout 1.25 hours to see

About the place

Toprak-Kala was a planned town, laid out as a rectangle with a main street running through it and residential blocks on either side. In one corner a raised citadel held a palace that is thought to have been the residence of the rulers of Khorezm in the early centuries AD.

Excavations in the Soviet period uncovered halls decorated with wall paintings and clay sculpture, and an archive of documents written in the Khorezmian language. Many of the finds are now in museums, including the Savitsky Museum in Nukus.

On site, the citadel is the place to climb. From its top you can trace the outline of the town walls, the line of the main street and the outlines of rooms in the palace.

Sources (1)

  1. 1.Wikidata

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