Paikent

a medieval city in what is now Uzbekistan. Its ruins are 35 km southwest of Bukhara.

The Paikent site was first settled during the early centuries of the Common Era. From the fifth to the seventh century, Paikent was a major trade and crafts center. It was at its peak during the ninth and tenth centuries; at its prime, the city covered an area of about 20 hectares (exclusive of suburbs). It was surrounded by walls with towers. The walls, built of adobe and clay blocks, have been preserved in the western part of the ruins. Within the city walls were a citadel and numerous religious and secular buildings, dwellings, and workshops, mainly potteries. Fortified castles and military forts were built just outside the city. During the 11th century, Paikent fell into decline, but at the beginning of the 12th century and during the 14th and 15th centuries, it underwent a partial revival. Archaeological excavations were conducted in 1914, 1939–40, 1954, and 1956.