Samarkand, the Center of the World
The present day city of Samarkand is the site of the ancient city of Afrasiab, a capital of the Sogdian kings of the region in the 7th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of its most important remains is a palatial hall with four walls decorated with wall paintings. First excavated in 1965 during the Soviet era, the imagery on these murals depicts Chinese, Turks, Indians, and Koreans, together with the native Sogdians of the region. The murals also depict performance of rituals during a time which coincides with the summer solstice.
Dr. Matteo Compareti graduated from the University of Venice where the Silk Road was the subject of his dissertation. This led to the subsequent focus of his research on Sogdian paintings and Sasanian art, especially the representation of Zoroastrian deities. He is presently a visiting research scholar at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at NYU. He has published several studies on pre-Islamic Persia and Central Asia in English, French, and Italian. He will elaborate on his recent findings and excavations in this interesting and historically important region.
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