Uzbekistan: An elephant rider. Detail from a section of the Afrasiab Murals, c. 850 CE. The Afrasiab painting is a rare example of Sogdian art. It was discovered in 1965 when the local authorities decided on the construction of a road through the middle of Afrāsiāb mound, the old site of pre-Mongol Samarkand. It is now preserved in a special museum on the Afrāsiāb mound. It is the main painting we have of ancient Sogdian art. The painting dates back to the middle of the 7th century CE.

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Size: 5150px × 3402px
Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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