Not far from Namangan, there is a fascinating open-air museum, the ancient settlement of Akhsikath. Archaeological excavations have been carried out there for decades, revealing magnificent treasures of one of the Fergana Valley capitals to the world.

Archaeologists found here a large settlement called Ahsi. Its main building was a huge citadel, built in the 3rd century BC.

In the 1st century AD, this city became the main commercial center of the country. Wealthy merchants came here from China, Asia Minor, and even Byzantium. They brought here expensive fabrics, ceramics, metal items. When the Arabs conquered the Fergana Valley, ancient Akhsikath became its capital.

The large city with a defensive wall of 18 kilometers long had five beautiful entrances. Inside the walls, not only military and defensive structures were located. By the 9th century, a luxurious palace and a large prison, a mosque, and comfortable baths appeared there. Bazaars and craft ateliers were located in the vicinity. On the Syr Darya River banks, there was a vast area for common holiday prayer.

Unfortunately, the city was almost wiped off the earth’s surface during the terrible earthquake in 1620. The locals who managed to find their way out of the ruins and survive settled in a small village near Akhsikath, which eventually grew into Namangan.

For the first time, serious excavations were conducted here rather recently. In 2002, scientists from Uzbekistan and Great Britain began to study the ancient city. And it was a real historical find. Here, they found coins incused in the city’s area in the 9th-11th centuries and large heat-resistant furnaces in which metal was melted. Many clay and ceramic dishes, horse harnesses, and other artifacts now adorn the museum collection, which is exhibited right in the ancient city premises.