Ancient pipes were found in Namangan (photo)

Antiquities have been discovered at the Ahsikent monument, which spans about 100 hectares in the Namangan region. This was reported by the press service of the regional government.

The rarest finds of the last fifty years were unearthed at the 11th excavation site in Ahsikent. Archaeologists uncovered a 2.3-meter-wide staircase while digging a trench. After digging four meters deep, they found arches belonging to a mysterious passage.

After removing 10,000 cubic meters of soil, 12 steps of the corridor were revealed. Exactly seven meters east of this point, archaeologists found two more unique underground roads. It is believed that both archways connect to the main road that was initially discovered. All corridors are completely arched and elegantly built with baked bricks in a subway style.

During the 2024 excavations, archaeologists also found intact sinks, described as Italian-style, an underground heating system, and hand-washing facilities, complete with elegant ceramic pipes.

"We need to close the roof of this site in October. If the builders don’t manage it, we will have to cover it with soil again to conserve it. The site is extremely unique," said Professor Abdulhamid Anorbaev, head of the Ahsikent expedition.

The parts currently being preserved include:

Excavation site 18: An observation point of an underground water structure from the 10th-12th centuries, the remains of a defensive wall, and a residence built during the Khorezmshahs period, which marked the beginning of the first city in the 13th century.
  
Excavation site 11: The remains of a domed basement and a grand residence from the 11th-12th centuries, wall paintings from the Karakhanid era, as well as the underground structures and rare devices mentioned above.

 Excavation site 19: The city's majestic defensive walls and an underground waterway dating back to the 3rd-1st centuries BC.

 Excavation site 24: The remains of a magnificent settlement from the 11th-12th centuries.

The press service of the government announced that National Geographic will produce a documentary film about the monument and its latest discoveries.

For information, the ruins of the ancient city of Ahsikent are located in the village of Shahand, Turakurgan district, Namangan region, on the right bank of the Syrdarya River. According to historical records, the city of Akhsikat was founded in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC and served as the capital of the Ferghana Valley during the 9th-10th centuries. It was completely destroyed by the Mongols in 1219. The new city of Akhsi, built 5-7 km west of the old site, dates back to the 14th-17th centuries.