This photograph of the ruins of a fortress mound at Kafir Muri, near Samarkand (Uzbekistan), is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-86) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s architectural heritage. There are a number of such fortresses in the vicinity of Samarkand, presumably built by Sogdian kings before the Arab conquest at the turn ...

This photograph of the ruins of a fortress at Khan Charbag, near Samarkand (Uzbekistan), is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-86) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s architectural heritage. The Samarkand region has a number of fortress ruins such as the one shown here. The fortifications were typically built by Sogdian kings, before the ...

This photograph of fortress ruins at Pai Fasad, near Samarkand (Uzbekistan), is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-86) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s architectural heritage. The mound shown here is possibly a remnant of one of the fortresses built by Sogdian kings before the Arab conquest at the turn of the 8th century ...

This photograph of the remains of an earthen mound at Pai Fasad, near Samarkand (Uzbekistan), is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-86) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s architectural heritage. The mound shown here is possibly a remnant of one of the fortresses built by Sogdian kings before the Arab conquest at the turn ...

This photograph of the ruins of the Kafir Kala fortress, to the south of Samarkand (Uzbekistan), is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-86) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s architectural heritage. There are a number of locations in Central Asia with the name “Kafir-Kala,” meaning “infidels’ fortress,” presumably in reference to fortresses built before ...

This photograph of the ancient settlement of Afrosiab, on the northern outskirts of Samarkand (Uzbekistan), is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-86) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s architectural heritage. In 1874 -- a few years after this photograph -- the first excavations began on the Afrasiab site. Subsequent major excavations have revealed a wealth of ...

This photograph of the Chupan-Ata mausoleum on the outskirts of Samarkand (Uzbekistan) is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-86) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s Islamic architectural heritage. This view of the mid-15th century Chupan-Ata mausoleum (mazar) reveals severe damage to both the structure and the dome, as well as to the surrounding wall ...

This photograph of the north view of the aqueduct at the Zeravshan River, on the outskirts of Samarkand (Uzbekistan), is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-86) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s architectural heritage. The album caption refers to this structure as the Shadman Malik Bridge, but the accepted designation is the Zeravshan River ...

This photograph of the west view of the aqueduct at the Zeravshan River, on the outskirts of Samarkand (Uzbekistan), is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-86) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s architectural heritage. The album caption refers to this structure as the Shadman Malik Bridge, but the accepted designation is the Zeravshan River ...