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Bactra (Balkh)

Type Object Region Central Asia Time c. 1–500

Bactra is one of the oldest cities of Bactria, called Bactra in Greek sources and Balkh in Arabic, located in present-day northern Afghanistan.…

Timeline

  1. c. 1–200Balkh · BalkhUnder Kushan rule, Bactra was the empire's northern administrative and military center, controlling the oasis routes south of the Amu Darya; travelers headed west toward Persia and east into Gandhara from here.
  2. c. 200–350Balkh · BalkhIn the 3rd and 4th centuries, Buddhist monasteries and Zoroastrian communities coexisted in Bactra; the city was known for its markets, minting, and handicrafts, a typical oasis metropolis of Central Asian cultural convergence.
  3. c. 350–500Balkh · BalkhIn the 4th and 5th centuries Sasanian power extended into the northeast, yet Bactra remained a key Silk Road stronghold, later called 'Mother of Cities,' and was one of the most prosperous cities of Central Asia before the Hephthalite invasion.

Sources