... Another major city of the Bukhara oasis was Paikend. Chronicles indicate that this Sogdian city fortress appeared in the 4th-3rd centuries BC. It is located on the Great Silk Road, along the river in the lower reaches of the Zarafshan, hence the name "Poykent" - "lower city".
In Chinese sources, it is called the Bi state. Representatives of many countries of the world spoke different languages in the city.
According to Narshakhi, the city's name was so famous that if any of the Paikend residents were asked where they were from, they would always proudly answer: "I am from Poykent" and never say "I am from Bukhara".
From Paikend, caravans were sent to Iran, India, and through Khorezm - to the Urals, Volga, and Caucasus. They sold racing horses, glass, and pottery to China. But the most important aspect of interaction on the trade route was spiritual exchange.
The decline of Paikend dates back to the 11th century. The city was completely swallowed by the desert, and therefore it has remained almost in its original state under a layer of sand to this day.
As a result of excavations at the site of the Paikend settlement, a large amount of factual material was also discovered. In the palace complex of the fortress, the foundation of a straw clay tower with a diameter of 11 meters and a height of 1.5 meters was found. Today there are serious grounds to say that it is the oldest tower in Central Asia and at one time was at least 20 m high.