The Burana Tower is a large brick minaret in the Chüy valley of Kyrgyzstan, near the town of Tokmok. It is the best-preserved part of the ancient city of Balasagun, which was an important city on the Silk Road, founded by the Sogdians and later a capital of the Karakhanid state. The tower was built in the eleventh century, and originally stood at around forty metres tall, but earthquakes damaged it, and the top part collapsed, leaving it roughly half that height. Archaeologists have restored it and explored the surrounding site, which includes a citadel, mausoleums, a museum and a field of balbals, carved stone markers from the Turkic peoples.
Before and after
- from 11th century to 17th centuryConstruction of Bagrati Cathedral
- 11th centuryConstruction of Daphni Monastery
- 11th centuryOrigins of Shah-i-Zinda
- 11th centuryRise of House of Hohenzollern
- 11th centuryConstruction of Burana Tower
- from 1100 to 1470Chimú culture
- c. 1100sThe magnetic compass is used for navigation at sea
- from c. 1100s to 1450sGreat Zimbabwe rises
- 12th centuryConstruction of Basilica of Saint-Denis
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 1066Construction of Tower of London
- 1342Construction of Palace of Westminster
- from 1368 to 1644Ming dynasty
- from 1370 to 1789Construction of Bastille
- 1386Construction of Heidelberg University
- from 1438 to 1533Inca Empire
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes.