Varakhsha, also Varasha or Varahsha, was an ancient city in the Bukhara oasis in Sogdia, founded in the 1st century BCE.[1] It is located 39 kilometers to the northwest of Bukhara. Varakhsha was the capital of the Sogdian dynasty of the kings of Bukhara, the Bukhar Khudahs.[1][2] It ultimately never recovered from the Muslim conquest of Transoxiana.
Murals
Beautiful murals have been recovered from the palace area, dated to the 8th century CE.[3][1] They show a king and his retinue riding elephants and fighting tigers and monstruous beasts.[4]