Modern Penjikent is a quiet small city famous for being the home of the most delicious national dish in the country – plov. However, the reason to visit Penjikent is not only plov, but also the ruins of ancient civilizations. UNESCO World Heritage site Sarezm was a city dating back to 3000 years BC. Another astonishing site is that of the ancient Penjikent ruins, in its heyday a city of rich Sogdian traders on the Silk Road. Sogdians played an important role of mediators between China and the Europe, contributing greatly to the cultural and economic exchange between West and East. Their walls were richly decorated and artifacts from different civilizations have been found at the excavation site. The city was abandoned at the time of the Arab invasion of Central Asia in the 8th century.