NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 91Little is known about
Ay Khanom’s history pri-
or to Alexander’s invasion.
The DAFA archaeologists
excavated the mile-long
site and found the remains
of a fortress city where
Greek culture had gained a
strong foothold.
The city’s structures and
layout featured many dis-
tinctive Greek features: a
large gymnasium, a tem-
ple, a palace, and a theater
that could seat up to 5,000
people. The finds paint a
rich picture of how Greek
and Asian culture impact-
ed and influenced one an-
other. Some structures
feature Asian motifs, but
are adorned with Greek fea-
tures such as Corinthian-
style columns.
Based on a confusing de-
scription of the area in Ptol-
emy’s second-century A.D.
(continued on page 94)JUST AS THE CITY’S Greek culture absorbed east-
ern motifs, so Greek traits spread east as well.
The style of this second-century b.c. Corinthian
capital from Ay Khanom would hugely influence
Buddhist art in the Gandhara region of Pakistan,
which flourished from the first century a.d.EAST MEETS WEST
AKG/ALBUM