page_title: Turpan Depression
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Turpan Depression / History
caption_attribution_description: Español: Las ruinas de la antigua ciudad de Gaochang: construida en el siglo I adC., esta ciudad fue uno de los puntos destacados en la ruta de la seda. Se conservan las ruinas del antiguo palacio y de las ciudades interiores y exteriores. Se encuentra a unos 30 Km de Turfán.English: The ruins of Ancient city of Gaochang: Gaochang was built in I century BC. Was an important site along the Silk Road. We still can see old palace ruins and inside and outside cities. It's located 30 Km from Turpan.
context_page_description: The Turpan Depression, or Turfan Depression, is a fault-bounded trough located around and south of the city-oasis of Turpan, in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in far western China, about 150 kilometres southeast of the regional capital Ürümqi. It includes Lake Ayding, −154 metres, the second or third lowest depression on Earth.
  By some measures, it is also the hottest and driest area in China during the summer.
context_section_description: The ancient city of Gaochang was a key point on the ancient Silk Road and dates back to the 1st century BC. It was burnt down in wars in the 14th century. The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, which are located in the Flaming Mountains' Mutou Valley, about 30 km (19 mi) east of the city of Turpan, have been hewn into the rock from the Tang dynasty era up to the time of the Yuan dynasty (13th century). The caves are famous for their murals, which can still be found in about 40 of the 77 known caves. The desert climate has favored preservation of the content of the Astana-Karakhoja ancient tombs, which are located about 6 km from the ancient city of Gaochang. The tombs are the burial place for nobles, officials, and others who were interred there from the times of the Western Jin dynasty until the middle of the Tang dynasty era.
caption: Ruins of Gaochang
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