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Urgench[oorgyench´] Pronunciation Key, ancient city of central Asia, on the site of present-day Kunya-Urgench, in Turkmenistan. It lies c.85 mi (140 km) NW of modern Urganch, Uzbekistan. A major trade and craft center from the 10th to 13th cent., Urgench became the capital of the khanate of Khwarazm in the 12th cent. The city was destroyed by the Mongols in the early 13th cent., partially rebuilt, and finally abandoned in the 16th cent. Ruins of an 11th-century minaret and mosque, mausoleums, shops, and the portal of the Caravanserai Gates (14th cent.) have been uncovered.
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