Place · city

Turfan

Also known as Turpan

Turfan, or Turpan, is an oasis city in eastern Xinjiang, China, in the Turfan Depression, one of the lowest and hottest places in Asia. Watered by underground karez channels, it was a major stop on the Silk Road, home to the kingdom of Gaochang and from the 9th century to the Uyghur kingdom of Qocho. Manuscripts in many languages found in its ruins are a key source for Central Asian history.

Turfan
Image: Colegota · CC BY-SA 2.5 es · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Chagatai EmpireDeclineYuezhiImpactRouran KhaganateSocioeconomy, Impact

Mentioned in 8 state histories

JushiFormer LiangGaochang KingdomGaocheKingdom of QochoKara DelTurpan KhanateYettishar

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Turfan. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/turfan
MLA
“Turfan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/turfan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Turfan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/turfan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Turfan’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/turfan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻