“The ancient city of Balkh, the oldest in today’s Afghanistan, is in Indian archeology associated with the Vedic name Bhakri, which later became Bactra for the Greeks, giving its name to Bactria. It was mostly known as the centre and capital of Bactria or Takharistan. Balkh is now for the most part a mass of ruins It is considered to be the first city to which the Indo-Iranian tribes moved from the North of Amu Darya, approximately between 2000 BC - 1400 AD.
From the Memoirs of Xuanzang, we learn that, at the time of his visit in the 7th cent AD, there were in the city, or its vicinity, about a hundred Buddhist convents, with 3,000 devotees, and that there was a large number of stupas, and other religious monuments. In 1220 Genghis Khan sacked Balkh, butchered its inhabitants and levelled all buildings capable of defense — a treatment to which it was again subjected in 1370 AD by Timur. Notwithstanding, Marco Polo (end 13th cent) could still describe it as “a noble and great city.” Ibn Battuta (1336) found it in ruins. It has never recovered.”