08/07/2026
Balkh is in northern Afghanistan. In Islamic tradition, it is called the Mother of Cities. Capital of Bactria, Silk Road hub, Zoroastrian center, Buddhist stronghold. Alexander passed through it. The Kushans developed it. Genghis Khan destroyed it in 1220. Afterwards the city rebuilt. Three thousand years of continuous occupation, layered over each other like sediment. The Balkh bracelet is a truss structure, with triangles linked together, load distributed across the span. Bactrian metalwork uses this same geometry. The structures that last aren't the most elaborate, bur have sound geometry, with no single point of failure.
Check out the Balkh bracelet in the shop. Link in bio.