Zaranj

City · c. 861 CE · in the Middle East

Capital of Saffarid Dynasty (861–899).

Brunswick (861 CE): Capital of Duchy of Brunswick (1815–1870).
Sibenik (860 CE): Capital of Kingdom of Croatia (926–1098).
Beiting (c. 860–1138 CE): Capital of Qocho Kingdom (860–1138).
Smolensk (863 CE): Capital of Principality of Smolensk (1056–1406).
Olbia (c. 866 CE): Capital of Giudicato of Gallura (866–1209).
Amol (c. 866 CE): Capital of Zaydi Alid dynasties (866–928), Ziyarid dynasty (936–979).
Porto Torres (c. 866 CE): Capital of Giudicato of Logudoro (866–1259).
La Seu d'Urgell (c. 870 CE): Capital of County of Urgell (870–1413).
Kashgar (c. 850 CE): Capital of Kara-Khanids (850–1045), Eastern Kara-Khanids (1046–1138), Western Karakhanid Khanate (1046–1084), and 4 more.
Palermo (c. 850 CE): Capital of Emirate of Sicily (850–1091), Kingdom of Sicily (1139–1266), Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1815–1860).

Around the same time and place

Silk Road (c. 130 BCE – c. 1450 CE): A network of overland caravan routes linking China with Central Asia, Persia and the Mediterranean, along which silk, spices, horses, religions, technologies and diseases travelled for more than 1,500 years.
Sogdians (c. 500 BCE – c. 900 CE): Iranian people of the Zeravshan valley around Samarkand and Bukhara whose merchants dominated trade along the Silk Roads, especially between the 4th and 8th centuries.
Mashhad (818 CE): Capital of Afsharid Iran (1736–1756).
Samanid Empire (819–999 CE): Persian dynasty ruling from Bukhara whose court fostered a revival of the Persian language and literature within the Islamic world.
Al-Razi (c. 865 CE – 925 CE): A Persian physician and chemist from Rey who wrote influential medical encyclopedias and gave an early clinical description distinguishing smallpox from measles.
Al-Farabi (c. 872 CE – 950 CE): Philosopher, probably born at Farab on the Syr Darya, known as the "Second Teacher" after Aristotle, who wrote on logic, political philosophy and music.
Ecbatana (c. 550 BCE – c. 1800 CE): Capital of Achaemenid Empire (550 BCE–330 BCE).
Muhammad al-Bukhari (810 CE – 870 CE): Islamic scholar from Bukhara who compiled Sahih al-Bukhari, regarded by Sunni Muslims as the most authoritative collection of hadith.