Samarkand is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia and among the most significant historical cities of the region. It lies in present-day Uzbekistan, in the valley of the Zarafshan river.
Origins
The city was founded in antiquity and was known to Greek writers as Marakanda. Its position on trade routes between China, India, Persia and the Mediterranean made it wealthy and repeatedly contested.
The Timurid period
Samarkand reached its greatest prominence in the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, when it served as the capital of the empire founded by Amir Temur. Craftsmen and scholars were brought to the city, and a distinctive architectural style developed, marked by monumental portals, ribbed domes and glazed tilework in deep blue and turquoise.
Principal monuments
- Registan — an ensemble of three madrasas facing a public square, one of the most recognisable architectural compositions in the Islamic world.
- Bibi-Khanym Mosque — an enormous congregational mosque built at the height of the empire.
- Shah-i-Zinda — a street of mausoleums decorated with some of the finest surviving tilework.
- Gur-e-Amir — the mausoleum of Amir Temur and his descendants.
Ulugh Beg and astronomy
The ruler and astronomer Ulugh Beg built an observatory in Samarkand in the fifteenth century. Its instruments allowed measurements of remarkable precision for the period, and the star catalogue produced there was used by astronomers for centuries afterwards.
Today
The historic centre is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "Samarkand — Crossroads of Cultures". The city is a major destination for cultural tourism and remains an important centre of craft, education and trade.