Samarkand

Samarkand

One of the oldest cities in Central Asia, Samarkand is a city in east-central Uzbekistan. Known in the 4th century BC as Marakanda, it was the capital of Sogdiana and was occupied by Alexander the Great in 329 BC. The city was later dominated by the Turks of Central Asia, then the Arabs, then the Samanids of Iran and various Turkic peoples, before being annexed by the Khwārezm-Shāh dynasty and destroyed by Genghis Khan, the Mongol conqueror. The city underwent its most significant development in the Timurid period, between the 14th and 15th centuries. The historic town of Samarkand, situated in a large oasis in the Zerafshan River valley, and is renowned as a crossroads of cultures from around the world, with a history dating back more than two and a half millennia. The historical part of Samarkand has three main sections. The ancient city of Afrosiab, which was founded in the 7th century BC and destroyed by Genghis Khan in the 13th century, is located in the northeast and is preserved as an archaeological reserve. The archaeological excavations have uncovered the ancient citadel and fortifications, the ruler's palace, built in the 7th century, with important wall paintings, and residential and artisan quarters. In addition, there are the remains of a large ancient mosque dating from the 8th-12th centuries. The south is dotted with architectural ensembles and the medieval city of the Temurid period of the 14th and 15th centuries, which played a decisive role in the evolution of town planning, architecture and arts in the region. To the west is the area that represents the 19th and 20th century Russian-built extensions in the European style.