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Samarkand Registan Square with Sher-Dor, Ulugh Beg and Tilya-Kori Madrasahs under colorful moody sunset twilight cloudscape
Samarkand Registan Square
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Samarkand Vacation Packages and Tours

Overview

Take a trip to Samarkand on your Uzbekistan vacation.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan’s second-largest city, is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Central Asia, possibly founded around the 7th and 8th Centuries BC.  Because of its location, it was an extremely important stop on the Silk Route between China and Europe. In fact, at the time, it was one of the greatest cities in Central Asia.  It has been called “The Rome of the East” due to its many archaeological and historical sites. Samarkand is divided into the modern part and the old part.  On Uzbekistan tours, it is the latter which attracts the most visitors. There are influences from the days of the invaders and rulers of the Middle Ages such as Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. The city has been awarded recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its unique monuments to be experienced on Uzbekistan travel. It is also known as a major Islamic centre for scholarly study.  

The most important sites in Samarkand during Uzbekistan travel are the following. The Gur-I-Amir Mausoleum is where Tamerlane, along with family members, lies beneath this structure. He had it built for himself made of a single block of dark green jade. The tomb was opened in 1941 and excavated. The entrance to the mausoleum is decorated with Arabic calligraphy and inscriptions, the latter being a common feature in Islamic architecture. Inside, the walls have been covered in tiles.  The Registan was a public square during the reign of Tamerlane for royal proclamations and public executions and possibly, the most awesome sight in Central Asia. It contains today, three madrasas (Islamic scholarly schools) of distinctive Islamic architecture. There is the Ulugbek Madrasa from 1420, the Sher-Dor Madrasa from the 17th Century and the Tilya-Kori Madrasa, also from the 17th century. The last has a pleasant, gardenlike courtyard and a mosque intricately decorated with gold.  The enormous Bibi-Khanym Mosque is one of the most important monuments in Samarkand. In the 15th Century, it was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world with its three domed rooms, covered galleries and an open courtyard. It was intended to gather the entire male population of Samarkand for Friday prayers. The interior courtyard contains a huge marble Koran stand. The Shah-i-Zinda is a necropolis. Legend has it that the cousin of the prophet Muhammad was buried here. The Afrosiab Museum was built around one of Samarkand’s most important archaeological sites, a 7th Century fresco of the Sogdian King Varkhouman, discovered in 1965.

At a Glance
LanguagesUzbek
CurrencyUzbekistani Som (UZS)
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