Aug. 2025
Samarkand is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia, located in present-day Uzbekistan. With a history of more than 2,700 years, it has been a major cultural, economic, and political center along the Silk Road, the ancient trade route connecting China, India, Persia, and Europe.
The city is renowned for its stunning Islamic architecture, vibrant mosaics, and monumental buildings, many of which date back to the Timurid Empire in the 14th and 15th centuries. Under the rule of Timur (Tamerlane), Samarkand became a flourishing capital of science, culture, and art.
Highlights:
- Registan Square – a majestic ensemble of three madrasas (Islamic schools) decorated with intricate blue tiles.
- Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum – the resting place of Timur himself.
- Bibi-Khanym Mosque – once one of the largest mosques in the Islamic world.
- Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis – a breathtaking avenue of tombs with dazzling tilework.
In 2001, Samarkand was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the title “Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures.” Today, it is celebrated not only as a living museum of medieval architecture but also as a dynamic city that bridges the past and present, attracting travelers from around the world.
The train ride from Taskent to Samarkand was surprisingly short and pleasant. All these train stations in Uzbekistan were built with help from China, they are all gorgeous and spacious, with distinguishing Islamic design. The trains almost always depart and arrive on time, and there were always some well-uniformed employees standing at the doors of trains to check the tickets. After arrival, we often have to cross the railroads in order to exit, but usual there is a paved road on the railroad for passengers to walk on. The interior of trains were usual clean and new, even though the windows were usually too dirty to take photos of the outside.
As soon as we arrived our hotel (Gur Emir Palace boutique hotel) from train station by taxi, we have already felt how special Samarkand were. Our hotel was carefully decorated no matter the lobby, hallway or inside the room. Most of all, we enjoyed the open restaurant on top of the hotel. Rich and high-quality breakfast buffet were served there every morning, and we always spent long time sitting there and enjoyed our mint green tea. In fact, the foods there may be even better than many restaurants, that one night we simply ate dinner at the restaurant on top of our hotel.
Daytime was extremely hot and sunny in August, but we still tried to visit some famous mosques near our hotel. However, the real entertainment actually came at night. It was much cooler at night, so many people simply sit on the marble floor in front of Amir Temur Mausoleum Gur-i Amir Complex and enjoyed its magnificent view. At around 8am, there were music and illumination show at the Amir Temur Mausoleum Gur-i Amir Complex. It was surprisingly modern and impressive.
We also visited a local bazzar (Yangi bozor) for local fabric, and enjoyed the view of “Shah-i-Zinda” from the outside. There were also other bazaars such as “Siyob Bozori” that worth to visit. We also visit “Registan Square” and took so many nice photos there. Having seen plenty of mosques in Turkey, I was amazed by the mosques in Uzbekistan. They were actually even impressive. I totally felt like back to the past, and I could imagine what a rich city Samarkand was during the silk road period. In fact, I was so amazed by a photo of Samarkand during the old times, that I took a photo of it.
When we walked on the local alleys, we noticed that there was gas pipes built across the roads hanging outside, also there was always a open sewer running at the middle of the road, if you are carefully, you may step into or fall into it. I was surprised that cars and bicycles and electric skateboards ran at high speed on the roads without worrying about these sewers. Our friend even had a haircut with the local barbar.
