Editor’s note: with the third on a series of Uzbekistan, I can safely say that readers will add this Central Asian country to their bucket lists thanks solely to Sam Spector. You can click here to read about Bukhara and here to read about Tashkent. And for all of Sam’s amazing writing, click here to visit his index page.

The most iconic city in Central Asia may very well be Samarkand. As my Lonely Planet Central Asia guidebook stated, “No name is as evocative of the Silk Road as Samarkand (Samarqand). For most people it has the mythical resonance of Zanzibar or Timbuktu, fixed in the Western popular imagination by imaginative poets and playwrights, few of whom saw the city in the flesh.” Samarkand’s grandeur stems from the fact that it was the capital of Amir Timur’s empire. Amir Timur was the founder of the Timurid Empire, and during his reign (1370-1405) he conquered from India and China all the way to Syria and Eastern Turkey, with raids into Russia, across Turkey, and down into the Levant. One of history’s great emperors, over six hundred years after his death, his name adorns schools, streets, and buildings, and statues of him stand throughout city squares across Central Asia. There is no figure larger in Uzbek history and lore than Amir Timur, and Samarkand is the city that he built.

Samarkand today is not just an ancient town but a modern city, the third largest in Uzbekistan with 600,000 inhabitants, and can be accessed by an international airport, but more commonly high speed train from Tashkent in the east or Bukhara in the west in about two hours (make sure you get a high speed train and get your tickets in advance, otherwise it could be a 4+ hour train). A great place to start your Samarkand journey is Afrasiyab in order to understand the origins of the city. Afrasiyab is a large hill in the middle of the city that was the site of the first settlement of Samarkand dating back to the 7th century BCE. On top of the hill are views of the city as well as some ruins. Afrasiyab also contains a museum that shows the history of Samarkand, and some Hellenistic idols and wartime objects that were found there. However, most notably at the museum are the numerous murals that were found from the 7th century CE depicting trade on the Silk Road and the power of Samarkand’s kings.

Around Afrasiyab are many other worthwhile attractions. On the hill itself is the old Jewish cemetery, which contains thousands of graves, including Soviet-era monuments to the Jews of the community who died fighting in World War II. Up the street from the museum is a park that contains the Tomb of Daniel, the biblical prophet, on a cliffside. Inside the shrine that Muslims claim as a holy site and has imams praying at it, there is an 18-meter sarcophagus, as legend has it that Daniel continues to grow posthumously by a centimeter every year. While it is a neat attraction and legend has it that Timur reinterred Daniel here after his capture of Syria, it is doubtful that it is actually Daniel’s tomb, especially given that six different places throughout the Middle East claim to be the location of the tomb of Daniel.

While Samarkand’s main attractions are largely associated with Timur, just up the street from the tomb of Daniel is a relic of Timur’s grandson, the ruler Ulugbek. While Ulugbek’s 15th century reign lasted only a couple years, he is remembered not for being the Timurid emperor, but for being one of the world’s leading astronomers of his time. In a plaza is a large statue of Ulugbek with a space-themed mural behind him, and up a little further are the ruins of his observatory. The only part of the observatory that remains is the bottom part and the trench of a giant sextant, an instrument used to measure the angle between the horizon and planets, the moon, the sun, etc. The sheer size of the trench dug for the sextant gives visitors today an idea of just how impressive and advanced this observatory once was. Ulugbek is also connected to Samarkand’s, and potentially Central Asia’s, most iconic site, the Registan.

The Registan is a large square where public proclamations and executions were once held, and sits in the shadow of three madrassas that surround it. The oldest madrassah, on the left when facing the square, is the 15th century Ulugbek Madrassa, which is decorated with geometrical designs and was considered to be the leading Muslim university of its time. The two other madrassahs, the Tilya Kori in the middle, and the Sher-Dor Madrassa on the right mirroring Ulugbek Madrassa, both date back to the 17th century. The Sher-Dor Madrassa is particularly beautiful using lots of Persian influences. There are numerous plant mosaics and at the top over the entrance are two tigers. It is worth visiting during the evening and sticking around until nighttime when the Registan is lit up in spectacular lights; there are also often folk dancers nearby doing performances.

The Registan is the heart of the old town and numerous other attractions are in the area. If you walk down the tree-lined pedestrian street, you will be led to the Siab Bazaar, another Central Asian bazaar where you can buy food, clothing, and souvenirs. Right next to the Siab Bazaar is the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, built by Timur in 1404 and dedicated to Bibi-Khanym, his wife and the empress. At the time, it was one of the largest and most impressive mosques in the world and to this day still stands imposingly in the city. Off the main pedestrian street, hidden down an alley that was the old Jewish section, is Samarkand’s most famous synagogue, the Gumbaz (domed) Synagogue, built in the 19th century. Inside the courtyard, you will find Jewish designs and pictures of all the past rabbis of this once flourishing synagogue, today tended to by an older man who speaks only Hebrew, Uzbek, and Russian. He will happily take you inside (though a donation is appropriate) the sanctuary, where on the inside of the dome, you will see intricate Star of David designs.

Once past the Siab Bazaar, head across the pedestrian bridge over the busy street to the Afrasiyab area and go to the Hazrat Kzir Mosque. Perched on a hillside, this mosque is not as large or as old as the other ones in Samarkand; it dates back only to the 19th century. However, it is the most ornate. The designs in the prayer rooms and the columns are incredible, and the mosque has views over the old city and the bazaar. This mosque is also important for the modern history of Uzbekistan. From 1989 until his death in 2016, Samarkand-native Islam Karimov ruled as the first president of Uzbekistan. Upon his death he was interred in the courtyard of Hazrat Kzir Mosque and a couple years later, a mausoleum was built over his grave. Next to Hazrat Kzir Mosque is likely Samarkand’s second most famous site after the Registan, and that is the Shah-i-Zinda Mausoleum. Shah-i-Zinda means “the living king” and is a reference to the reason that this place is holy. In the 7th century, Qutham ibn Abbas, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, came as a preacher to Samarkand and was the one who established Islam in Uzbekistan. He was killed in 677 defending the city from invaders and was buried at this location. This necropolis was an 800-year project that developed to include twenty buildings built between the 11th and 19th centuries. Numerous nobles and royals are buried in the complex, including Ulugbek. Walking up the stairs and through the narrow alleyways of the structures is an out-of-this-world experience. Though each building is ornate and makes a statement, the one that makes the loudest is potentially for the youngest of the deceased. The Turkan Ago Mausoleum, built for Timur’s niece who died in infancy is the most decorative tomb with bright blue and turquoise tile, and reflects the greatest capabilities of architecture and artwork of the time. Interestingly, Timur was not buried at Shah-i-Zinda, but a couple miles away at the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum.

Timur was not supposed to be buried in Samarkand, his capital, but rather, he wanted to be buried in Shahrisabz, 100 kilometers away, the town of his birth. However, a rough winter made it impossible to transport Timur’s body through the pass to the city and also Bibi Khanym, the empress, wanted him buried in Samarkand, and thus, Gur-e-Amir became his final resting place. Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum has one of the three large Timur statues in Uzbekistan (Shahrisabz and Tashkent holding the other two) and has a large dome, a striking gate, two minarets, a beautiful garden, and lots of detailed carvings and tile work. As Timur was the founder of the Timurid Dynasty, that was the predecessor of the Mughal Dynasty, this mausoleum was the inspiration for what would become the world’s greatest mausoleum, the Taj Mahal, as well as the Gardens of Babur. This tomb also has one of the best stories, which is that Timur has written on it, “Whoever disturbs my tomb will unleash an enemy and invader more terrible than I!” On June 21, 1941, archaeologists disregarded the curse and opened up Timur’s tomb. Two days later, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, which would lose 20 million of its citizens over the course of the war. Believing that the archaeologists had unlocked a curse, Stalin ordered Timur returned to his resting place. Like the Registan, the Gur-e-Amir is spectacularly lit up at night and worth visiting twice. Just behind the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum is a building that is visited by very few but worth checking out. The Aksaray Mausoleum is a small mausoleum built for one of Timur’s relatives. While from the outside it is not impressive, once you step inside, you will discover what most people pass by, potentially the most beautiful tilework in all of the tombs of Samarkand.

Samarkand is a city of many sites that are all within walking distance of each other. However, because of how much there is to see, you will easily need a few days there to be not rushed. Any lover of history, architecture, artwork (especially tilework), and Islam should definitely put Samarkand on their list. Having been one of the world’s greatest cities in the 14th century, it still is today one of those places that every international travel enthusiast needs to include on their bucket list.

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