Samarkand, Uzbekistan. - a photo on Flickriver

            Samarkand is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia. Samarkand is the capital of the Samarkand Region and a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlements Kimyogarlar, Farhod and Khishrav. With 551,700 inhabitants (2021), it is the third-largest city in Uzbekistan.

There is evidence of human activity in the area of the city dating from the late Paleolithic Era. Though there is no direct evidence of when Samarkand was founded, several theories propose that it was founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Prospering from its location on the Silk Road between China, Persia and Europe, at times Samarkand was one of the largest cities in Central Asia, and was an important city of the empires of Greater Iran. By the time of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, it was the capital of the Sogdian satrapy. The city was conquered by Alexander the Great in 329 BC, when it was known as Markanda, which was rendered in Greek as Μαράκανδα. The city was ruled by a succession of Iranian and Turkic rulers until it was conquered by the Mongols under Genghis Khan in 1220.

The city is noted as a centre of Islamic scholarly study and the birthplace of the Timurid Renaissance. In the 14th century, Timur made it the capital of his empire and the site of his mausoleum, the Gur-e Amir. The Bibi-Khanym Mosque, rebuilt during the Soviet era, remains one of the city's most notable landmarks. Samarkand's Registan square was the city's ancient centre and is bounded by three monumental religious buildings. The city has carefully preserved the traditions of ancient crafts: embroidery, goldwork, silk weaving, copper engraving, ceramics, wood carving, and wood painting. In 2001, UNESCO added the city to its World Heritage List as Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures.

Modern Samarkand is divided into two parts: the old city, which includes historical monuments, shops, and old private houses; and the new city, which was developed during the days of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union and includes administrative buildings along with cultural centres and educational institutions. On 15 and 16 September 2022, the city hosted the 2022 SCO summit.

Samarkand has a multicultural and plurilingual history that was significantly modified by the process of national delimitation in Central Asia. Many inhabitants of the city are native or bilingual speakers of the Tajik language, whereas Uzbek is the official language and Russian is also widely used in the public sphere, as per Uzbekistan's language policy.

Taken on: May 2, 2025

Tags:

Balloon Seller

Samarkand

Samarqand Vilayat

known in Karakhanid as Sämizkänd

part of Russian Empire and Soviet Union

conquered by the Mongols under Genghis Khan in 1220

ruled by a succession of Iranian and Turkic

Markanda Μαράκανδα

conquered by Alexander the Great in 329 BC

Persian Achaemenid Empire

capital of the Sogdian satrapy

Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures

Timurid Renaissance

Самарканд

سمرقند (Persian)

Самарқанд / Samarqand (Uzbek)

on the silk road

oldest continuously inhabited cities

central asia

asia

Paleolithic Era « less

Sets appears in: • Uzbekistan.

Groups appears in: • flickr.ph • 日本語flick'r more » • travel around the world • #flickr • Your Favorite Photos - Unlimited! • anything is ok • Photography Corner • T H E C L I C K - UNLIMITED • <<<< THE FLICKR FUN AWARDS >>>> • Flickr ADDICT • Best Travel Photos • Travel Photographs - PhotoJaunt.co.uk • *Inspirational Travel Photos • The Flikr Group • TRAVEL Photography! • Amatuer Photography • Flickrholics - 3900+ members * Invite your Contacts • Talk Photography • worldwidewandering - a travel atlas • Photo and Phot..solo Bianco e Nero please.. • *** Flickr's Most Creative Shots *** • ~Travel Photography • Photography Un-limited • FlickRelax... • Photography Magazine, I Heart • The World of Travel • Photography Educators • ~love photography~ • Travel Blog • Travel Photo Daily • Flickr: YOUR PHOTOS • FlickrCentral With No Posting Limit • HDR Photomatix • ! Flickr World عالم الفلكر ! ( Post 1 Awards 9 ) • Flickr Overflow • Amazing+Photography • Lets Travel Together • ! The Flickr ! • Travel Photographer of the Week! • Ilovethatphoto.net Photography Magazine • *That's MY Photo ! * • Worldnomads.com 2009 Travel Photography Scholarship • Phototuts+ • Photography is an Art {Add 1, Comment 2} • Amateur Photographers Online • School of Digital Photography • Travel photos by tips4travels • HDR WORLDWIDE • Snapseed Photo Share • Digital Camera World • Photography Week • flickr clickx • Digital Photo Mag • Photo's passion of the world • ㋡ flickr ○● DEPOT ㋡ • Flickr Community–Around the world • Top Photography... • Popular Photography • The best photographs from around the world. « less

Stats: 74 views

go back

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: