Are you already planning your trips for next year? Have you already visited many cities in Europe and would like to see something new? Then we have a good travel idea - visit Samarkand!
- Samarkand has been declared the cultural capital of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) in 2024.
- Samarkand has been declared the cultural capital of the Islamic world 2025.
- The General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, at its 25th meeting in Samarkand, adopted a declaration conferring the status of “World Capital of Cultural Tourism” on Samarkand.
We assume that travel lovers have reasons to visit Samarkand.
Samarkand is one of the largest cities of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The city's population is approximately 1 million people.
Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in the world. Its history goes back more than 2700 years. It arose around the same time as Ancient Rome.
Samarkand has a long history. During its existence, the city was part of different states. Different peoples have left their mark on the history of the city. Thanks to its ancient history and architectural monuments, Samarkand has become a real museum city. The architectural and historical monuments of Samarkand were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001.
According to information from Wikipedia, 73 major historical architectural monuments have been preserved in Samarkand.
Tourists are recommended to see:
- Registan Square. Registan is the central historical square of Samarkand. The square contains several beautiful buildings - monuments of Islamic architecture.
- Shahi-Zinda. Shahi-Zinda is a monument of medieval architecture in Samarkand. The building complex consists of eleven mausoleums from the 14th-15th centuries and other buildings.
- Gur-Emir. Gur-Emir is the mausoleum of Tamerlane (Amir Temur). Built at the initiative of Timur (Tamerlane) in 1404, this masterpiece of Persian architecture is an impressive example of Islamic architecture.
- Ulugbek Observatory. This is one of the rare examples of 15th century architecture in Samarkand - an ancient astronomical observatory. The observatory was built in 1424-1428. In the museum you can see copies of ancient star maps.
- Bibihanim Mosque. This is an architectural monument of 1399-1404 in Samarkand. The mosque was built by order of Tamerlane. The building is richly decorated with tiles, carved marble and paintings.
- Mausoleum Rukhabad. The Rukhabad mausoleum was built by order of Amir Timur over the tomb of the Islamic religious figure Sheikh Burhaneddin Sagardzhi in 1380. The mausoleum does not have any bright decorations, but is revered by local residents.
- Abdi-Darun. Abdi-Darun is a complex of buildings at the Old Cemetery of Samarkand. Abdi-Darun is one of the most revered shrines of Islam in Central Asia.
- Khoja-Ahrar Mosque.
- Khazret-Khizr Mosque.
- Church of St. John the Baptist. Catholic Church in Samarkand.
- Siab market. The Siab market is the largest and oldest market in Samarkand, one of the largest and oldest bazaars in Uzbekistan and Central Asia. Siab Bazaar is also one of the most visited places in the city by tourists. Siab Bazaar is located in the central part of the city, at the intersection of Tashkent and Shakhi Zinda streets.
- Chorsu. This is a historical building-monument located in the central part of the city of Samarkand, northeast of Registan Square. Chorsu was originally a market built in the 15th century. Currently it is a museum.
- Museum of the History of Samarkand "Afrasiab". The museum is dedicated to the history of the city of Samarkand and its environs. The museum building is located in the north-eastern part of the city, near the ancient settlement of Afrasiab.
Registan Square is a must-see place in Samarkand for tourists. “Registan” was the name given to the main squares in the cities of the Middle East. Samarkand Square is a very famous registan due to the famous architectural ensemble of the 15th-17th centuries located on it. The center of the architectural ensemble of the Registan of Samarkand is the Ulugbek madrasah (1417-1420), the Sherdor madrasah (1619-1636) and the Tillya-Kari madrasah (1646-1660). The ensemble of three madrasahs is a unique example of the art of urban planning and a wonderful example of the architectural design of the main square of the city.
Most of the architectural sights of Samarkand are examples of Islamic architecture. If you want to get acquainted with examples of Greco-Roman architecture, then you need to go to Greece or Italy.
Samarkand is a legendary city, every place, street, pool has its own history. If you go on a guided tour, you will learn a lot of interesting things about the city.
How to get to Samarkand
The easiest way to get to Samarkand is by plane.
Samarkand International Airport (IATA: SKD) is located in the northern part of the city. The distance from the airport to the city center is approximately 8 km. The airport receives a fairly small number of scheduled international flights. (For example: Moscow, Dubai, Baku, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Almaty. You may have to buy a ticket with a transfer in Tashkent.
The distance from the airport to the bus station in Samarkand is approximately 2 kilometers.
The distance from the airport to the railway station in Samarkand is approximately 10 kilometers.
You can get from the airport to the city center either by bus or taxi. (Keep in mind, buses do not run at night.)
Find out the cost of a taxi 🚕 from Samarkand airport.
There is a railway station in Samarkand. Many cities in the region can be reached by rail. Tashkent and Bukhara can be reached by the Afrosiyob high-speed train.
Samarkand also has bus connections with nearby cities, as well as with some neighboring countries.
If you are planning a trip to Samarkand, try to visit other cities of Uzbekistan. Tourists are most often recommended to visit Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva.