Samarkand, one of Uzbekistan’s largest cities, is the metropolis of Province Samarqand. The city is situated in the middle of the Silk Road, between China and western countries. Here was one of the main hubs of Islamic scholar studies. In the fourteenth century Timur (Tamerlane) made it the capital of his empire. His sepulcher (the Gur-e Amir) can be found in the city. The city’s most worthy site is the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. The historic center of the capital was called the Registan.
The city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name “Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures” in 2001.
The name of Samarkand comes from the Old Persian words “asmara”, which means “stone”, “rock” and Sogdian word “quand”, meaning “fort”, “town”.
The population of Samarkand was 134,346 in 1939. In 2005 the population in the cities made up 384,000. These were mostly Tajiks speaking Persian, Uzbeks and Iranians. Samarkand, as well as Bukhara, is among historical hubs of Tajik and Uzbek culture.
