The ancient name of Samarkand. Samarkand is an ancient city that keeps the secret of Tamerlane’s curse and the secret of the most delicious flatbreads in the world

Samarkand is one of the oldest existing cities on our planet. Warriors from the armies of many great conquerors marched through its streets, and medieval poets sang its praises in their works. This article is devoted to the history of Samarkand from its foundation to the present day.

Ancient history

Although the history of the city of Samarkand goes back more than 2,500 years, archaeological finds indicate that people lived in these areas already in the Upper Paleolithic era.

In antiquity, it was known as the capital of Sogdiana, which is described in the holy book of the Zoroastrian religion - the Avesta, dating back to the 6th century BC. e.

In Roman and ancient Greek sources it is mentioned under the name Maracanda. In particular, this is what biographers of Alexander the Great, who conquered the city in 329 BC, call Samarkand. e.

In the 4th-5th centuries AD it came under the rule of eastern Iranian tribes. Perhaps this causes some politicians to misinterpret the history of Samarkand and Bukhara. These cities cannot be called the land of Tajiks. At least at the moment, there is no serious scientific basis for this.

At the beginning of the 6th century, ancient Samarkand, whose history has many blank spots, was part of the Hephthalite empire, which included Khorezm, Bactria, Sogdiana and Gandhara.

Early Middle Ages

In 567-658 AD, Samarkand, the history of which has not been fully studied, was located in the Turkic and Western Turkic Khaganates. There is no reliable information about the events that took place there during this period.

The year 712 in Samarkand was marked by the invasion of Arab conquerors led by Qutayba ibn Muslim, who managed to capture the city.

During the Muslim Renaissance

The years 875-999 entered the history of Samarkand as the era of the city’s heyday. During this period, it turned into one of the largest cultural and political centers of the Samanid state.

When the Turkic Karakhanid dynasty came to power, the foundation of the first madrasahs began in Samarkand. The most famous of them was an educational institution opened at the expense of Ibrahim Tamgach Khan.

The heyday of Samarkand was also marked by the construction of a luxurious palace in the city, decorated with paintings. It was erected by order of Ibrahim Hussein Karakhanid, who ruled from 1178 to 1200.

Decline

The events that took place in the region almost always left their mark on the history of Samarkand, since without the capture of this important political and cultural center of Central Asia, not a single ruler could consider his influence absolute.

In particular, at the beginning of the 13th century the city was drawn into the confrontation between the Karakhanid Osman and the Khorezmshah Ala ad-Din Muhammad II. The latter managed to defeat the rebel vassal and make Samarkand his capital. However, this was only the beginning of the troubles that awaited its inhabitants.

Conquest by Genghis Khan

In 1219, Genghis Khan, angry at the disrespectful attitude towards his ambassadors from the rulers of Khorezm, stopped his conquest of China and moved his troops to the west.

Khorezmshah Muhammad learned about his plans in time. He decided not to give a decisive battle, but to sit out with the army in the cities. Khorezmshah hoped that the Mongols would scatter throughout the country in search of booty, and then it would be easier for the garrisons of the fortresses to cope with them.

One of the cities that was to play an important role in this plan was Samarkand. By order of Muhammad, high walls were erected around it and a ditch was dug.

In March 1220, the Mongols destroyed and plundered Khorezm. Genghis Khan decided to use the captured warriors for the siege of Samarkand, where he moved his troops. The garrison of the city at that time, according to various sources, ranged from 40 to 110 thousand people. In addition, the defenders had 20 war elephants. On the third day of the siege, some representatives of the local clergy committed treason and opened the gates to the enemy, surrendering Samarkand without a fight. 30,000 Kangl warriors who served Khorezmshah Muhammad and his mother Turkan Khatun were captured and executed.

In addition, Genghis Khan's warriors took from the local residents everything they could carry away and left behind only ruins. According to travelers of that time, of the 400 thousand population of Samarkand, only 50,000 people remained alive.

However, the hardworking residents of Samarkand did not resign themselves. They revived their city at some distance from the previous place, where modern Samarkand is located today.

The era of Timur and the Timurids

At the end of the 60s of the 14th century, a new empire called Turan was formed on the territory of the former Chagatai ulus, as well as the southern part of the Jochi Ulus of Great Mongolia. In 1370, a kurultai was held, at which Tamerlane was elected emir of the state.

The new ruler decided that his capital would be in Samarkand and decided to turn it into one of the most magnificent and powerful cities in the world.

Heyday

According to historians, during the reign of the Timurid dynasty, Samarkand reached its highest development.

It was under him and his descendants that architectural masterpieces were built there, which even today evoke admiration for the perfection of the architects’ plans and the skill of those who worked on their construction.

The new emir forcibly brought craftsmen from all the countries where he carried out his campaigns of conquest to Samarkand. Over the course of several years, majestic mosques, palaces, madrassas and tombs were built in the city. Moreover, Timur began to give the names of famous cities of the East to nearby villages. This is how Baghdad, Damascus and Shiraz appeared in Uzbekistan. Thus, the great conqueror wanted to emphasize that Samarkand is more majestic than all of them.

At his court, he gathered prominent musicians, poets and scientists from different countries, so the capital of the Timurid Empire was rightfully considered one of the main cultural centers not only of the region, but also of the world.

Timur's initiative was continued by his descendants. In particular, under his grandson Mirzo Ulugbek, an observatory was built in Samarkand. In addition, this enlightened ruler invited the best scientists of the Muslim East to his court, turning the city into one of the centers of world science and the study of Islam.

Late Middle Ages

In 1500, the Bukhara Khanate was founded. In 1510, Kuchkunji Khan ascended the throne in Samarkand. During his reign, large-scale construction continued in the city. In particular, two famous madrasahs were built. However, with the coming to power of the new ruler Ubaydullah, the capital was moved to Bukhara, and the city became the capital of Bekdom.

A new round of Samarkand’s revival occurred in the period from 1612 to 1656, when the city was ruled by Yalangtush Bahadur.

New and Contemporary times

In the 17th and 18th centuries the city lived a calm, measured life. Dramatic changes in the history of Samarkand and Bukhara occurred after Russian troops entered the territory of modern Uzbekistan in 1886. As a result, the city was annexed to the Russian Empire and became the administrative center of the Zeravshan district.

In 1887, local residents rebelled, but it was suppressed by the Russian garrison under the command of Major General Friedrich von Stempel.

The speedy integration of Samarkand into the Russian Empire was facilitated by the construction of a railway that connected it with the western regions of the state.

After the October Revolution

After the famous events in Petrograd in 1917, Samarkand was included in the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Then, from 1925 to 1930, it had the status of the capital of the Uzbek SSR, later changing it to the title of the administrative center of the Samarkand region.

In 1927, the Uzbek Pedagogical Institute was founded in the city. This first higher educational institution later became a university and was named after Navoi.

In general, during the Soviet period, other universities were also founded in Samarkand, thanks to which the city became a major educational center throughout Soviet Central Asia.

During the Second World War, the Artillery Academy, evacuated from Moscow, and several large industrial enterprises operated in Samarkand.

The Soviet period was also marked by the active development of tourism. In addition, several large industrial enterprises were opened in the city.

In 1991, Samarkand became the capital of the Samarkand region of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Three years later, the largest university in Uzbekistan, the Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages, was opened there.

Now you know what a long history Samarkand has. In recent decades, much has been done there to develop tourism, so when you find yourself in Uzbekistan, be sure to visit the ancient capital of Sogdiana to see the masterpieces of medieval architecture, recognized as part of the world heritage of mankind.

Samarkand is one of the oldest cities on earth, it is almost the same age as Rome. Its walls remember the Scythians, the Persian Empire, the soldiers of Alexander the Great, the Arabs and the Mongols. This is the main city of Sogdiana, an ancient country that existed on the territory of present-day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
As a rule, tourists visiting Samarkand are content only with monuments from the era of Tamerlane (14th century) and later rulers. These buildings are truly famous and magnificent, but they do not reveal the whole essence of the ancient city, especially since Samarkand has lost the integrity of its historical buildings, so it is often perceived as a city of only a few historical buildings.

I want to show you another Samarkand - a city with a history of 2600 years, the great capital of Sogd. To do this, we will go to the hills of Afrasiab - an ancient settlement, this is the core of the ancient city, here was the citadel of Marakanda, where the Greek king from distant Macedonia stayed.

I want to warn you that visiting Afrasiab requires effort, both physical and intellectual. Ancient Maracanda does not reveal its secrets to everyone, for one must be able to see - to see the greatness of antiquity. It took me three days, or rather, three visits to the settlement to understand at least a little of its essence. For ancient Afrasiab is large in size, to be honest, I have never encountered such huge archaeological sites before, it is a city on the scale of Constantinople, the circumference of the walls of its shakhristan is about 6 km. Moreover, this is a settlement, there are no roads, no houses, only hills, ravines and a modern cemetery. According to academician V.V. Bartold, during the heyday of the city, half a million people could live here; more on that below.

And remember an important rule) Abul Fazl Muhammad an-Nasafi wrote about him in the 12th century:
>>>The book “Maarif-al-Bayan” narrates that every king who showed gentleness to the inhabitants of Samarkand found a stable existence, and every king who inflicted violence on them lost his kingdom. The people of Samarkand are proud. You can get along with them only with softness, affection, and gentle words.

In other words, Samarkand does not like the pride of aliens. Anyone who has this sin is punished by the Almighty, who sends many misfortunes to the foreigner. About the misadventures of the author of this post you can

External walls of the shakhristan of the Afrasiab settlement. Their height reaches 40 meters. They look like natural mountains, as they were built from mud brick; such structures float over time. All the buildings of the settlement now have this appearance, so efforts are needed to discover ancient buildings among the landscape. There is still an aryk flowing in front of the walls, which served as a fortress moat.

After 12-13 centuries. The ancient shakhristan of Samarkand fell into decay, people stopped living here, the city center shifted south to the present-day Registan. The settlement turned into a huge cemetery, this is a very ancient Iranian custom - to bury the dead in old buildings, even the Zoroastrians put human bones for storage in nauses located on the territory of abandoned settlements and houses.

Now Afrasiab is also a cemetery, especially its southern part. Graves are even dug directly in the cyclopean ancient walls, this practice, of course, does not contribute to the preservation of monuments, in Uzbekistan there are settlements completely turned into cemeteries, it is impossible to conduct excavations there, since their surface is covered with burials, including modern ones - the dead lie on top of each other in several layers.

It is necessary to reveal the meaning of the terms I use - shakhristan, kuhendiz, rabad, the first two are Iranian, and the last is Arabic. Shahristan is a fortified settlement in any city of Central Asia or Iran, in Arabic it corresponds to the term medina, kuhendiz is the main citadel of the city or kasbah in Arabic, and rabad, as a rule, is not a fortified settlement, but there are also options when rabad also had external defensive walls. By the way, the name of the Moscow Arbat district also comes from the Arabic Rabad.

In Samarkand, rabad was also fortified with an external wall - Divari-kyyamat (Wall of the Last Judgment), little remains of it now. In this regard, confusion often arose, since it is not always clear which part of the city medieval authors call rabad and which shakhristan, and most importantly, it is difficult to understand how these parts relate to the modern city. There is a somewhat erroneous opinion that only the ancient settlement of Afrosiab corresponds to ancient Samarkand, i.e. city ​​shakhristan with kuhendiz. In fact, this is not entirely true, Afrasiab was the core of the city, but Samarkand entirely occupied the same territory as it does now.

This may seem strange, but the current Samarkand - the second large city in Uzbekistan (after Tashkent) almost did not go beyond the boundaries of the old city during its heyday under the Samanids and Karakhanids in the 10th-11th centuries. Even the population has increased very little in a thousand years. Bartold believed that the entire population of Samarkand in the 10th-11th centuries. can be estimated at half a million people. Now approximately the same number of residents live in Samarkand. With a high degree of probability, our largest specialist on Central Asia made a mistake; most likely, a maximum of 100 thousand people lived in medieval Samarkand, but still, this is a huge figure, 100-200 thousand is the population of the then Constantinople.

One of the towers of the outer wall of Afrasiab is clearly visible in the photo; it had a round shape. Up close you can see that the walls are made of large clay blocks-bricks.

The Afrasiab settlement is located on a vast plateau, it is significantly higher than the level of the modern city. This plateau has both natural and artificial origin. Over thousands of years, the ground level in Shakhristan has risen greatly, by tens of meters in some places, so the inside of the defensive wall does not seem as high as the outside.

As you can see, the graves here are located directly on the sloping defensive ramparts.

This grave is located directly on the crest of the shaft.

I have never seen a fortification of this size before. The walls of Afrasiab are significantly larger than even. Of particular interest is the fact that there are 4 such lines of defense here, and this is not counting the fifth external line of fortifications - Divari-kiyamat, which surrounded the entire Samarkand oasis, which was considered the real external wall by medieval authors.

In the background you can see a massive bastion protruding beyond the line of the walls.

Ibn al-Faqih’s book “Kitab al-buldan” says:
>>>Samarkand was built by Iskander the Two-horned (Alexander the Great), the circumference of its walls is twelve farsakhs. It has twelve gates, and from gate to gate the distance is one fars. At the top of the wall there are loopholes and towers for war. All twelve gates are wooden, double-leaf. At the far end there are two more gates, and between them the dwelling of the gate guard. And when you pass the crops, you will stop in rabad, where there are buildings.
>>>Then you find yourself in a city that stretches for five thousand jaribs. There are four gates... then you enter the inner city, the area of ​​which is two thousand five hundred jaribs. In this city there is a cathedral mosque, kuhandiz and the residence of the ruler. There is running water in the city. And inside the big wall there are rivers and canals. The kuhandiz has iron gates at the beginning and end...

One farsakh is 5550 m, so 12 farsakhs equals approximately 66 km - this is the length of the outer wall of Samarkand - Devari Kiyamat. Russian explorers of the 19th century believed that its length was 40 versts (approximately 43 km). This outer line of clay ramparts had 12 gates, all of which have not survived, like the wall itself. Shahristan itself (the settlement of Afrasiab) had only 4 gates, al-Istakhri wrote about this: “The Chinese gate on the eastern side, the Naubakhar gate on the western side, the Bukhara gate on the northern side, the Kesh gate on the southern side.”

I entered the city through an opening that most likely corresponds to the Chinese (eastern) gate, from where the caravan used to leave for Kashgar and beyond.
Here I met a flock of gypsy children and arranged a photo shoot for them. The biggest problem is getting them to stand still, because the gypsies saw me and immediately started dancing and it was hard to stop them)

An aqueduct approached the city from the south; it was lined with lead. Ibn-Haukal wrote about this in the 10th century in his “Book of Ways and Countries”:

>>>It has running water that enters it through a channel made partly of lead. A dam is built on it, in some places rising above the ground. The middle of the market and the money changers' quarter are paved with stones, on top of which water flows from the coppersmiths' quarter and flows into the shakhristan through the Kesh Gate. The outer side of this duct is entirely made of lead. The fact is that there is a deep ditch around the shakhristan, from which clay was taken for the city walls. It remained large in accordance with the amount of earth and clay that was dug, so that it was necessary to build a dam on it in order to bring water to the shakhristan in an area called the “Head of the Vault,” in the middle of the city bazaars, in the most populated part of Samarkand. This channel is ancient, from pre-Islamic times.

A special embankment was needed to raise water to the Shakhristan plateau. By the way, there is a very reasonable version that refutes the generally accepted opinion that Afrasiab was abandoned due to the destruction after the Mongol conquest. Samarkand was often stormed and destroyed, but it was constantly reborn in its place, and only in the 12-13th centuries. The city center shifted south to the present-day Registan. The reason for this was precisely related to water, the fact is that the level of the cultural layer in Shakhristan has grown greatly over thousands of years, literally by tens of meters, so delivering water up to the plateau became problematic, and people began to gradually settle lower - in the rabad of Samarkand, then a suburb.

Excavations in the southern part of Afrosiab. Absolutely all the buildings in the city were adobe or built of unbaked brick, the roofs were wooden, so the structures have survived to this day only in the form of slumped hills.

It is still unknown why so many resources were spent on fortification in Afrasiab. Apparently they were preparing for an attack by the terrible Yajujas and Majujas; as you know, these hellish creatures lived to the northwest of Sogdiana. They were held back only by the iron wall of Zulqarnain (Alexander the Great), which they could overturn at any moment. Caliph Al-Wasiq (811-847) specially sent the expedition of Sallam at-Tarjuman to test the strength of this wall, I posted this

There are no other explanations for the grandiose defensive system of Afrasiab, because there are 4 lines of fortifications, each of which is quite sufficient to hold back the onslaught of the sons of Adam. There was an assumption that these walls were the result of the growth of the city - as new quarters appeared on the plateau, a new line of defense was built, while the old ones remained standing. But at the moment this seemingly reasonable explanation has been refuted, because it has been proven that the outer walls of Afrasib (the ones we saw before) already existed in the 6th century. BC. during the Persian Empire, only, apparently, they were smaller. Those. ancient Marakanda corresponded fully to the current settlement of Afrasiab. This was indirectly confirmed by ancient authors; they believed that the circumference of the walls of Maracanda was 70 stadia, i.e. approximately 10-12 km. This is exactly the length of the walls of Afrasiab with a small suburb; the outer wall of Divari-Kiyamat, 43 km, appeared later, perhaps after the Arab conquest.

Plan of the Afrasiab settlement.

The inner wall of Afrasiab, two towers at the edges are clearly visible.

This is the same line of fortifications, only with a huge ditch. The height of the walls here is approximately 25 m.

Perhaps the walls fenced off some neighborhoods in the city, but all this is just speculation. These walls certainly had gates, but no one knows where they were; written sources are silent on this matter. Numerous “openings” in the walls were made by archaeologists during 100 years of excavations of the site.

"Little Candia" Abul Fazl Muhammad an-Nasafi about God-protected Samarkand:

>>>>It has gates and at each gate there are five thousand angels with outstretched wings, protecting the inhabitants of this city. The most important of the angels has a thousand heads, in each head there are a thousand tongues, loudly praising the Lord, who needs nothing: “O Mighty One, O Eternal One, O One, O God, protect this city that is being saved.

Guardian of Afrasiab.

Recently excavated one of the bastions of Afrasiab. The whole ground here is strewn with broken ceramics. In the Middle Ages, Samarkand was the main center of ceramic production in Central Asia.

And now we are approaching the historical core of the city - the Citadel (kuhandiz), it is here, in the north of the Afrasiab settlement, that the most ancient settlements are recorded.

I advise everyone to explore the city from the Citadel, especially if there is a lack of time, this is the highest point. Only here you can see the full scale of Afrasiab. All these green meadows, as far as the eye can see, are an ancient city. And it is very difficult to believe that this entire landscape is man-made. Huge shafts, deep depressions - all this is the work of man. Of course, after people left their homes, nature made its changes, the clay buildings disappeared, the surface smoothed out, and somewhere, on the contrary, new ravines appeared. But the foundation of these hills is man-made - tens of meters of cultural layer, huge ramparts, ruins of palaces of the nobility - it’s all here. And the numerous potholes on the surface are the work of archaeologists who dug the settlement for 100 years.

Who built this city, the largest in Sogdiana? There are no exact data, sources did not record the fact of the founding of Samarkand, so conclusions can only be drawn from archaeological and indirect data about the peoples who inhabited Sogd in the 8th-6th centuries. BC. These peoples are well known, they spoke Eastern Iranian languages, ancient authors called them Cimmerians and Scythians, in Asia they were called Sakas. These nomadic Iranians throughout the 1st millennium BC. moving south from the northern steppes, they gradually settled on the earth, while they mixed with the local settled population who had lived in Central Asia since Neolithic times. The Iranians created the first states in the region - Sogdiana, Bactria, Khorezm, almost everywhere their elite consisted of warlike nomads. It should be added here that this principle continued to be preserved; medieval Turkic nomads also took power in all Central Asian cities.
In Iranian mythology, the territory of Sogd was called Turan, the country of nomads, it was ruled by the great king Afrasiab, from whose name the ancient settlement of Samarkand received its later name.

Perhaps the Persians gave some impetus to the formation of cities and states in Sogd when they captured this territory in the 6th century. BC. They brought a higher culture from Mesopotamia, plus they could contribute to the consolidation of local tribes, who certainly tried to fight the Persian conquest. From archaeological excavations it is known that Samarkand in the 6th century. BC occupied the same area as the ancient settlement of Afrasiab, i.e. Even then it was a very big city. How it could have appeared on the periphery of the then civilized world is unknown, perhaps it is true that it was the capital of the legendary Turanian king Afrasiab.

To the right, behind the green meadows, the huge portals of the Bibi Khanum Mosque, the cathedral mosque built by Tamerlane, are visible.

The huge hill on the horizon is the Citadel of Afrasiab.

This hill has a height of about 60-70 meters. Russian researcher V.L. Vyatkin in the 19th century determined that it was of artificial origin; it was poured from clay, which was taken right there at its foot.

Artificial clay platforms were characteristic of the architecture of Central Asia. For example, the citadel of Bukhara also stands on an artificial hill; the Toprak-kala castle in Khorezm was erected on an adobe platform. etc.

This is what Ibn Haukal wrote about Samarkand in his “Book of Ways and Countries” in the 10th century:

>>>>The capital of Sogd is Samarkand, a city located south of the Sogdian River and lying high above it. It has a citadel, shakhristan and rabad. In our time, a prison was built in the citadel and the palace of the ruler is located, although it was destroyed. I climbed it (the citadel) and viewed the most beautiful view that man's eyes have ever seen or admired, namely, the fresh green of the trees, the glittering castles, the flowing canals and the unceasing culture.

>>>>>The squares stand out and the buildings decorating the city rise. It contains, made of plastered cypress wood, outlandish images of animals - horses, bulls, camels and antelopes - placed as if they were advancing against each other and looking out for each other, as if they were about to engage in a battle or competition. What a view, how much money was spent on it and how it captivates the hearts of all people! All this is reflected in flowing canals and filled ponds, the surface of which is constantly agitated. Clever idea! And castles and high-built towers, firmly built, representing magnificent dwellings and precious chambers and in general circumstances testifying that there were great and glorious kings... they are deserted and destroyed.

Ibn Hawqal's testimony is very interesting. Firstly, he writes that the city in the middle of the 10th century, and it was then that he visited Samarkand, was dilapidated. And this was the heyday of the culture of Central Asia under the Samanids, although their capital was then located in Bukhara. Secondly, very interesting are the references to images of animals made of cypress wood that stood in the city squares. Indeed, in the 10th century, Islam had been present in Central Asia for 300 years, and the Caliphate was already declining.

Some incredibly huge structure next to the Citadel, perhaps a section of a fortress wall or a separate bastion.

When the Arab conqueror Qutayba Ibn Muslim captured Samarkand, he ordered all the statues of gods in the city to be burned. There is an excerpt from At-Tabari’s “History” about this:

>>>Kutaiba made peace with them on the condition of [releasing] 100 thousand heads, [destroying] fire temples and idol decorations. He took what was stipulated by the peace treaty, they brought him idols and they were taken and placed in front of him: stacked together, they towered like a huge tower (qasr), and he ordered them to be burned. The non-Arabs (a'ajam) said: “Among the idols there are such that the one who burns them will perish.” Qutayba said: “I will burn them with my own hands.” Then Gurek (the ruler of Samarkand) came, knelt before him, and said: “Oh, emir, I am obliged to thank you, do not touch these idols!” Kutaiba ordered fire to be brought, took the torch in his hand and went out. Then he said “Allah is great!”, then he set them on fire and the people set fire and the idols caught fire. Among what was left of them, they found gold and silver nails worth 50 thousand mithqals.

The idols of Samarkand took revenge on Kuteiba; his head was cut off by order of the caliph. And 250 years later, Ibn Haukal discovered many wooden statues in the squares of Samarkand...

View from the Citadel south towards the city center of Tamerlane and modern Samarkand.

Cathedral Mosque of Samarkand Bibi Khanym.

View from the Citadel to the east.

The grazing sheep seem to float in these green meadows. The feeling of height and space is breathtaking.

Below, at the foot of the Citadel, there is some strange something - a giant depression (and more than one). Clay was certainly taken from here for the buildings of Afrasiab, but how these pits were later used is unknown. Ibn Haukal wrote about “filled ponds, the surface of which is constantly agitated,” perhaps this is what they are, but for some reason these depressions are too large in size.

At the top of the Citadel hill, archaeologists dug a giant trench. The depth of the cultural layer here is tens of meters.

Brickwork can still be discerned in the faded walls.

Come on, I'll show you what Afrasiab is.
To do this, we need to go down into a huge trench dug by archaeologists. Here you can easily break your neck, because the descent here is very steep.

And so, at the bottom of the trench a pile of bricks appeared, this is a plinth - a flat baked brick. Estimate the depth of their occurrence, there are tens of meters of cultural layer here, i.e. all these earthen walls are the fruits of human activity.

Northern edge of the settlement. One of the inner fortress walls begins here, its round tower is still clearly visible.

There are a lot of building elements scattered in front of the Citadel; these are bricks of different shapes.

But there are more interesting things, this is part of the ganch decoration of the walls of a mosque or mausoleum.

Clay walls and terracotta flooring. I didn’t have any plan for Afrasiab, so it’s impossible to say exactly what kind of buildings there were. By the way, it is known that there were paved streets in Afrasiab, but over hundreds of years all the useful building material was stolen by local residents.

We only have to reach the western edge of the city, so we move on, past the next archaeological trenches and green meadows.

On the way, the inner wall of the city again stands, perhaps this is the same line of fortifications that we met earlier, it’s just its western edge. We cross Afrasiab from east to west.
It is clearly visible here that this line of defense is double, like a more massive wall from the side of the city center and a small wall in front of it, and then there is a fortress moat.

There are two towers here, twined like a dovetail, this is a very characteristic (and incomprehensible) feature of Central Asian fortification. There are such settlements in Khorezm, where at the corners of the fortresses there is not one tower, but two, touching each other.

The ruins of a large keshk (castle) inside the shakhristan and a shepherd with his sheep. By the way, there are rarely anyone here except shepherds. Apparently the structure consisted of several towers; there were a great many such clay castles in Central Asia, only in the vicinity of Samarkand there were thousands of them. Now they have all turned into piles of earth.

And here is the western line of the outer walls of Afrasiab, they are as massive here as in the east.

Apparently some kind of remodel was built on the western wall, imitating the ancient walls of Maracanda. It all looks a little strange, massive medieval ramparts and a small wall for tourists.

This structure, built from unfired bricks, has also already floated and looks very authentic. Maybe these really are ancient walls?

But this wall clearly demonstrates how medieval fortifications differ from ancient ones. In the ancient fortresses of Central Asia there were many loopholes of a characteristic lancet shape, and they were built, as a rule, with straight walls, and not sloping, as in the Middle Ages. You can see the restored medieval walls in Bukhara or Khiva; in Samarkand they remain only in their natural state in the form of earthen ramparts.

Candia Malaya Abul Fazl Muhammad an-Nasafi:
>>>The Prophet said: “There is a city (Shakhristan) beyond the Jeyhun River, which is called Samarkand, it is also called the God-protected city.”
The head of the scholars and rais of the people of the Sunnah and society, the teacher of the way, Sheikh Abul Mansur Matyridi (may God be merciful to him) said: Three farsangs in the circumference of Samarkand are surrounded and protected by angels who worship God.”

Two more of my posts about Uzbekistan.

Samarkand is a stunning, diverse and extraordinary city of Uzbekistan. Over the many years of the city's existence, its name has changed more than once. During this time, many ruling dynasties succeeded each other, it was rebuilt, destroyed and burned, and then rebuilt again, and so on constantly.

For a long time, Samarkand was the capital of the famous empire of Tamerlane. It is not inferior in age to such long-lived world cities as Rome, Babylon and Athens. It attracted the interest of famous politicians, businessmen and numerous travelers. During the reign of Amir Timur, the city received a special flourishing. The great ruler was able to turn Samarkand into the center of his huge empire. Thanks to its favorable geographical location, it became a trade junction on the Great Silk Road.

The Old Town preserves many delightful buildings of medieval architecture. The main attraction is the mausoleum complex, which is located on the slopes of Afrosiab. The beginning of its construction dates back to the 12th century. Central development was carried out during the 14th - 15th centuries, under Timur. Mostly women, relatives of Timur, are buried there. All tombs have rich architectural decor in the form of carved mosaics, painted majolica and glazed terracotta.

Today, the administrative center - the city of Samarkand ranks second in size in the country after. Its area is approximately 100 sq. km. The city is administratively divided into three large districts.

According to the official 2007 census, Samarkand had a population of 366 thousand. The ethnic composition of the inhabitants is heterogeneous, but most of all Tajiks, Uzbeks, Russians, Jews and Iranians live here. The predominant languages ​​are Tajik, Uzbek and Russian. influenced the fact that today the majority of ethnic Tajiks live in Samarkand. For this reason, the Tajik language is very widespread here and, although it does not have official status in the city, it remains the main language in communication between residents of different nationalities. Note that Tajik communities are small and they are mainly located in the suburbs.

How old is Samarkand?
Hypothetically, Samarkand may be the same age as Rome and Athens, but we cannot know exactly how old it is. There are many assumptions regarding this issue, but they are all only theoretical, and due to the passage of time, we cannot verify these guesses. Therefore, we can only do one thing, consider some theories and listen to the one that seems more realistic to us.

The first guess is 2750 years. Scientists studied the results of radionuclide analyzes of the lower layer of earth, which were carried out in 2004 on the territory of the Afrosiab settlement. They believe that this data is not complete and that assumptions about the age of the city will still change depending on the results of further studies of the soil in the lower layers.

A number of Arab historians also join the conclusion that the city is at least 2750 years old. They explain their assumption by the fact that in this matter we need to start from the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, and this is 5-6 centuries BC.

Another version gives the figure - 3700 years. This assumption was made by the famous Arab historian named Abu Hafs Omar. He was sure that by the time of the Arab capture of Samarkand (in the 7th century), the city had already reached 2500 years of age. Therefore, we can assume that the city was founded in the 2nd millennium BC.

Another, most common version says that Samarkand is already 4500 years old. This opinion is shared by a significant part of Arab historians of the Middle Ages. They wrote that the city was founded 3 thousand years before the appearance of the Prophet, and this is the third millennium BC.

Where did the name of the city come from?
It is difficult to find out the absolute truth about Samarkand. Most likely, this is due to its ancient age. After all, it is simply impossible to find the necessary documents that would accurately and clearly indicate all the information that interests a modern person. For this reason, today we can only guess, guess and work on deciphering ancient texts. Everyone wants understanding, clarity and historical truth. But the absence of riddles would make our life uninteresting, monotonous, and we would not need to learn something unknown. This is how the course of our lives is determined.

There are many versions regarding the origin of the name of the city of Samarkand. Numerous legends and folk tales support some versions, while others are explained by historical scientific research.

Thus, one of the legends connects the name of the city with the name of a certain Samara. He became famous for the fact that on the site of the city he was able to dig a spring and extract water from it. Later, people began to live near the spring, the population grew, and so the city was founded. The people remembered Samar’s deed and named their settlement “Samarkand” in his honor, and literally this word can be translated as “Samar dug up.”

Another legend claims that the city was named after the scientists who supervised the construction of the city, Samar and Kamar. The prefix “kand” can come from “kent”, which means “city”. According to this legend, Samara and Kamara were buried near Registan Square.

According to another legend, the above-mentioned names did not belong to the builders of the city at all, but that was the name of the king of Samar and his wife, queen Kamar, and the city was built precisely on the orders of this ruler.

There is also a romantic legend that says that the first settlements were built on the site of modern Samarkand in the name of love and fidelity of a young couple, their names were Samara and Kand.

Another romantic legend is associated with Alexander the Great. It says that the city was built by order of this ruler, who was in love with the charming Samar. He named the city after this girl.

Scientists are far from romantic about the origin of the name of the city and therefore they adhere to more reasoned versions.

The word “Samarkand” comes from the Turkic phrase “Simiz Kent”, which means “Rich Settlement”. And, most likely, this Turkic phrase came from the Chinese expression “Si-mi-se-kan”, which means “Fat city”. Such evidence about the city was found in numerous historical documents written by travelers from different continents.

The Greek variation of the city's name is "Marakanda". This name could come from the ancient Persian word “Maurakand”, meaning approximately this: “A city on a river, the banks of which are overgrown with vegetation.” This name could probably be true, because Samarkand is located in a river valley, along the banks of which tugai trees grow lushly. Another version says that “Marakanda” is translated from ancient Persian as “Gracious City” and that vegetation has nothing to do with it.

The symbol of the city
For many centuries now, the permanent symbol of Samarkand has been the mighty Leopard. The city residents have created legends about this animal. According to one of them, during the laying of the foundation of the city, a leopard decided to descend to the people from the tops of the mountains. The beast walked around the new buildings, approved of the people’s undertaking and retreated back to the mountains. Since that time, for the residents of Samarkand, the Leopard is not just a strong and brave animal, it has become a real symbol of the city. The leopard is depicted on the city's banner and coat of arms. It symbolizes power, might and the Sun. The leopard with the Sun blazing on its back also decorates the Sher-Dor madrasah, being the personification of the ruling person. His strength and power are equal to the power of earth and sky. Therefore, only Leopard can carry the life Star.

Everyone who enters the city is greeted by the Leopard, who raises his paw forward. This gesture means that the city sincerely welcomes its guests and wishes them well and well-being.

Note that the Leopard with the blazing Sun on his back is depicted not only on the building

In the 1st millennium BC, the Holy Book of the Zoroastrians “Avesta” recorded on its pages a description of a developed agricultural region in the river valley Zerafshan(from Persian - “Gold-bearer”). The region is named in the Book - Sogd, and, thanks to the biographer Alexander the Great to Arrian, we also know the name of its main city - Maracanda.

In the 6th century BC. e. expanding the borders of his state, the Persian king Cyrus conquered, among other lands, and Sogd. Almost two hundred years later, in the spring of 329 BC, defeating the Persian army and pursuing the king Daria, Greco-Macedonian troops led by Alexander the Great invaded the territory Central Asia. Having crossed over Amudarya, the troops moved into the valley Polytimeta(as the Greeks called Zerafshan, “very valuable”) to Maracanda- the capital Sogdiana and captured the city.

Some time later in Maracanda an uprising will break out, which will soon engulf the entire Sogd. Sogdian prince Spitamen for several years he would lead a continuous guerrilla war with units of the regular Macedonian army. But in the end, the heroic uprising will be brutally suppressed, Spitamen killed, and the city destroyed by order of the Macedonian conqueror.

What time exactly? Maracanda remains in ruins unknown, but the city will be reborn in the southwestern part of the settlement Afrosiab. According to ancient legends, cities are built to become a link between the will of heaven and the will of earth, and everything in the world will help ensure that the connection between them is not interrupted. U Samarkand there is an epithet - Mahfuza(“Keeped”), and for at least three thousand years, the city will be reborn, no matter what.

Around 306 BC, Sogd will become part of the state Seleucid(Seleucus-one of the commanders Alexander the Great). Subsequently, the region will become part of Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, and in the first centuries AD - under the rule Kushan Empire. Such interest of the rulers of neighboring countries in Samarkand explained by its favorable geopolitical location - the largest caravan routes passed through the city Great Silk Road from Syria, Turkey, Persia, India, China.

Around the middle of the 5th century, a dynasty established its dominance over the Central Asian lands Hephthalites, and a little later (in 565) Turkic Khaganate. Around the same time, a lead mainline for centralized water supply was laid in the city. "Arzis".

In 712 Sogd will undertake a hike Arabs. The conquerors fired at the walls Samarkand of three hundred throwing weapons, causing enormous destruction. Despite the stubborn resistance of the city's defenders, after a month-long siege, Arab troops led by Kuteyby Ibn Muslim occupied the city.

At the beginning of 713 Samarkand an uprising breaks out. The steppe Turks will come to the aid of the Sogdians. Uprisings will accompany the entire period of Arab rule. But the largest revolt would break out in the 770s, led by Mukanna. In 806, desperate residents Sogd led by a military commander Rafi ibn Laysom with the support of the Turks, they will drive out the conquerors. But the Arab Caliph will once again gather an army and personally lead a new campaign. In 809 Samarkand will be taken again. However, remembering the bitter experience of past uprisings, the Caliphate will return the right to rule to the local nobility, obliging them, however, to periodically pay taxes.

Freed Samarkand will begin to experience a new upsurge, will become the largest city in the region (up to half a million inhabitants), a haven for Sufis and scientists. The city will be immersed in the greenery of gardens, blooming profusely in the microclimate of an extensive network of pools and fountains, producing paper, fabrics, glass, ceramics, jewelry, and ruling dynasties will change around: first Tahirids, then (in the 9th-10th centuries) Samanids, at the end of the X-XI centuries– Karakhanids, Ghaznavids, Seljukid Sultanate, in XII Kara-Kitai And Khorezm Shahs.

Meanwhile in the east, mongol tribes unite under power Genghis Khan. Army Genghis Khan will enter into Samarkand March 17, 1220 Despite the inhabitants preparing for the siege, part of the local nobility treacherously opens the gates. Some will be killed, most will be taken prisoner for military purposes, about 30 thousand artisans and craftsmen will be driven away to Mongolia. The city is devastated. In order to be reborn later.

Genghis Khan will die seven years later, having shortly before divided his empire between his sons ( Samarkand will move on to Çağatay, second son Genghis Khan). The empire will agonize for almost a century and a half until it comes to power Amir Timur, and will not create his own empire from east to west - from Kashmir before Mediterranean Sea, and from north to south – from Aral Sea before Persian Gulf, established in 1370 Samarkand as the imperial capital.

By design Timur grandeur and beauty Samarkand should have eclipsed all the capitals of the world. Majestic palaces are being built, Gur-Emir mausoleum, Bibi-Khanym Cathedral Mosque, a number of mausoleums Shokhi-Zindy, which still amaze with their beauty and splendor. Samarkand immersed in the greenery of 12 gardens surrounding it, and the surrounding area is built up with villages with the names of the capitals of the world - Misr(Cairo), Dimishk(Damascus), Baghdad, Sultaniya, Farish(Paris), etc.

Samarkand is decorated, the Empire grows, trade routes from China on Near East, and again they converge in Samarkand. At that time Ottoman Empire in 1396 completely defeats the knights Europe and besieges Constantinople. Regent Constantinople, emperor Greece, ruler Venice offer Timur become an ally Europe. He himself offers him alliance Sultan Bayezid. Timur makes his choice and on July 28, 1402, with his army of twenty thousand, defeats Bayazid at Ankara. 500 years later, the grateful French will install Paris gilded statue Timur, which will be signed “ To the Savior of Europe”.

4 years after death Timur his 15-year-old grandson will begin to rule the country Mirzo Ulugbek- a great scientist, whose 40-year reign will be held under the motto “The pursuit of knowledge is the duty of every Muslim”. The main brainchild Ulugbek is his Madrasah(University) on Registan Square And Observatory, which had no equal either then or many years later. October 25, 1449 Ulugbek was killed on the orders of his own son Abdulatifa. After 5 and a half months, myself Abdulatif will be executed, his head will be hung on the portal Ulugbek madrasah, and on the grave they will write “Parricide.”

After Ulugbek Samarkand His descendants will rule and Timurid will rule for a very short time Zakhiriddin Bobur- founder of the state Great Mughals V India.

In the international sphere, the Empire begins to lose its former greatness. Ottoman Turks will subjugate the whole Near East and take over the ports Mediterranean Sea, through which trade took place The Great Silk Road. Caravan routes through Samarkand again lose their meaning. The decline of trade and handicraft production leads to stagnation in the economic life of the country.

In the 16th century, a dynasty seizes power Sheibanids, united the Turkic tribes, but then power passed to Ashtarkhanids. The capital is moving to Bukhara, however Samarkand still remains a large city with continuing development of sciences and crafts.

A century later, under the dynasty Mangyt, Samarkand will be part of Bukhara Khanate. At this time, the Emir of Samarkand Bahodur Yalangtush(“The hero with an open torso”, so nicknamed after during one of the battles he was left without armor and outer clothing, and continued to fight) will build two other madrasahs at his own expense - Tillya-Kori And Sher-Dor on Registan Square.

Reading time: 10 min.

The history of Samarkand dates back 2700 years. Last but not least, it is unique due to the geographical location of the city. Located in the valley of the Zeravshan River, the city has been a hub of trade routes and one of the centers of geopolitical interests in Asia since its founding.

The city was captured by the Persians, Alexander the Great, Arabs, Mongols, and Turks. Over its long history, it has flourished, been completely destroyed and recreated. It was part of various kingdoms as a peripheral region, was the capital of the ancient state of Sogdiana, the powerful empire of Tamerlane, the Turkic kingdom of the Karakhanids, and the Uzbek SSR.

It is now the third largest city in Uzbekistan with a population of 500,000 people. The same number lived here in the 11th century. This is an open-air museum and a concentration of cultural and historical monuments.

Ancient city of Samarkand

I can’t remember who was the first to call Samarkand not just an eastern city, but the pearl of the East. The definition is correct: in Samarkand the cultures of Asian and Eastern peoples intersect in an intricate way, the history and politics of many states and rulers are intertwined, and there are monuments from different eras. Some ancient monuments have received a new life (the Hazrat-Khizr mosque), others are now museums in Samarkand - for example, the local history museum, located in a 20th century mansion that once belonged to the merchant of the first guild Abram Kalantarov. Today the building itself is a history and an example of the combination of different styles in architecture in Samarkand.

But the uniqueness is not in years: the sights are scattered throughout Samarkand, giving a special flavor to the city as a whole, and not just the square dominated by the central monument - Registan.

Tourists love Samarkand not only for its history and atmosphere. They say this is a place of power. Each era has left its mark on this earth.

How old is Samarkand: ancient history

The history of Samarkand has several stages. The most ancient period dates back to when Samarkand was the capital of Sogdiana in the 8th century BC. In 546-539 BC e. was conquered by the Persian king Cyrus the Great. The empire he created lasted 200 years. Sogdiana paid tribute to the Persians, developed crafts, and organized large fairs. The population professed Zoroastrianism and spoke the Sogdian language, which belongs to the Eastern Iranian group of languages. History has preserved only fragmentary information about that distant era.

In 329 BC. e. Alexander the Great captured Sogdiana. The Sogdian military leader Spitamen rebelled, the Macedonian garrison was besieged in the region of Samarkand, then called Marakand in Greek, and was almost completely destroyed. Only a small number of soldiers managed to escape. Alexander the Great, on pain of death, forbade talking about what happened.

After the death of Alexander in 323 BC. e. the empire fell apart. The eastern part, together with Samarkand, came under the command of Seleucus, the former Macedonian commander.

In 250 BC. e. Bactria, which included Sogdiana, is declared an independent Greco-Bactrian kingdom. It fell in 125 BC. e., unable to withstand the raid of the Tocharian nomads, who later organically merged into the sedentary life of the Kushan kingdom on the site of the Greco-Bactrian one.

The history of the kingdom ends in the 3rd century, having been defeated by the Iranian Shahinshahs of the Sassanids, under whose rule Samarkand came to be.

This ends the oldest stage in the history of the city. But chronology does not answer the question of how ancient the Samarkand land is. The age of Samarkand, determined by Soviet science and indicated in history textbooks, was changed by the Decree of the President of the country I. A. Karimov.

In 2007, Samarkand celebrated 2750 years. The date is conditional - the exact age of the city continues to cause controversy among scientists. Back in the 70s there was a festive event dedicated to its 2500th anniversary. Archaeologists continue to work on excavations in Afrosiab. It is possible that Samarkand will extend its history and celebrate its 3000th anniversary.

Early Middle Ages

In 651, Arab troops invaded the Persian possessions. In 712, Samarkand was taken by Caliph Kuteiba ibn Muslim from the Umayyad dynasty. The lands of the Zoroastrians become Islamic, and other religions, history and beliefs are crowded out.

As excavations have shown, in the 9th-10th centuries Samarkand was one of the cultural centers of the Islamic East. Mausoleums on the territory of the Shahi Zinde ensemble began to be built in the 9th century. In the western part of Afrasiab there was a royal palace. By the 10th century, the area of ​​the settlement reached 220 hectares, there was a water supply system made of lead pipes, and complex production of Chinese paper was established. A suburb with mosques, bazaars, baths, caravanserais and madrassas was formed to the south. In 1072, the poet Omar Khayyam came to study in one of them.

In the XI-XIII centuries, Samarkand became the capital of the state of the Turkic Karakhanid dynasty. During this period, a new palace complex was built. During excavations, fragments of monumental painting were discovered.

All this was destroyed by Genghis Khan. After taking Bukhara, he moved to Samarkand and in March 1220 approached its walls. During the period of the seizure of Samarkand lands, the Golden Horde was still part of the Mongol Empire, and the conquered territory became part of the Mongol possessions.

There is an opinion that the reason for the attack was Genghis Khan’s resentment against the Khorezmshah’s subordinate Otrar, who for no reason broke up a caravan of Mongol merchants and killed the ambassador. Part of the history and monuments of the ancient city was buried under ash.

Residents left their ruined houses and began to build a new Samarkand - a new history.

The era of the Muslim Renaissance

The period of the rise of Samarkand coincided with the decline of the Mongol Empire. Enmity begins between the khans, attempts are made to free themselves from the Mongol empire and form their own state.

In the mid-13th century, the first Mongol khan Berke converted to Islam, created a Muslim army, and began to revive Muslim history and culture. Khanqahs are being built on the territory of Maverannahr, Sufi brotherhoods are being supported, book markets are opening in Samarkand, and mosques are being built. The main part of the mausoleum complex of Kusama ibn Abbas was built during this period.

During the reign of Kebek at the beginning of the 14th century, the khans first settled in Transoxiana. After Kebek's death, power passes to his brother, who makes Islam the official religion.

Samarkand: the capital of Tamerlane

Timur was born in 1336, in Kesh (Shakhrisabz), about 75 km south of Samarkand. Having united with his wife's brother, Emir Hussein, they subjugate Transoxiana.

After the death of his wife, Tamerlane gets rid of Hussein (at that time the ruler of Samarkand) and declares himself the sole ruler of the empire, and Samarkand its capital. The best architects, builders and scientists are brought here from the lands captured by Tamerlane.

Most trade routes converge in Samarkand. According to Timur's plan, the capital should worthily represent the power of the empire and be the most beautiful city in the world. Trade is developing here, encouraged by Tamerlane by reducing duties and strengthening road security. He mercilessly punishes attacks on merchant caravans.

The capital is being reconstructed, orchards are being planted in the suburbs, and palaces are being built. Everyone is embraced by creation. Tamerlane's eldest wife is in charge of the construction of the madrasah, the other is in charge of the khanqah for the dervishes.

In 1398 Tamerlane decided to build the largest mosque in the capital. This was supposed to be Bibi-Khanum, named after the ruler’s wife. Then it is erected. The construction was led by Tamerlane's grandson. He, ahead of his grandfather, was buried there first, marking the beginning of the history of burials in Gur-Emir of Tamerlane's descendants in the male line. Now in Samarkand, not far from the mausoleum, it stands.

There is also his monument in Shakhrisabz and in the capital of Uzbekistan - Tashkent, but many believe that the best sculptural composition dedicated to Timur is in Samarkand.

History of the late Middle Ages

History speaks of the emergence of the Bukhara Khanate in 1500. The following year, Khan Sheybani begins the production of silver and copper coins in Samarkand, the construction of a large Madrasah and a bridge to Kersh. But in 1533, the new Khan Ubaydullah moved the capital to Bukhara. The ruler of Samarkand, Abdusaid, is replaced by the son of Ubaidallah. The loss of capital status had a negative impact on the city's economy.

A new rise will come in the 17th century under the reign of Yalangtush Bahadur. The emir was the first ruler from the Uzbek Alchin tribe. He was born in Jizzakh, not far from Samarkand, and spent his childhood in the palaces of the Bukhara khans. Under him, construction began on the famous cathedral “golden” Tilla Kori mosque, combined with a madrasah, and with one of the most comfortable courtyards, where people enjoy relaxing today.

Yalangtush began the restoration of the Ulugbek madrasah and built the Sherdor educational institution on Registan Square in Samarkand. But the decline was beginning to make itself felt. The city, which was located on a section of the Great Silk Road for a long time, is losing its position along with the development of maritime trade, which sharply reduced the importance of the thousand-year-old trade route, which is gradually becoming history.

In the mid-18th century, the Emirate of Bukhara was formed, which included Samarkand, rivalry with the Khanate of Khivan began, and trade ties with Russia were strengthened. During the same period, England became interested in the region. In the early 30s of the 19th century, Russia moved troops to the borders of Central Asia to control the steppe regions and prevent English political expansion into Central Asia.

Under the wing of the Russian Empire

In the 19th century, the Russian Empire intensified actions in this direction, which was accompanied by wars with the Kingdom of Kokand and the Emirate of Bukhara. One of the episodes of the military campaign in 1868 was the defense of the city of Samarkand. Having begun hostilities with the emir of Bukhara, the Russian army leaves a small detachment of 600 people in Samarkand. Immediately, unrest against the Russians broke out in the city market, and enemy armies began to converge on the city walls. Part of the Russian detachment settled in the citadel, the other guarded the city gates and repelled the onslaught of the Shakhrisab people. After the burning of the gates, an attack on the citadel began, but it was not possible to take it.

Reinforcements from the Cossacks and the army of General Kaufman were approaching the city. As they approached, they launched signal flares, which was a sign of their approach. By the time the enemy troops entered the city, there were no longer any on its territory; no one wanted to resist the Russian army. The defense lasted 8 days, 49 Russian soldiers were killed, 172 people were injured. The Samarkand bazaar was burned.

The concept of Russian Samarkand arose in the 19th century under Governor A.K. Abramov, who divided it into two parts - the “native” with local residents and the European. The latter began to quickly develop, introducing its culture, history and architecture. A theater was opened, a choir and a military brass band were created, masquerades were held, and shops and retail shops that were modern for that time sprang up. During the same period, the Samarkand region (province) became an administrative unit of Russian Turkestan. At the beginning of the 20th century, this name disappeared, and the name “Central Asia” appeared.

Archaeological excavations and the compilation of historical reference books, begun by Russian researchers in 1870, ceased at the beginning of the 20th century due to revolutionary events in the Russian Empire.

After the 20s, this activity will be continued by the forces of Soviet Russia. Architecture will dramatically change its appearance.

This is the only city in Central Asia where the administration occupies a pre-revolutionary Russian building, which has been used for its intended purpose throughout its existence. The city executive committee met here, before it - the government and the residence of the governor.

Modern history of Samarkand

With the advent of Soviet power in 1918, a civil war and the fight against the Basmachi began. In 1924, the Uzbek SSR was formed, Samarkand was proclaimed the capital. He will remain in this capacity until 1930, when Tashkent becomes the center.

In the 1930s, schools, institutes and the University were opened, and restoration of historical monuments began. The 35-meter minaret of the Ulugbek madrasah, which had lopsided after the earthquake, is being straightened. But as religious educational institutions, all madrasahs are closing.

During the Second World War, the military academy, art universities in Moscow, Kyiv, Leningrad, production facilities and a large number of Russian families, for whom Samarkand became home, were evacuated here.

Rashidov Sh.R. played a huge role in the development of Soviet Uzbekistan. Under him, in 1970 the city celebrated its 2500th anniversary. By this date, the Museum of the History of the City of Samarkand was opened. In 1991, after the collapse of the USSR, Uzbekistan opened a new page in history.

Samarkand is a popular tourist destination: a large selection of tours with an emphasis on the history of different periods, hotels of any price level, cafes and restaurants. The best time to visit is April-May and September-October.