Bibi-Khanym Mosque Amir Timur shaped the cityscape of Samarkand like no other, so it is not surprising that he had the Bibi-Khanym Mosque built. With the order for the construction of the mosque in 1399, Timur wanted to award a sign of his power in Samarkand. During the following years, Timur was mostly away on […]
Afrasiab Museum of Samarkand
The Afrasiab Museum lies on the terrain of the ancient settlement Afrasiyab, founded approximately 2750 years ago. It bears the name of Afrasiab. He was the mythical king of Turan, the country of origin of the Turks in Central Asia. The troops of Genghis Khan destroyed the town in the first half of the 13th […]
Once the best paper in the world
Not only scientific pioneering achievements, as in the area of astronomy, were accomplished in Samarkand. The paper production was also renowned worldwide. In 751 Chinese soldiers penetrated towards west. Abu Muslim defeated them and returned home with 20,000 prisoners of war. To save their lives, they revealed the Chinese secret of paper production and educated […]
Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand
The Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand is the visible proof of how far Central Asia was scientifically ahead of the Western world. Ulugh Beg was one of the grandsons of the founder of the Timurid Empire Amir Temur. His father Shah-Ruchs prevailed in the riots around the throne succession and made Herat the new capital. […]
A day trip to Shahrisabz
Samarkand travelers should not miss a day trip to Shahrisabz. For the approx. 85 km you need approx. 1.5 hours by car. From Samarkand to Shahrisabz In the south of Samarkand are the foothills of the Zarafshan Range. On the way to Shahrisabz, we cross the mountain range on a pass road, which leads to […]
Wedding Couples and Restaurant Samarkand
On this day we want to eat in the Restaurant Samarkand. Right next to it there is a small park with a Madonna monument. The space in front of it is often used by wedding couples for photo shoots. We use the opportunity to take some pictures. Everybody was very friendly. Even if some persons […]