Samarkand is in Uzbekistan, where the ancient city became a major Silk Road center and the capital of Timur’s empire.
Samarkand is one of Central Asia’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Its position between China, India, Persia, and the Mediterranean made it an important meeting place for merchants, scholars, artisans, and rulers. The city was known in antiquity as Maracanda and was conquered by Alexander the Great in the fourth century BCE.
Under Timur, also known as Tamerlane, Samarkand became the imperial capital in the late fourteenth century. Timur and his successors sponsored monumental buildings decorated with brilliant blue tiles. His grandson Ulugh Beg established an important astronomical observatory and built a madrasa in the city’s Registan square.
Samarkand is often confused with Bukhara, another celebrated Uzbek Silk Road city. Both are in Uzbekistan, but Samarkand is especially associated with Timur and the Timurid architectural legacy.