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| Samarkand
is one of the world's oldest cities, located in the very centre
of Uzbekistan in the valley of the Zarafshan River. It has seen
periods of power and decline throughout its 2700-year history.
It was destroyed by Alexander the Grate, the Arabs, Gengiz Khan
and many other conquerors, but rose each time from the ashes,
like a Phoenix.
Samarkand was a capital of ancient Sogdiana,
part of the huge Akhemenian Empire in the 14th century BC. In
the 14th century, when Tamerlane made it his capital, Samarkand
became one of the most powerful and desired cities in the world.
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| One can sense
the old grandeur of the city on arrival by road from Tashkent, catching
a sudden view of the Bibi-Khanum Mosque (15th century), the largest
structure of its time in the world, standing beside a noisy and
crowded oriental market full of colorful fruits, vegetables and
fragrant spices grown on Uzbek land. |
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| Later, visiting
the harmonious Registan Square, one can fully agree with Lord George
Curzon - the Viceroy of India, who said, " Registan in Samarkand
is the best central city square in the world". |
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| Shah-I-Zinda,
a big medieval burial complex (10th to 20th centuries), often referred
to as "the Street of the Dead", gives a good idea of Tamerlane's
intention to turn Samarkand into a collection of the world's architectural
styles. |
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| The Gur-Emir
Mausoleum (15th century), where Tameriane is buried along with several
sons and grandson, is the most brilliant example of medieval Central
Asian architecture. It is reminiscent of the famous mosques of Cordoba
and Granada and was an inspiration for the Great Moguls' Taj Mahal
in Agra. |
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| Samarkand
was also an important scientific center, with scholars who influenced
scientific work in other countries. Among them was Ulugbek, Tamerlane's
grandson, the ruler of Samarkand. His observatory, built in 1439-30
in the northern suburbs of Samarkand, was a model for the two famous
Indian observatories of the 18th century in Jaipur and Delhi. The
observatory has not survived, but and underground portion of its
enormous sextant still attracts the eye. |
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