Samarkand - Samarkanda

Samarkand
Arms
Information
Country	Uzbekistan
Height	702 m above sea level
Population	504 423
Area code	( 998) 662

Samarkand (Uzbek. Samarqand, Tajik. Samarend, Persian. سمرقند, ros. Самарканд) - a town in Uzbekistan, in Central Asia, approx. 353 thousand inhabitants (2008). The fourth most populous city in Uzbekistan and the capital Samarkand vilayet.

Characteristic

Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in the world - it is over 2,500 years old, which means it is the peer of such cities as Rome if Athens. In antiquity it was one of the main cities situated on the ancient Silk Road, connecting the trade route China With Europe and Middle East. For many years in the East, Samarkand has been referred to as the "Jewel of Islam", "Mirrors of the World". It is located in the eastern part of Uzbekistan in the valley of the Zerawshan River. The city has a population of around 500,000, making it second only to Tashkent in terms of population, a city of Uzbekistan.

History

Samarkand, known in antiquity as Marakanda, was founded in the 6th century BC. In the 4th century BC, it was the capital of the Sogdiana province, under the rule of the Achaemenid Persian dynasty. She was a wealthy and flourishing city at the crossroads of connecting trade routes India, China, Europe and Near East. In 329 B.C.E. was conquered by Alexander the great. In 712 CE it was conquered by the Arabs and until the establishment of the capital by Timur it fell under the reign of the Samanids, Gaznavids, Seljuks, and Khorezmians. In 1220 it was captured by the army of Genghis Khan. As the inhabitants resisted, they could not count on the mercy of the Mongols - the city was destroyed and the inhabitants were murdered. In 1369 Timur chose Samarkand as his country's capital. Since then, the city's heyday begins. Under the Timurid dynasty founded by Timur, Samarkand was one of the most famous centers of culture, science and art in the world. The greatest heyday was during the reign of Uług Beg, the grandson of Timur, often referred to as a scientist or astronomer on the throne, due to his scientific interests. In the 16th century it was conquered by Uzbek nomads and then incorporated into the Khanate Bukhara. In 1868 it was attached to Russia, and from 1917 it was part of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1925, it became the capital of the newly created Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, but after 5 years, in 1930, it lost its status of the capital to Tashkent.

Drive

By plane

By train

WITH Tashkent a train departs every day at 7.00 am Registan. The standard is high - the equivalent of the Polish Inter City, the cost of the ticket is 7,700 sums (about $ 6), the travel time is about 4 hours. The ticket can be purchased only upon presentation of a passport - a personal ticket.

By car

You can rent a car for the day - cost approx. $ 150.

You can get to Samarkand by taxi from the bus station in Tashkent almost 24 hours a day. These are individual, most often unregistered carriers for which the provision of transport services is the main source of income. The taxi starts only when a full set of passengers is collected (this also applies to city and cruise buses), i.e. there will be 4 people willing to go in a given direction. This means that when traveling alone, sometimes we have to wait longer, but usually the taxis fill up quite quickly. In 2011, the cost of travel was 25,000. It is worth remembering that in Uzbekistan, smoking in taxis is fully allowed.

By bus

From 6.00 to 14.00, express buses from Tashkent to Samarkand depart every hour from the bus station. It is the cheapest way to get to Samarkand - the cost in 2011 was 13,000 catfish - and also the most convenient. The buses are new and air-conditioned, which, taking into account the climate of Uzbekistan, is a significant convenience. The journey takes 4.5 hours. It is worth remembering that the route does not include a stop (no stops on the route) and although drivers usually stop halfway for about 5 minutes, it is worth stocking up on drinks and provisions in advance. In the afternoon, evening and night buses to Samarkand there are no .

By ship

Communication

Tourist attractions

• Registan - the heart of Samarkand, the main and the most representative tourist attraction of Samarkand. Registan, sometimes called the East Forum, is a square surrounded by three monumental madrasahs. Admission to the square costs 5,000 sums per person (approximately $ 4). For an additional fee of 3,000 sums (about $ 2.5) - payable to the policeman who keeps order in the square, you can enter one of the minarets.
  • Medresa Uług Beg from 1420.
  • Medresa Shir Dor (with the strength of a lion - the name comes from the decoration - 2 lions).
  • Medresa Tallya Kari (covered with gold - the name comes from the golden decorations inside the building).
• Bibi Khanum Mosque - the construction of the mosque began in 1399, right after Timur's victory in India. The main part of the mosque was completed five years later in 1404. Elephants brought by Timur from India were used for the construction.
• Bibi Khanum Mausoleum
• Medresa Bibi Khanum
• Uług Beg Observatory - it is the world's first astronomical observatory. It was built by Ulug Beg in 1428 by Timur's grandson, who went down in history as "the scientist on the throne". He was the author of a highly acclaimed work entitled "New Star Tables". This work contains, inter alia, astronomical tables with the location of over a thousand stars. Reportedly, European scientists found that the instruments used at the Ulug Beg Observatory were the most accurate in the world until the invention of the telescope. The tablets compiled by Uług Bega were so accurate that they were translated by the University of Oxford in the 17th century and were used for a long time. It is worth noting that Ulug Beg calculated the length of the astronomical year to be 365 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes and 8 seconds. The actual length of the astronomical year is 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes and 9.6 seconds. So he was less than a minute wrong.
• Timur's Mausoleum (Gur Emir) - Timur himself was buried in the mausoleum, along with his two sons and grandson.
• Ak Saray Mausoleum
• Rukhabad Mausoleum
• Afrosiab

Museums

It is worth a try

Nearest neighborhood

Shopping

• Siob bazaar - located in the shadow of the Bibi Khanum Mosque.

Gastronomy

Parties

Accommodation

Sparingly

• B&B Dilshoda - $ 10 per person, breakfast included, located by Timur's Mausoleum.
• B&B Bohodir - $ 10 per person, breakfast included, the hostel is located in the Registan area. A perfect place for "backapers", you can meet lots of people from all over the world.

Moderate

• Hotel Samarkand - the hotel is currently being renovated and does not accept guests.

Exclusively

• Hotel President - the most expensive and exclusive hotel in the city.
• Hotel Afrosiab - at the hotel it is possible to exchange money and withdraw money from a payment card. For hotel payments or card withdrawals, a commission is charged (Mastercard: 4.7%, Visa: 3.1%).

contact

Security

Tourist information

Tips

It is necessary to declare the entire currency and have the customs declaration with you when you return, otherwise there may be problems - that is, an unpleasant conversation with customs officials and a personal inspection.

Be careful when buying old items as souvenirs - jewelry, ceramics or books - as it may turn out that we will not be able to transport them across the border.

It is absolutely necessary to avoid possessing and transporting materials that may be regarded as related to any form of religious fundamentalism. Great caution is also advised when browsing websites, because even if you accidentally come across a website with content deemed by the authorities to encourage Islamic fundamentalism, you can cause serious problems.

During the first 3 days, registration should be made at the ovir office (what the owner of the hotel where we are staying should do for us). This is an absolutely strict deadline. It should also be remembered that with a tourist visa, the only place where we can stay and register is a hotel - living with friends or carefree wandering around the country is formally excluded.

Trip

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