Samarkand is a legendary city, its name the most evocative in Uzbekistan and all Central Asia. Nowadays, Samarkand (Uzbek: Samarqand) is the second most populous city in Uzbekistan and a must in any trip in the country. Actually, only a few large monuments survive of its old city, but what monuments! You won’t see this architecture anywhere else!
In two full days you can visit all of Samarkand’s landmarks, that we include in this guide, and some of the real Samarkand. While it is a good idea to spend another day in a trip to Shahrisabz, 1h30 by road, but Samarkand does not have much cultural scene or nightlife that will generally make you want to stay much longer.
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Arriving in Samarkand
Samarkand international airport (SKD) has flights to several destinations, Istanbul included. Actually, it can be a good option to start your trip in Uzbekistan, like we did.
The train is the best option to travel to other cities in Uzbekistan. There are high-speed trains to Tashkent (2h10) and Bukhara (1h30). Regular trains take 4h to Tashkent and 3h to Bukhara.
Train tickets are quite cheap, around 10 € or less, and they can easily be bought in the official website of the Uzbek railway company.
The train station is in the outskirts of Samarkand, West of the city centre. A taxi from the city centre should cost you 25.000-30.000 som (around 2-3 €). Ask your hotel to book you one for a better price.
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Moving around Samarkand
All places of interest in Samarkand can easily be visited on foot, even Ulug Beg Observatory, which is furthest from the city centre.
Anyway, there are marshrutkas (minibuses), but they are not easy to use (there is no network map), although you can ask at your hotel. Taxis are not expensive, but you should haggle a bit – they will get you anywhere in the city for 2-3 €.
The main areas of interest in Samarkand are: the old city centre, where the main Timurid-era monuments are, Afrosiyob hill (where the primitive Samarkand lay, now in ruins), Shah-i-Zinda, between these two areas and the 19th-century enlargement (Russian or European City).
The old city contains also some old alleyway neighbourhoods, as well as the main bazaar, but Bibi Khanum Mosque and Registan (two of the main landmarks) are joined by a modern impersonal, nearly dystopical, avenue.
The 19th-century Russian City is just West of Samarkand old city and is arranged as a quadrant of circular avenues that start from the University boulevard. This is a more authentic area, where locals lead their lives. Other neighbourhoods of Samarkand are not of much interest.
Where to stay in Samarkand
Usually, you may think the best option is to stay in the city centre, near the most interesting sights and where there is more city life.
In Samarkand there are two main monumental areas, 1 km apart, with an uninteresting pedestrian avenue joining them – Registan and Bibi Khanum Mosque. Along this avenue and in the old alleyway neighbourhoods there are several hotels and guesthouses, like this one where we stayed.
These guesthouses are traditional courtyard houses, authentic but generally less comfortable. But the main problem of this area is that there is nothing to do once the sun sets.
If we had known, we would have chosen our acommodation in the Russian City or near University Boulevard. The Registan is close and even if you have to walk more to visit Bibi Khanum there are many more options to go out for dinner or a drink. It is also handier to take a taxi.
A little history of Samarkand
Samarkand has been inhabited since the 7th c. BC and was since ancient times important in Central Asia due to its location in the Silk Roads. The origins of Samarkand lay in Afrosiyob, a fortified settlement North of the current city centre. This was the capital of the Sogdians, a Persian-speaking people, when Alexander the Great conquered it.
Although Samarkand was never part of the Persian Empire, Persian was for centuries the most spoken language of Samarkand’s multi-ethnic population. In the 8th c. Samarkand, as part of Transoxiana, became a suzerain of the Abbasid Caliphate, but later Persians, Mongols and several Turkic steppe peoples fought for its domination.
Samarkand was already a beautiful and important city by the dawn of the 14th c., but its zenith started when in 1370 Amir Timur (aka Tamerlane) established the capital of his empire in Samarkand. This decision meant the building of a new city, attracting artists, architects and artisans from all over the empire, that spanned from Anatolia to India.
In 1404, the Castilian Ambassador Ruy González de Clavijo arrived in Samarkand. He sought friendly relationships with Timur and hopefully and alliance against the Ottomans, their common enemy. Clavijo wrote Embassy to the Court of Timour, one of the great mediaeval travel books and was marvelled by Samarkand.
Amir Timur’s successors continued embellishing Samarkand – especially his grandson Mirzo Ulugh Beg, who was governor of Samarkand for over 30 years. Ulugh Beg was a great astronomer, and he built an important observatory in Afrosiyob Hill, as well as the first of the Registan Madrasahs, that today bears his name.
Uzbek nomads entered Samarkand in 1501 and established the Shaybanid dynasty. They continued Samarkand’s monumental programme – their main achievements are the two newer madrasahs in the Registan, probably the most iconic landmark of Samarkand.
In the 18th century the Central Asian Silk Roads lost its prominent position due to the rise of intercontinental sea trade. Furthermore, Samarkand declined with respect to its rival Bukhara, and was finally integrated into the Bukhara Khanate.
In 1868, Russia annexed Samarkand, and started an intense modernisation and westernisation of the city, especially after the Trans-Caspian railway was opened in the 1880s. Samarkand was the first capital of the Uzbek SSR, until 1930 when the capital was established in Tashkent.
Samarkand in 3 days
The ticket to most monuments in Samarkand has the same price, which was 25.000 som in 2022 (around US$2). In theory, you have to pay a permit to take photos with DSLR camera, which is more expensive than the entrance ticket, but no one ever asked it from us here, so there was no need to pay it.
Timur's Samarkand
- Bibi Khanum Mosque
- Bibi Khanum Mausoleum
- Registan
- Gur-e Amir & other mausoleums
- Shah-i-Zinda
Bibi Khanum Mosque
Bibi Khanum Mosque (Bibi Xonim masjidi) is one the masterpieces of the Timurid renaissance and Islamic art in general. It is one of the largest mosques in the world of its time. Bibi Khanum means “senior princess” and refers to Amir Timur’s wife. This congregational mosque could host all of Samarkand’s male population for the Friday prayer.
Bibi Khanum Mosque was built between 1399 and 1405, by order of Amir Timur, who proposed many design changes when he returned from a campaign in India in 1404.
Since the beginning, Bibi Khanum Mosque had several structural problems, due to its size and the haste with which it was built, so it needed fixing work nearly since it was opened. By the end of the 16th c. the Shaybanid rulers decided to definitely stop restoration works in Bibi Khanum and the mosque slowly became a wonderful ruin.
The domes and archs cracked and some collapsed. In 1974 a comprehensive restoration of the Mosque started, including the reconstruction of all its domes, which is still underway.
Bibi Khanum Mosque follows a typical courtyard mosque arrangement, enclosed by a 167 x 109-metre tall wall. One of its main features are the two monumental portals (pishtaq). Two galleries with columns ran along the corutyard, but they have been lost. In the centre of the courtyard there is a huge book stand, where the oldest known Qur’an used to be displayed (which is now in a madrasah in Tashkent).
A pishtaq closes the courtyard on the opposite side of the entrance, so big it hides the Mosque’s largest dome, 40 metres high, just behind it. Through this pishtaq, you can enter the Mosque’s main building. Much of the interior decoration has been lost, but you can see the dome has a different geometry inside and outside.
Bibi Khanum Mausoleum
Across the road from the Mosque, Bibi Khanum Mausoleum is much less grandiose. Originally, it was integrated as part of the Bibi Khanum Mosque complex – there was a madrasah between the mosque and the mausoleum that was destroyed during a Persian invasion. Some of its walls have been reconstructed.
The mausoleum is dedicated to Bibi Khanum’s mother and other women in her family. Inside, the tombs are in the basement, under a brick structure. It seems it has been quite rebuilt.
If you don’t have a special reason to visit this mausoleum, you can save the 25.000 som entrance ticket.
We walk now towards Registan, Samarkand’s great monumental complex, through an uninteresting pedestrian avenue. It is obvious that the avenue was opened recently, so that groups of tourists don’t get to see the old allyeway neighbourhoods. It is so clean, organised and artificial that looks dystopian.
At the other end of this avenue, on your right (West) you will find the Registan. On your left there is a small park with a statue of Islom Karimov, the first president of independent Uzbekistan, who was born in Samarkand. There is still quite a personality cult for Karimov and you will probably see some Uzbeks posing with him.
Registan
The Registan is arguably the most iconic space in Samarkand and a classic of Uzbek wedding photos (as you will probably see). Registan actually means main square, the most important space in the city’s social life. A market and a wide range of social events were held here.
The three madrasahs that now close its sides were built between the 15th and 17th centuries and made Samarkand’s Registan one of the most majestic of Central Asia. Unfortunately, its madrasahs fell out of use with Samarkand’s decline and by the start of the 20th c. they were in a quite ruinous state.
Decades later, a thorough reconstruction was undertaken, aiming to recover its historical splendour.
Before visiting the madrasahs, take your time to admire the ensemble from the viewing platform, on the main avenue. The best light is before sunset.
On your left, Ulugh Beg Madrasah – the oldest one, built in the 15th c. – in the centre, Tilya-Kori Madrasah and on your right Sher-dor Madrasah, with the mysterious mosaic that combines Turkic and Mongol culture with Islam.
Madrasahs were higher education institutions, similar to European universities, although the education in madrasahs always had a significant religious componente. These madrasahs were also student residences, much like English colleges.
Behind the Sher-Dor Madrasah, outside of the Registan complex is the old roofed Bazaar (Chorsu), now an art gallery.
Ulugh Beg Madrasah
Ulugh Beg Madrasah is the oldest of the three Registan Madrasahs. Ulugh Beg, Amir Timur’s grandson, ordered its construction in 1417-1421, when he was Samarkand’s governor. Ulugh Beg was a great astronomer, maybe that’s why he chose a geometrical motif based on suns and starts for its pishtaq (monumental entrance portal).
Ulugh Beg himself taught in this madrasah, that also worked as an astronomical observatory until the construction of the new observatory in the Afrosiyob Hill.
The inscription in Kufic script around the pishtaq is an astronomer’s praise: “this magnificent façade has a height that is twice that of the sky and has such a weight that the spin of the Earth is delayed“.
The height of the pishtaq, over 10 metres, is actually double the height of the rest of the walls. The madrasah’s courtyard is around 40 x 30 metres and has two floors, hosting the students’ rooms (hujras), and the lecture rooms (darskhans) in the corners (a novel arrangement that was later adopted throughout Central Asia). On the West side is the entrance to the madrasah’s mosque.
Nowadays, the old student rooms are occupied by tradesmen who sell silk and wool scarves, hats and other souvenirs.
Sher-Dor Madrasah
The Sher-Dor Madrasah is on the right side of Registan and it is the most striking in its exterior because of main mosaic of its pishtaq. This mosaic disregards the Islamic tradition that forbids the depiction of humans and animals.
It shows two leopards hunting a deer each, with a sun on their back with a Mongol-like face. This could even be a reference to the Mongol god Tängri, in a surprising combination of Pagan beliefs and Islam.
The Sher-Dor Madrasah was built in 1619-1636 by order of Samarkand’s governor Yalangtush Bakhodur, when the city was controlled by the Bukhara Khanate.
The mosaic motif was undoubtedly outrageous for some, but most likely was approved by the Khan, and could be inspired in a similar motif in a bazaar in Isfahan, Iran. Nowadays, this mosaic is one of the symbols of Samarkand’s Registan and Uzbek art in general.
Another feature of the Sher-Dor Madrasah are its beautiful turquoise domes, on its sides. The interior of the Sher-Dor Madrasah follows a similar arrangement as that of the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, but without a mosque. Most likely, its students prayed in a mosque that once stood just next to the madrasah.
Tilya-Kori Madrasah
The Tilya-Kori Madrasah was the last one to be built in the Registan, in 1646-1660, by order of the same Yalangtush Bakhodur who built the Sher-Dor Madrasah. However, Yalangtush died around 1655, and the madrasah’s construction never finished. Actually, the impressive turquoise dome that shines at dusk was finished by the Soviet restorers.
Contrary to other madrasahs in the Registan, the Tilya-Kori Madrasah does not have lecture rooms in the corners and only has one floor of student dorms. On the other hand, it features a large congregational mosque on its whole West (left) side. Probably this mosque was used by all of Samarkand’s inhabitants, not only the students.
The exterior decoration is breathtaking but the best of the Tilya-Kori Madrasa is inside – in its prayer room, with an amazing blue and golden decoration that has its climate in a wonderful dome.
It is known that a caranvaserai once stood where the Tilya-Kori Madrasah is today. As in the 17th century, Samarkand’s commercial activity was in clear decline, it is likely that this caranvaserai was nearly out of use, and the congregational mosque was probably a very welcome addition to the people of Samarkand, as Bibi Khanum Mosque had many structural problems and was not being renovated any more.
Gur-e Amir (Amir Timur's Mausoleum)
Gur-e-Amir (in Persian “Leader’s tomb”) was originally built as a khanaqah (Sufi centre) and a madrasah by Muhammad Sultan, another of Amir Timur’s grandson, named by Timur as his heir. The madrasah was built just across the khanaqah, around a courtyard.
Muhammad Sultan died suddenly at age 27 in 1403 and Timur ordered that this complex be transformed in a mausoleum for Sultan. Then started the construction of the actual Gur-e-Amir, between the khanaqah and the madrasah. Gur-e-Amir features two classical elements of Timurid mausoleums – a monumental pishtaq and a huge dome above a cylindrical structure.
Castilian ambassador Clavijo wrote in his account that Gur-e-Amir was built in only 10 days under Amir Timur’s order. It was most probably an exaggeration, but it is true that its construction was very fast, albeit with a masterful execution. Only two years later, in 1405, Amir Timur died.
Although Amir Timur wished to be buried in his hometown, Shahrisabz, but the winter weather prevented the crossing of the mountain pass between Samarkand and Shahrisabz and it was finally decided to bury Amir Timur in Gur-e Amir, next to his grandson.
Gur-e Amir was abandoned for centuries, but its dome remained untouched and the 1950s restoration was very respectful. The most impressive feature of Gur-e Amir is its golden hall, where the tombs of Timur and his relatives are, with an intricate decoration with lots of gold.
There are another two mausoleums close to Gur-e-Amir that well deserve a stop, even if they are not as impressive.
Ak-Saray Mausoleum was built in the 1470s, very close to Gur-e-Amir, when the latter could not hold any more remains of the large Timurid family. Its interior decoration is really impressive and different to that of other Timurid-era monuments. It was closed for restoration during our visit so we couldn’t see it.
The Ruhobod Mausoleum was one of the first constructions of Amir Timur’s reign (1380). Alberga la tumba del místico y teólogo islámico Sheikh Burhan al-Din Sagarji.
Shah-i-Zinda
Shah-i-Zinda (Persian for “living king“) is a breathtaking necropolis built between the 11th and 15th centuries, although most toms were built fromt he 14th c. It stands on a hill just North-East of old Samarkand, close to Bibi Khanum.
The entrance is through a monumental pishtaq, which leads to a staircase. Shah-i-Zinda resembles an avenue with mausoleums on each side, most of them impressive. In some areas the street is quite narrow and it is easy to miss how grandiose the structures are, but you won’t miss intricate decoration.
You can enter many of these tombs. In some of them, you won’t see much interior decoration, but others you shouldn’t miss! Even if, like us, you are so unlucky as to visit Shah-i-Zinda during a power cut and there is no interior lighting.
The most beautiful buildings of Shah-i-Zinda inside are:
Tomb of Shadi Mulk Aqa (1371-1383), a niece of Amir Timur. This is the oldest monument of the Timurid era in Shah-i-Zinda, although its design is inspired in tombs of previous decades. This tomb is completely decorated with tiles, with turquoise as main colour, and writing expressing the pain of losing a daughter (her mother built the mausoleum).
Tomb of Ali Nasafi (1360-1380). Its tile decoration is similar to the previous tomb. It is unknown who is actually buried here, Ali Nasafi was the architect, according to writing in the pishtaq.
Tomb of Shirin Bika Aqa (ca. 1385), one of Amir Timur’s sisters. Its decoration is quite unique, based on white and blue tones, although it’s very restored. This was the first monument in Shah-i-Zinda to use tile mosaics, a much more expensive technique than the usual large painted tiles.
After all these mausoleums, a gate (Yuqori chortaq) leads to the North Courtyard, surrounded by tombs and mosques on the remaining three sides. Just behind is the people’s Muslim graveyard.
On the right of this North Courtyard is the Qussam ibn Abbas complex, its most important building – the origin of Shah-i-Zinda.
Qussam ibn Abbas is the “living king”, Shah-i-Zinda himself. He was a cousin of prophet Muhammad who visited Samarkand in 676 to preach Islam. The pagan people of neighbouring Panjakent (now in Tajikistan) attacked Qussam and thus the legend begins – there are several versiones, and many say that Qussam became immortal and still dwells a nearby well, hence he is the “living king”.
Shah-i-Zinda started to grow around the tomb of Qussam ibn Abbas, and the tombs in the North Courtyard, closest to him, are the premium ones. Nowadays, the complex includes his tomb and is still a pilgrimage site. Actually, we encountered Uzbeks praying to the living king – an even more mystical experience without electricity.
On the left side of the North Courtyard stands the Tuman Aqa complex, built by Amir Timur’s wife in the beginning of the 15th c. This complex includes a mosque, with an elegant and intricate decoration using beige tones and a tomb. It’s interior is much smaler than what it’s dome looks from outside!
Afrosiyob Hill
This is a 2.5 km walk, a bit uphill, through a semi-pedestrian road with very little traffic. It is quite pleasant, but you can also do it by taxi if you prefer.
The first city of Samarkand was established in the Afrosiyob Hill (also written Afrasiab). It is believed that this was the original Marakanda that Alexander the Great knew. This fortified city, on a hill North of river Siyob, was the centre of Sogdian culture.
The settlement on Afrosiyob traces its origins back to the 7th-6th centuries BC. This city was sacked and burnt by Genghis Khan’s Golden Horde circa 1220, when it was already known as Samarkand. Survivors abandoned the hill and settled on the land to the South – what is know Samarkand’s old city.
Hazrati Xizr Complex
On the foot of Afrosiyob hill, very close to Bibi Khanum Mosque, stands the Hazrati Xizr Mosque. The first mosque on this site was built soon after the Arab invasion of the Transoxiana in the 8th c., so it was one of the oldest in Samarkand.
Just like the rest of Afrosiyob, the mosque was destroyed by Genghis Khan, but the site was not abandoned. Hazrati Xizr Mosque was rebuilt several times, and the current building dates from the 19th century.
Recently, the tomb of Islom Karimov’s was added to the complex, a “sacred and eternal place”, as it is written there. Every few minutes you will here a prayer for his soul.
Hazrati Xizr Mosque is interesting because it is an active mosque and pilgrimage site for many Uzbeks who admire their first president. You will see Samarkandians and local tourists praying. There is also a great view of Bibi Khanum’s Mosque from here.
Close to Hazrati Xizr there are other tombs of some significance to locals: Sheikh Nuriddin Basir and Makhsumbobo.
Afrosiyob Museum
Walking uphill from Hazrati Xizr you will arrive to the Archaelogical Site and Museum of Afrosiyob.
The actual archaeological site is just behind the museum. You may enter free or change, but there are no signs and everything is very ruined. It is a large area, but if you are not an expert, you won’t understand much.
The museum is quite aged, it resembles a Soviet administrative office, but it is very interesting, albeit small. There are a few rooms displaying Sogdian objects with some explanations about this culture. But the main thing here, and the reason why the museum was opened in the first places are the Afrosiyob Murals, displayed in its central hall.
After the destruction of the city by the Mongols, Afrosiyob and these murals faded into oblivion. They were rediscovered in 1965 during the construction of a road. Archaeological works started swiftly and the museum was opened in 1970.
The Afrosiyob Murals, also known as Paintings of the Ambassadors date from around year 650. This is one of the few examples of Sogdian culture (there are other better preserved paintings in Panjakent, Tajikistan).
These murals decorated the hall of was is thought to have been a private residence. They depict, on each wall, Central Asia’s neighbouring lands. When they were painting the Western Turking Khaganate was in decline and Samarkand’s inhabitants had entered in contact with Tang dynasty China, that was expanding through Central Asia.
The Northern wall represents China, with empress Wu Zetian on a boat, taking part in a festival, and the emperor and other characters hunting panthers. The Southern wall represents the Persian world, to which Samarkand’s inhabitants belonged – a procession during the Nowruz festival, the Persian new yera. On the East, India, land of pygmies and astrologers, although this painting has mostly been lost.
Finally, the Western wall depicts ambassadors of different countries, including Korea, China and Persia, who arrive in Samarkand to show their respects to King Varkhuman. Turkish guards guide the ambassadors. The king is shown on the top of the mural, a place usually reserved for deities in Sogdian paintings. Despite all the pomp, the king of Samarkand was then a suzerain of China.
Some parts of the murals are well preserved, while others are very damaged or completely lost. Fortunately, by each wall there is a sign with a reconstruction of the murals and a description of the scenes.
Ulugh Beg Observatory
Continue walking up the wide avenue and after crossing the small Siyob river, you will arrive to a road that connects with the motorway. A bit further stands the Ulugh Beg Observatory.
Ulugh Beg was a great astronomer, whose measurements were very accurate and he published the first star catalogue since Ptolemy. In fact, his works and astronomic tables were published in Europe, along with those of later European astronomers like Tycho Brahe or Halley.
Ulugh Beg, grandson of Amir Timur, ordered the construction of this observatory in the 1420s, when he was governor of Samarkand. He invited the best astronomers in the Muslim world to help with the design.
In order to be able to measure with great accuracy, they needed a sextant of large radius. The building needed to house it would be too tall for the construction materials available, so they decided to build most of it underground. Above, the observatory was a cilindrical three-floor building with a horizontal roof where measuring instruments could be installed.
Ulugh Beg’s initiatives helped Samarkand to become a great scientific and cultural centre in Central Asia. Ulugh Beg became emperor after his father’s death in 1447.
But soon his elder son, governor of Balkh, rebelled against him and murdered him in 1449. The observatory was abandoned after Ulugh Beg’s death and sank into oblivion until its rediscovery in 1908. His son only occupied the throne for 6 years, because he soon was assassinated by his cousin.
Now there is a museum with historical and scientific explanations about the observatory, the scientific atmosphere in Ulugh Beg’s times and his legacy. You can also see the underground section of the sextant of Ulugh Beg Observatory, which is nearly intact.
Local Samarkand
Many tourists, especially those who visit Uzbeksitan in package holidays, only visit the great Timurid monuments in Samarkand, as if Samarkand were a theme park and not a real city. It is true that the authorities have prepared the touristic area to promote this way of visiting Samarkand so you don’t encounter the real Samarkand.
We think this is a pity and we wanted to know a bit the places where locals lead their lives, still in the city centre.
Samarkand Main Bazaar
Samarkand’s main market is a place you can’t miss, because it is very close to Bibi Khanum Mosque. It opens from 8 am to 6 pm and, as usual in Uzbekistan and the Turkic world, it is arranged by product type.
Here you can drink a refreshing pomegranate juice or even eat or have a tea in one of the market teahouses. You can also buy pickled vegetables (they are great in Uzbekistan), dried fruits, spices, bread made in tandir oven… and also carpets or silk scarves.
Samarkand alleyways
On both sides of Tashkent Avenue, the pedestrian boulevard from Bibi Khanum Mosque and the Registan, there are alleyway neighbourhoods that look like another city – this is the real Samarkand, what is not shown to tourists.
Narrow and irregular alleys, with electricity cables and water and gas tubes along the walls, potholes and deep water channels. There are also kind people, some wearing traditional clothes (although there are not many around), traditional courtyard houses, with large new gates and surprisingly few shops.
The largest and most typical of these neighbourhoods is East of the pedestrian avenue, across Bibi Khanum Mosque. From its Northern limits there is a fantastic view of Shah-i-Zinda.
Walking around these alleys, you can suddenly find a square with a fountain a mosque, as well as the Gumbaz Synagogue, which reminds us that many Jews inhabited Samarkand, as well as some old baths (Hammam Dovudi). It is worth getting lost in this neighbourhood, at least for half an hour or so, that extends nearly down to the Registan.
Russian City of Samarkand
- Samarkand Theatre
- Amir Timur Monument
- University Boulevard
- Chinese Garden
- Orthodox Church
- Catholic Church
- Armenian Church
- Alisher Navoi Park
- Administrative district
If you prefer to visit the Russian city with a local expert so you don’t miss anything, you can book a guided tour of the Russian City of Samarkand following this link.
The European or Russian City is the new city built in the late 19th century West of Samarkand old city, when Samarkand became under Russian control. Its layout follows the principles of Russian urban planning of its time, which had European influences but its own features.
The Russian City follows a semicircular layout, with five main ring avenues and radial streets that run through these rings, creating quadrants. On the East side, the quarter is closed by the Boulevard (Bul’var) or University Avenue, with a wide pedestrian space in the middle.
The Russian City has been included as part of Samarkand’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. To be honest, it doesn’t have large monumental buildings, but features some beautiful Russian neoclassical palaces, churches of different Christian confessions, large parks and some new buildings that ruin the 19th-century aesthetics.
This is an elegant and local area of Samarkand, where there is more real life than in the old city, as well as better restaurants.
Walking from Registan, you will first encounter Amir Timur park and, across the road, a large square with a fountain and the Samarkand Theatre. Next to this square, in a large roundabout is the Amir Timur monument, where Uzbek tourists love taking photos.
The Bul’var (Universitet xiyoboni) starts just behind Amir Timur. It is a pleasant and quite bustling boulevard. On either side, there are Russian-style palaces, like the building of the State Museum of Cultural History of Uzbekistan, but the boulevard’s trees don’t let you see much of these places.
Upon arriving in the fourth ring (Abdurahmon Jomiy street), a Chinese Garden is on the right – a garden with more rock than trees, a Chinese-style gate and galleries, that has nothing to do with the rest of the area. This is also Uzbekistan
Continue walking along the fourth ring and you will soon arrive at the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Alexius, built in 199 in Russian neoclassical style. The entrance is free, so you can peak inside – it has only one nave and no columns, like a great hall, and a neo-byzantine iconostasis, but there is nothing spectacular.
Just 300 metres from the Orthodox Church, in the next ring (calle Mahmud Qoshgari), stands the Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist, a small neo-gothic brick building. It was built in 1916, mainly for the Germans and Poles that had arrived in Samarkand as part of the Russian army or as tradesmen.
Just one block away, still on the fifth ring, is the Armenian Apostolic Church, the simplest of all. These three churches show that Samarkand’s new inhabitants were diverse but mainly Christian Europeans, and also the differences between Christian rites.
Also, you will see several neo-classical Russian buildings, small palaces painted in different colours and following different styles. Some of these host nowadays administrative offices or banks. There are also larger modern buildings, usually a lot more kitsch.
In Amir Timur Avenue, perpendicular to the ring avenues, is the main entrance to Alisher Navoi Park, which takes up the space between the third and fourth rings right to University Boulevard. Alisher Navoi was a 15th-century poet who was the first to use a Turkic language for literature, instead of Persian, which was the prestige language in all Central Asia. This is why he was declared the national poet of Uzbekistan (although he was born in Herat, Afghanistan).
This is a quite pleasant park, very popular for locals. There are two monuments to Alisher Navoi and some nice Russian-style buildings, communal tandir ovens (a common sight in Uzbek cities, though we didn’t see anyone using them here) and some wooden structures.
There is also an event venue (which they call amphitheatre), a culture centre that imitates Timurid architecture and some nice cafés with outdoor areas.
Hay también un recinto para eventos, un centro cultural que imita a la arquitectura timúrida y agradables cafeterías con terraza.
Between the inner ring of the Russian City and the Registan, there is a mostly pedestrian administrative district.
Around a huge Uzbek flag there are several large buildings that range from brutalism to post-Soviet kitsch.
Walking through this area, crossing a bridge over a busy road, we arrived just behind Tilya-Kori Madrasah, in Registan, with enough time to go to the market, drink a tea and go to the train station to continue our trip in Bukhara.
Eating in Samarkand
If you want to know more about food in Uzbekistan, read this post!
One of the problems of Samarkand is that it is a city so geared towards tourism (and specifically, package holidays) that its old city has too many tourist-only restaurants, some quite overpriced and not good. Therefore, it is important to know where not to eat – we tried Labi G’or, close to Registan, because it is recommended in the Bradt guide and it was a scam. The place is undoubtedly very nice, but shashlik were nothing special (the chicken one was not well cooked) and it was really overpriced.
There are better (and more local) options in the Russian City, especially in its Northern part, until Dinamo Stadium. There we ate in ..Old City Restaurant (Abdurahman St), one of the favourites for locals and one of the best restaurants we ate in Uzbekistan. They have a quite decent variety of traditional Uzbek and Russian dishes.
Also, you cannot miss plov in Samarkand. Like in any other city in Uzbekistan, the best places to eat the national dish are plov centres (Osh Markazi). Plov centres are usually outside of the city centre and they only open for lunch (until 3 pm or so).
We went to Samarqand Osh Markazi N1 (usually they don’t take much care about names in these places!), North of Afrosiyob. We found it because it is the only plov centre in Samarkand listed in Tripadvisor, but it was a great choice! It was one of the best plovs we ate in Uzbekistan, and there were many locals in the restaurant. Plov, green tea, bread and salads cost less than 4 € per person.
Another Uzbek classic is shashlik (grilled skewers, usually with fat cubes to make it juicier). Across Registan, next to disappointing Labi G’or, there is a local shashlik place with a small sitting area on the sidewalk where they make great shashlik and serve draught beer. You will recognise the smoke reaching the street.
In the artificial Tashkent Avenue that spans the distance from Bibi Khanum to Registan there are several places that are not bad for lunch or dinner. As our hostel was in an alleyway neighbourhood next to Bibi Khanum and we didn’t have many options around, we had dinner a couple of times in Sayqali Samarkand Chayhana. Soups were quite good, as usual, and the rest of the menu was pretty decent.
Across the street, Ikat Boutique Café is managed by a Japanese man who ended up in Samarkand, is probably the most cool and inviting place around.
You can also eat in the Samarkand Bazaar – its teahouses have daily menus that look quite good and local, but it closes at 6 pm.
There is barely any nightlife in Samarkand. This is something common to all Uzbekistan, but Samarkand is quieter than Bukhara and Tashkent. There is a beer bar area West of the city, next to the Dinamo Stadium and Mirzo Ulug Beg Ko’chasi. Once we went to Bochka, next to the beer factory. They have a wider selection of draught beer, which you can drink with shashlik.
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