Located at the geographical heart between Changan in China and the eastern fringes of Europe, Samarkand’s position on the Silk Road made it a hub of trade, science, technology and culture. Samarkand Non is a local flatbread known for its inimitable taste and features. The development of this urban center continued apace under Tamerlane's grandson Ulughbeg, who ruled the city for much of the first half of the fifteenth century until he was assassinated in 1449. and the Registan. } Trade was particularly robust during the Tang dynasty, as well as the later Mongol empire, when Genghis Khan and his successors unified most of Asia under one rule. The Silk Road (or Silk Route) is one of the oldest routes of international trade in the world. Samarkand suffered at least one other Mongol sack by Khan Baraq to get treasure he needed to pay an army. There is considerable evidence in the paintings, other archaeological material and written sources concerning the fact that several religions were practiced in Afrasiab. The Registan is an ensemble of mosques and madrasahs tiled with azure mosaics and intricate craftsmanship. A vague idea that one day they might traipse halfway across the world to lay eyes on this masterpiece of ancient architecture. murals, whose fragments shown here seem to illustrate a wedding procession, attended by Uzbekistan might not have the international reputation when it comes to wine, but Persian poet Omar Khayam wrote about Samarkand’s praising them for their quality. Samarkand entered a dark age and it was not until the 7th century ad that Silk Road trade returned and the city flourished again. Silk Road, ancient trade route, linking China with the West, that carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. The excavations have revealed fire altars from private homes and fragments of ossuaries (the examples of the latter here are from different sites in Central Asia). While the phrase "Silk Road" conjures up an image of a single road traversing across the Eurasian continent, historically the Silk Road was actually a network of multiple trade routes.. On land, the routes were divided into the northern route and the southern route.Starting in the capital city Chang'an (now Xi'an), the northern route traveled northwest through the Shaanxi … ambassadors bearing gifts, a diplomatic ceremony, in which the figure at the head of the He wanted results immediately and those assigned to the task, with their lives at stake. Here's a guide to help you explore Samarkand Uzbekistan. fortified area of the city provides a vivid impression of a very substantial town. Ulugbek’s Observatory is an archaeological site of the former observatory built in the 1420s. Photo Gallery Set out for an immersive two-week adventure through the fascinating collage of Central Asia. south, and a schematic map shows the rings of fortifications and the ponds and canal system For centuries, Uzbekistan was known for its gastronomy, and is said to house the sweetest fruits and most tender lamb in the world. Damaged during a rebellion which Alexander had to suppress, the city revived; in the third and second centuries BCE, it contained some very impressive buildings. 2. Pages will be added for the Gur-i Mir Mausoleum #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { Researchers at the Institute of Archaeology of Samarkand date the city's founding to the 8th–7th centuries BCE. For centuries, Uzbekistan was known for its gastronomy, and is said to house the sweetest fruits and most tender lamb in the world. The "home office" for one of the letter writers was Samarkand. Plov is the signature dish of Uzbekistan, and varies from region to region. Ulughbeg Samarkand is one of the oldest and most important cities amongst the many in the historic region of Central Asia known as Transoxiana. Shah-i-Zinda means the “Tomb of the Living King” and houses the holy shrine and the grave of Qusam ibn-Abbas, who was the cousin of the Prophet Mohammed. 4. Sogdian colonies were established in places such as Dunhuang, one of the important nodes in the trade route. Xuanzang's biographer reports that during the monk's visit in 631, Zoroastrian priests chased two of his Buddhist followers. Back in the 600s CE, that route was called simply "the road to Samarkand… To get the most out of Samarkand, it’s best to stay for two to three days, those passing through should make a beeline to the Registan, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Shah-i-Zinda. 3. Merchants exchanged goods such as horses, furs, jade and ivory for silk. Founded in the 7th century B.C. Poets and writers have immortalized Samarkand’s flesh in literature, and with its rich history, labyrinthine streets and Islamic architecture, it’s easy to see why this city has seduced travellers over the centuries. The last refuge of the Sogdians was a fortress upstream at Mt. The Spanish ambassador to Tamerlane's court, Clavijo, describes how Tamerlane "gave orders...that a street should be built to pass right through Samarqand, which should have shops opened on either side of it in which every kind of merchandise should be sold, and this new street was to go from one side of the city through to the other side, traversing the heart of the township." There is considerable evidence that rebellions against Arab rule often were connected with the emergence of local religious leaders who seem to have drawn heavily on Zoroastrian and Manichaean traditions. Xi’an (Chang’an) Location: Xi’an is a major Chinese city. It seems clear that the Soghdians were quite eclectic in their religious tastes, since motifs on some of the ossuaries mix Zoroastrian and Christian symbolism. Today it stands as a living museum of culture and architecture. The Great Silk Road is a famous ancient caravan trade route, which played an important role in the developpement of world civilization, it influenced the developpement of trade, cities, arts, and in addition it contributed to the infiltration, formation and mutual enrichment of cultures, religions and languages, which firms an important part of the heritage today. During the Kushan era the city declined though; it did not really revive until the fifth century CE. modern city. The wall paintings at Panjikent depict various goddesses and religious scenes, some even showing influences of Hinduism and others including local Central Asian deities not connected with one of the other major regions. To travel upstream just above the fertile valley floor (second photo), brings one to the historic city of Panjikent. The Silk Road was never one “road”, rather a connection of trade routes. The third branch passed from Zamin Rabat to Tashkent, Ispedzhab, Taraz, Nuzket (Kara-Balta) and Balasagyn (Buran). What did Samarkand trade on the Silk Road? As we know from the authors of historic accounts, its surroundings also provided pastureland, something that is evident even today if we look south from the highlands to the east of the city. The shrine has held a special place in Samarkand before it was sacked by the Mongols and boasts some of the finest glazed tile work in Central Asia. Sogdian inscriptions on the rocks in the valleys of northern Pakistan testify to their activity on the routes south into India. Such evidence points clearly to the importance of Zoroastrianism, which we know was widespread especially in areas which had been under Persian control. will be explored on separate web pages. Balkh is an ancient city, with a 2500-year long history, situated on the plain between the Hindu Kush Mountains and the river Amu Darya (historically known as the Oxus) in the north of Afghanistan. During the eighth century, because of their important economic role in the Uighur state which rose to power along the northern borders of Tang China, Sogdians may well have been the ones who persuaded the Uighur rulers to convert to Manichaeism. You should sprinkle it with water and warm it in a tandyr (a clay stove). Only fragments of the walls remained, such as these (on the right in the picture), which formed the southern boundary of the city near the mausoleum complex of Shah-i Zinde. photographs of the actual paintings in the Afrasiab Museum are modern artists' Solved: Why was Samarkand important to the Silk Road? Its splendor stems from the ancient Silk Road and the Turkish-Mongolian conqueror, Tamerlane, national hero whose tomb is venerated in Samarkand and who consolidated an empire even larger than the Roman. Camels were uniquely suited to crossing the roughest terrain in an extremely difficult climate because they could go for days without food or water by living off the fat stroed in their humps. The major monuments include the Registan Mosque and madrasas, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Shakhi-Zinda compound and the Gur-Emir … Mosque, are P.D. Read more about the Silk Road here. Voronikhin's drawing reconstructing the upper The "home office" for one of the letter writers was Samarkand. It was one of the easternmost administrative centers for Achaemenid Persia and had a citadel and strong fortifications. The Silk Road peaks here. Samarkand was a key Silk Road city, it sat on the crossroads leading to China, India and Persia, bringing in trade and artisans. There were goods, technology, religions and diseases. Formally known as Chang’an, it is an … Even though Samarkand is a city in Uzbekistan, you’ll find that the locals don’t speak pure Uzbek, but rather a form of Uzbek that’s been mixed up with Tajik. Along with Bukhara, Samarkand is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Central Asia, prospering from its location on the trade route between China and the Mediterranean (Silk Road). The lapis and turquoise colored Registan of Samarkand historic center is synonymous with the Silk Road. The tenth-century Iranian author Istakhri, who travelled in Transoxiana, provides a vivid description of the natural riches of the region he calls "Smarkandian Sogd": While settlement in the region goes well back into pre-historic times, by the seventh century before the Common Era (BCE or B.C. The Greek legacy lived on in the various "Graeco-Bactrian" kingdoms of the area and the Kushan Empire of the first centuries of the Common Era whose territories extended well down into what is today Pakistan and India. Ulughbeg is well known for his scientific investigations, supported by the Observatory he built on the hills to the east of Afrasiab and the madrasa (school) he erected on the Registan. The historic town of Samarkand is a crossroad and melting pot of the world's cultures. China also received Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism (from India) via the route. There is no direct evidence of when it was founded. margin-top: 10px; Sogdian colonies were established all along the trade routes and Sogdian letters have been discovered from 313-314 AD, providing evidence about a network of merchants from Samarkand, reaching various places as far as China, in order to trade precious metals, spices and cloth. already available on Silk Road Seattle. Osh was the main intermediate trade point whence caravans went further to Kashgar across the Torugart Pass. 1. Many of the Central Asian cities quickly recovered from the Mongol invasion. border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; The site of the 30m astrolabe was once three story high. Known by Arab conquerors as Umm-al-belad, the ‘mother of cities’, Balkh lay on the major Silk Road routes that ran between east and west. Another painting shows a For some time after the Muslim conquest of the early eighth century, these eclectic local religious traditions remained the dominant ones. then the paradise of this world is Samarkand. palace of the pre-Muslim Sogdian rulers. Two examples from other palaces in Transoxiana from this same period (the images are reproduction paintings, filmed in substandard light in the Samarkand museum) provide an additional sense of the cultural connections of these prosperous Central Asian states. Firm Arab control in the region was not established before the middle of the eighth century (CE), and a century after that, Samarkand came under the control first of the Samanid and then the Karakhanid states. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. Chinese princess being conveyed across a river in a boat. Cities like Samarkand and Bukhara were built largely on the trade from the silk route. What was traded in Samarkand on the Silk Road? as ancient Afrasiab, Samarkand had its most significant development in the Timurid period from the 14th to the 15th centuries. The Silk Road is one of the world’s most famous and evocative routes. text-align: center; Samarkand, located in present-day Uzbekistan, is perhaps the oldest extant city in Central Asia. margin: auto; For UNESCO's inscription of Samarkand on the World Heritage Sites list, with some good photos click, For a documented overview of "Timurid Architecture in Samarkand" but one not Samarkand Non is a local flatbread known for its inimitable taste and features. Silk went westward. China. Alexander the Great knew it as Maracanda; at the time when it submitted to him in 329 BCE, the city occupied some 13 sq. #gallery-1 { Sogdian inscriptions on the rocks in the valleys of northern Pakistan testify to their activity on the routes south into India. Downstream is Bukhara. The origins of Samarkand date back to the 5th century BC. Its location between two of Central Asia's major rivers and near the fertile Fergana Valley has always made it like an oasis in the very dry and rugged land, a natural trade … A group of Samanid memorial stones can be seen today on a platform just in back of the Registan. As early as Han times, when the Chinese first recorded their impressions of Inner Asia, the Sogdians had a reputation as being talented merchants. Those who ruled Samarkand developed a complex network of irrigation channels, as shown in this map. Central Asia exported camels which were very appreciated in China, military equipment, gold and silver, semi-precious stones and glass items. The first three, on the A reconstruction of the possible appearance of one of the procession may be the Sogdian ruler, and scenes from the royal hunt. His ambition was to keep the Silk Road under his control, even though that ment having to go to war with various nations and empires located along this enormously long route from West to East. We know that some of the exotic products popular later in Tang China were imported from Samarkand. It does not get stale for a long time, and legend has it that … margin-left: 0; } Outside Dunhuang, he found a mailbag of eight extremely well-preserved letters. important personages reflect the influence of Sasanian (Iranian) designs. Sogdiana was a thriving province of Iran and the source of the precious stone lapis lazuli, which was traded eastward and westward along the Silk Road. and his observatory, and the Bibi Khanum Unfortunately, little remains of the architecture from this period in Samarkand. --quoted by 'Ata-Malik Juvaini (Boyle transl.). The Samanids, who were of Iranian origin, established Bukhara as their capital, and it was under their rule (to about the end of the ninth century) that the cities of Transoxiana became major centers of Muslim learning. This cultural-educational tour along the famous cities of the Great Silk Road will acquaint you with the ancient history and culture of Uzbekistan. The famous Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang passed through the city in the early 630s and recorded about it the following: The museum located today on the hill known as Afrasiab, the site of the ancient city, contains numerous examples of pottery from the period of the city's history prior to the Muslim conquest. A sense of its topography is provided by this model of the ruins, viewed from the Fergana line went from Samarkand through Khujand to the city of Osh. Soghdian merchants also went west and seem to have been involved in the development of new routes for the Silk trade with Byzantium in the sixth century. The Silk Road did not just carry silk. Fragments of a Karakhanid-era minaret and mausoleum may be seen in the oldest of the shrines of the Shah-i Zinde (see the photographs and discussion there). Ibn Battuta also visited Samarkand, "one of the greatest and finest of cities, and most perfect of them in beauty," where he similarly noted that "there were formerly great palaces on [the river's] bank, and constructions which bear witness to the lofty aspirations of the townsfolk, but most of this is obliterated, and most of the city itself has also fallen into ruin. It turned out Sogdian was the lingua franca of its day;The ancient Sogdian letters tel… km. Soghdian letters dating from 313-314 CE have been discovered there; they provide evidence about a network of Soghdian merchants in various places in China, whose commercial interests included precious metals, spices and cloth. As trade along the Silk Road grew, these pack animals bacame greatly valued for their ability to travel long distances over mountains and across deserts. During the 7th century AD, the Silk Road was reopened by China’s Tang Dynasty. The Silk Road city of Samarkand has long lured travellers and conquerors in search of wealth and the exotic in Central Asia. Mug, where archaeologists have unearthed a treasure trove of Sogdian documents attesting to the sophistication of their administration and legal system. But over a millennium ago, it was one of the richest cities on the infamous trade route known as the Silk Road. 5. Samarkand was in a decline during the Kushan period, and only experienced a revival many centuries later. Timur had a great interest in trade and wanted to reactive and restore the Silk Road. In the early twentieth century, an Indiana Jones-ish archaeologist named Aurel Stein was exploring some of the more remote stretches on the trade routes in Western China. This brought great wealth to the city, and Samarkand prospered from the trade that passed through its gates. The Zerafshan is fed by the snow melt from mountains to the south and east (shown here from the air) and flows into the Oxus (Amu Darya). Amid the ostensibly stark ruins of Panjikent are houses whose walls were decorated with murals portraying a religious ceremonies, scenes from the famous Persian epics and much more evidence of the cosmopolitan cultural connections of the last Sogdian state. Named after the trade which sprang up in response to the demand for Chinese silk, its origins can be traced back over 3000 years. illustrated with many photos, see Mark Dickens'. Excavations It does not get stale for a long time, and legend has it that it should be eligible for three years. from some time in the Islamic period. From Central Asia and further to China the famous “Heavenly racers” (Fergana horses), carpets, linen and woolen fabrics, semiprecious stones were exported. reproductions of the images which give a clearer sense of what is depicted. Wools, gold, and silver went east. HISTORY OF THE HEART OF THE SILK ROAD Samarkand’s location in the Zerafstan River valley, at the intersection of the Silk Road trade routes to Persia, China and India has led to it seeing both destruction by foreign invaders and triumphant revival. /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */. Trade on the Silk Road played a big part in the growth of the ancient cultures of China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, and Rome, and helped to make the beginning of today's world. It’s usually prepared for the most important events, and is a rice dish made with meat, spices and vegetables. ), the town seems to have housed a substantial center of craft production and already boasted an extensive irrigation system. In fact there was a Christian Nestorian bishopric in Samarkand as early as the sixth century. Samarkand derived its commercial importance in ancient and medieval times from its location at the junction of trade routes from China and India. Shah-i Zinde, With the arrival of the railway in 1888, Samarkand became an important centre for the export of wine, dried and fresh fruits, cotton, rice, silk, and leather. When Samarkand first became a way station on the Silk Road in the 4th century B.C.E., it was called Maracanda and was the capital of Sogdiana. } Historically, Chinese gourmets on the Silk Road praised the city for its sweet peaches and delicious plov and lamb. Aristocratic residences dating to between the 6th and 8th centuries AD have been excavated at Samarkand, and attest to the city’s wealth during that period of time. If it is said that a paradise is to be seen in this world, In the first two examples, following the golden road to samarkand Travelling the ancient Silk Road, one of the greatest trade routes in history to Tamerlane's capital, ancient Khiva and Bukhara With a diverse history and positioned at the centre of the ancient Silk Route, Uzbekistan is a … © 2012 Copyright by Silk Road Society. float: left; } Wine. Historically, Chinese gourmets on the Silk Road praised the city for its sweet peaches and delicious plov and lamb. In the beautiful square of Registan - which today we would call a university campus - with its three imposing madrasahs or Koranic schools … The Silk Road started with the Han Chinese well before this period. No gates, and only experienced a revival many centuries later 's reconstructing... 8Th–7Th centuries BCE routes carried the secret west to replace parchment and papyrus Persian.. 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