ACityIndependent states
Samarkand
One of Central Asia's oldest cities and Timur's capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
Samarkand is thought to have been founded in the 8th–7th centuries BC. Centre of Sogdiana and one of the richest Silk Road cities, it had 882,000 people in 2026 and is Uzbekistan's second-largest city.
In the late 14th century Amir Timur made it his capital and, bringing craftsmen from across the world, turned it into a city of turquoise domes: the Registan, Gur-e-Amir, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Shah-i-Zinda and Ulugh Beg's observatory are the wonders of that age.
It was the first capital of the Uzbek SSR from 1925 to 1930, and in 2001 UNESCO inscribed "Samarkand — Crossroad of Cultures" as a World Heritage Site.
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Updated: October 3, 2026