Samarkand

Samarkand (Uzbek: Samarqand; Tajik: Самарқанд; Persie: سمرقند‎; frae Sogdian: "Stane Fort" or "Rock Toun") is the seicont-lairgest ceety in Uzbekistan an the caipital o Samarqand Province. The ceety is maist notit for its central poseetion on the Silk Road atween Cheenae an the Wast, an for bein an Islamic centre for scholarly study. In the 14t century, it became the caipital o the empire o Timur (Tamerlane), an is the site o his mausoleum (the Gur-e Amir). The Bibi-Khanym Mosque remains ane o the ceety's maist notable laundmerks. The Registan wis the auncient centre o the ceety. In 2001, UNESCO addit the ceety tae its Warld Heritage Leet as Samarkand – Crossroads o Culturs. Sister ceeties Nishapur, Iran Bukhara, Uzbekistan Balkh, Afghanistan Merv, Turkmenistan Cusco, Peru Lahore, Pakistan Lviv, Ukraine Kairouan, Tunisie Istanbul, Turkey İzmir, Turkey Khujand, Tajikistan