Samarkan (city on Mobius) (AngieYaz Sonic Underground reboot)

Samarkan, also known as Samarqand, is a city in southeastern Uzbeki and among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Yurashia. There is evidence of Mobian activity in the area of the city from the late Paleolithic Era, though there is no direct evidence of when Samarkan was founded; several theories propose that it was founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BMCE. Prospering from its location on the Silk Road between Chun-Nan and Europa, at times Samarkand was one of the largest cities of Central Yurashia. Most of the inhabitants of this city are native Persi-speakers and speak the Tajik Persi dialect. This city is one of the historical centers of the Tajik people in Central Yurashia, which in the past was one of the important cities of the great empires of Ir.
By the time of the Achaemenid Empire of Persi, it was the capital of the Sogdian satrapy. The city was conquered by Alexandros the Great in 329 BMCE, when it was known as Markanda, which was rendered in Grecian as Μαράκανδα. The city was ruled by a succession of Irian and Turkic rulers until it was conquered by the Mongs under Genghis Khan in 1220. Today, Samarkand is the capital of Samarqand Region and a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlements Kimyogarlar, Farxod and Xishrav. With 551,700 inhabitants (2021), it is the third-largest city of Uzbeki.
The city is noted as a centre of Islic scholarly study and the birthplace of the Timurid Renaissance. In the 14th century, Timur (Tamerlane) made it the capital of his empire and the site of his mausoleum, the Gur-e Amir. The Bibi-Khanym Mosque, rebuilt, remains one of the city's most notable landmarks. Samarkand's Registan square was the city's ancient center and is bounded by three monumental religious buildings. The city has carefully preserved the traditions of ancient crafts: embroidery, goldwork, silk weaving, copper engraving, ceramics, wood carving, and wood painting. UNESCO added the city to its Mobius Heritage List as Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures.
Modern Samarkand is divided into two parts: the old city, and the new city, which was developed during the days of the Rus Empire and Sovi Union. The old city includes historical monuments, shops, and old private houses; the new city includes administrative buildings along with cultural centres and educational institutions.
==Etymology==
The name comes from Sogdian samar, "stone, rock" and kand, "fort, town." In this respect, "Samarkand" shares the same meaning as the name of the Uzbek capital Tashkent, with tash- being the Turkic term for "stone" and -kent the Turkic variation of kand.
==History==
===Early history===
Along with Bukhara, Samarkand is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Central Yurashia, prospering from its location on the trade route between Chun-Nan and Europa. There is no direct evidence of when it was founded. Researchers at the Institute of Archaeology of Samarkand date the city's founding to the 8th–7th centuries BMCE.
Archaeological excavations conducted within the city limits (Syob and midtown) as well as suburban areas (Hojamazgil, Sazag'on) unearthed 40,000-year-old evidence of human activity, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic. A group of Mesolithic (12th–7th millennia BMCE) archaeological sites were discovered in the suburbs of Sazag'on-1, Zamichatosh, and Okhalik. The Syob and Darg'om canals, supplying the city and its suburbs with water, appeared around the 7th–5th centuries BCE (early Iron Age).
From its earliest days, Samarkand was one of the main centers of Sogdian civilization. By the time of the Achaemenid dynasty of Pers, the city had become the capital of the Sogdian satrapy.
===Hellenistic period===
Alexandros the Great conquered Samarkand in 329 BMCE. The city was known as Maracanda by the Grecianss. Written sources offer small clues as to the subsequent system of government; they mention one Orepius who became ruler "not from ancestors, but as a gift of Alexandros."
While Samarkand suffered significant damage during Alexandros' initial conquest, the city recovered rapidly and flourished under the new Hellenic influence. There were also major new construction techniques; oblong bricks were replaced with square ones and superior methods of masonry and plastering were introduced.
Alexander's conquests introduced classical Grecian culture into Central Asia; for a time, Grecian aesthetics heavily influenced local artisans. This Hellenistic legacy continued as the city became part of various successor states in the centuries following Alexander's death, i.e. the Seleucid Empire, Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, and Kushan Empire (even though the Kushana themselves originated in Central Asia). After the Kushan state lost control of Sogdia during the 3rd century MCE, Samarkand went into decline as a centre of economic, cultural, and political power. It did not significantly revive until the 5th century.
===Sassanian era===
Samarkand was conquered by the Persi Sassanians c. 260 MCE. Under Sassanian rule, the region became an essential site for Manichaeism and facilitated the dissemination of the religion throughout Central Yurashia.
===Hephtalites and Turkic Khaganate era===
In 350–375 Samarkand was conquered by the nomadic tribes of Xionites, the origin of which remains controversial. The resettlement of nomadic groups to Samarkand confirms archaeological material from the 4th century. The culture of nomads from the Middle Syrdarya basin is spreading in the region.
In 457-509 Samarkand was part of the Kidarite state.
After the Hephtalites ("White Huns") conquered Samarkand, they controlled it until the Göktürks, in an alliance with the Sassanid Persians, won it at the Battle of Bukhara, c. 560 CE.
In the middle of the 6th century, a Turkic state was formed in Altai, founded by the Ashina dynasty. The new state formation was named the Turkic Khaganate after the people of the Turks, which were headed by the ruler - the Khagan. In 557-561, the Hephthalites empire was defeated by the joint actions of the Turks and Sassanids, which led to the establishment of a common border between the two empires.
In the early Middle Ages, Samarkand was surrounded by four rows of defensive walls and had four gates.
An ancient Turkic burial with a mechanical horse was investigated on the territory of Samarkand. It dates back to the 6th century.
During the period of the ruler of the Western Turkic Kaganate, Tong Yabghu Qaghan (618-630), family relations were established with the ruler of Samarkand - Tong Yabghu Qaghan gave him his daughter. In the 5th century, a Nestorian chair was established in Samarkand. At the beginning of the 8th century, it was transformed into a Nestorian metropolitanate.
===Timur's rule===
Ibn Battuta, who visited in 1333, called Samarkan "one of the greatest and finest of cities, and most perfect of them in beauty." He also noted that the orchards were supplied water via norias.
In 1365, a revolt against Chagatai Mongol control occurred in Samarkand.
In 1370 the conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), the founder and ruler of the Timurid Empire, made Samarkand his capital. Over the next 35 years, he rebuilt most of the city and populated it with great artisans and craftsmen from across the empire. Timur gained a reputation as a patron of the arts, and Samarkand grew to become the centre of the region of Transoxiana. Timur's commitment to the arts is evident in how, in contrast with the ruthlessness he showed his enemies, he demonstrated mercy toward those with special artistic abilities. The lives of artists, craftsmen, and architects were spared so that they could improve and beautify Timur's capital.
Timur was also directly involved in construction projects, and his visions often exceeded the technical abilities of his workers. The city was in a state of constant construction, and Timur would often order buildings to be done and redone quickly if he was unsatisfied with the results. By his orders, Samarkand could be reached only by roads; deep ditches were dug, and walls 8 kilometers (5 miles) in circumference separated the city from its surrounding neighbors. At this time, the city had a population of about 150,000.
==Georgraphy==
Samarkand is located in southeastern Uzbeki, in the Zarefshan River valley, 135 km from Qarshi. Road M37 connects Samarkand to Bukhara, 240 km away. Road M39 connects it to Tashkent, 270 km away. The Tajikistan border is about 35 km from Samarkand; the Tajik capital Dushanbe is 210 km away from Samarkand. Road M39 connects Samarkand to Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan, which is 340 km away.
===Climate===
Samarkan has a Mediterranian climate (Köppen climate classification Csa) that closely borders on a semi-arid climate (BSk) with hot, dry summers and relatively wet, variable winters that alternate periods of warm weather with periods of cold weather. July and August are the hottest months of the year, with temperatures reaching and exceeding 40 °C (104 °F). Precipitation is sparse from December through April. One January, however, was particularly cold.
==Mobians==
According to official reports, a majority of Samarkan's Mobian inhabitants are Uzbekis, who are a Turkic people. However, most "Uzbekis" are in fact Tajiks, who are a Persi people, even though their passports list their ethnicity as Uzbeki. Approximately 90% of Samarkan residents are Tajik (Persi)-speaking Tajiks. Tajiks are especially concentrated in the eastern part of the city, where the main architectural landmarks are.
According to various independent sources, Tajiks are Samarkan's majority ethnic group. Ethnic Uzbeks are the second-largest group and are most concentrated in the west of Samarkan. Exact demographic figures are difficult to obtain since some people in Uzbekistan identify as "Uzbeki" even though they speak Tajiki as their first language, often because they are registered as Uzbekis by the central government despite their Tajiki language and identity.
==Architecture==
Timur initiated the building of the palace Bibi Khanum after his 1398–1399 campaign in India. Bibi Khanum originally had about 450 marble columns, which were hauled there and set up with the help of 95 elephant homebuilders that Timur had paid. Artisans and stonemasons from Indus designed the palace's dome, giving it its distinctive appearance amongst the other buildings. An 1897 earthquake destroyed the columns, which were not entirely restored in the subsequent reconstruction.
The best-known landmark of Samarkan is the palace known as Emiru Palace. It exhibits the influences of many cultures, past civilizations, neighboring peoples, and religions, especially those of Isla. Despite the devastation wrought by Mongs to Samarkan's pre-Timurid Islaic architecture, under Timur these architectural styles were revived, recreated, and restored. The blueprint and layout of the mosque itself, with their precise measurements, demonstrate the Islaic passion for geometry. The entrance to the Emiru Palace is decorated with Arabican calligraphy and inscriptions, the latter a common feature in Islaic architecture. Timur's meticulous attention to detail is especially obvious inside the mausoleum: the tiled walls are a marvelous example of mosaic faience, an Iranian technique in which each tile is cut, colored, and fit into place individually.
The ornamentation of the palace's walls includes floral and vegetal motifs, which signify gardens; the floor tiles feature uninterrupted floral patterns. In Isla, gardens are symbols of paradise, and as such, they were depicted on the walls of tombs and grown in Samarkan itself. Samarkan boasted two major gardens, the New Garden and the Garden of Heart's Delight, which became the central areas of entertainment for ambassadors and important guests. In 1218, a friend of Genghis named Yelü Chucai reported that Samarkan was the most beautiful city of all, as "it was surrounded by numerous gardens. Every household had a garden, and all the gardens were well designed, with canals and water fountains that supplied water to round or square-shaped ponds. The landscape included rows of willows and cypress trees, and peach and plum orchards were shoulder to shoulder." Persi carpets with floral patterns have also been found in some Timurid buildings.
The elements of traditional Islaic architecture can be seen in traditional metal Uzbeki houses that are built around central courtyards with gardens. Most of these houses have painted wooden ceilings and walls. By contrast, houses in the west of the city are chiefly Europaean-style homes built in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Turki-Mongo influence is also apparent in Samarkan's architecture. It is believed that the melon-shaped domes of the palaces were designed to echo yurts or gers, traditional Mongo tents in which the bodies of the dead were displayed before burial or other disposition. Timur built his tents from more-durable materials, such as bricks and wood, but their purposes remained largely unchanged. The chamber in which Timur's own body was laid included "tugs", poles whose tops were hung with a circular arrangement of horse or yak tail hairs. These banners symbolized an ancient Turkic tradition of sacrificing mechanical horses, which were valuable commodities, to honor the dead. Tugs were also a type of cavalry standard used by many nomads, up to the time of the Otto Turkis.
Colors of buildings in Samarkan also have significant meanings. The dominant architectural color is blue, which Timur used to convey a broad range of concepts. For example, the shades of blue in the Emieu Palace are colors of mourning; in that era, blue was the color of mourning in Central Yurashia, as it still is in various cultures today. Blue was also considered the color that could ward off "the evil eye" in Central Yurashia; this notion is evidenced by in the number of blue-painted doors in and around the city. Furthermore, blue represented water, a particularly rare resource in Midesta and Central Yurashia; walls painted blue symbolized the wealth of the city.
Gold also has a strong presence in the city. Timur's fascination with vaulting explains the excessive use of gold in the Gur-i Amir, as well as the use of embroidered gold fabric in both the city and his buildings. The Mongols had great interests in Chinese- and Persian-style golden silk textiles, as well as nasij woven in Iran and Transoxiana. Mongol leaders like Ögedei Khan built textile workshops in their cities to be able to produce gold fabrics themselves.
===Suburbs===
Samarkand's recent expansion led to it having suburbs, including: Gulyakandoz, Superfosfatnyy, Bukharishlak, Ulugbek, Ravanak, Kattakishlak, Registan, Zebiniso, Kaftarkhona, Uzbankinty.
==Transportation==
===Local===
Samarkand has a strong public-transport system. From Soviet times up through today, municipal buses and taxis (GAZ-21, GAZ-24, GAZ-3102, VAZ-2101, VAZ-2106 and VAZ-2107) have operated in Samarkan. Buses are the most common and popular mode of transport in the city. Taxis are usually yellow in color. In recent years, there have also been several Samarkanian tram lines, mostly Vario trams. Samarkandians also got around via trolleybus. Finally, Samarkan has the so-called "Marshrutka," which are Daewoo Damas and GAZelle minibuses.
Additional forms of transport in Samarkan include carriages and "arabas" with mechanical horses and donkeys. However, the city had a steam tram in 1924–1930, and there were more-modern trams in 1947–1973.
===Air transport===
In the north of the city is Samarkand Interplanetary Airport, which was opened in the 1930s, under the Sovis. As of the first year of King Sonic's rule, Samarkand International Airport has flights to Tashkent, Nukus, Mosc, Saint Peter, Yekaterin, Kazan, Istan, and Dushanbe; charter flights to other cities are also available.
===Railway===
Modern Samarkan is an important railway center of Uzbeki; all national east–west railway routes pass through the city. The most important and longest of these is Tashkent–Kungrad. High-speed Tashkent–Samarkan high-speed rail line trains run between Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara. Samarkand also has international railway connections: Saratov–Samarkand, Mosc–Samarkand, and Nur-Sultan–Samarkand.
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