Samarkand Holidays

Situated on the south-eastern edge of the vast, arid lands of Uzbekistan is the historic, UNESCO-listed city of Samarkand, a place synonymous with the Silk Road. The iconic heart of the legendary trade route, the city prospered from its location between China and the Mediterranean and a millennium ago was known as one of the richest and greatest capitals of Central Asia. Nowadays, visiting Samarkand is a slightly less frenzied affair, but the city’s history of several thousand years has certainly left its mark, with a fascinating array of ancient sites to take in and a captivating culture to soak up. The beautiful blue mosaic domes that perch atop the city’s madrassas, mosques and mausoleums shine under the unforgiving rays of the sun and are well worth exploring, while sites such as The Ulugh Beg Observatory, built in the 1420s, recall a time when the city was a major hub of the arts and sciences. Samarkand Holidays are all about discovering a wealth of trade and culture from a city that was the meeting point between the East and the West. It’s diving into history and seeing its echoes across the cuisine and architecture of the city’s streets right to this day. Take a voyage to a Samarkand and we promise you won’t look back. Read more