Samarkand history
When was Samarkand founded (approximately)?
2,500 years ago
Which traditional Uzbek dish is Samarkand especially famous for?
Plov
Which historical square is considered the symbol of Samarkand?
Registan Square
Which Timurid-era architectural decorative technique, combining glazed bricks and terracotta to create deep geometric inscriptions, became a hallmark of Samarkand’s monumental art?
“Chinni koshin” (mosaic faience) using “haft-rang” glazing methods.
Which historian at Ulug‘bek’s madrasa compiled records on the political structure of the Temurid dynasty and is known for his chronicle “Matla’ us-sa‘dayn”?
Abd ar-Razzoq Samarqandi
Which famous ruler made Samarkand the capital of his empire?
Amir Temur (Tamerlane)
Samarkand bread (non) is known for which feature?
Large, round, thick, and long-lasting
Which complex is known for its long avenue of mausoleums?
Shah-i-Zinda
During the Temuriylar davri, which Samarkand craft guild (ustoz-shogird tizimi) was responsible for regulating standards of artistic quality across madrasa and mausoleum ornamentation?
“Najjol ustalar” gildiyasi (Master carpenters & builders’ guild regulating ornamental standards)
Which Samarkand-born scholar played a major role in reforming astronomical instruments at the Ulug‘bek Observatory, aiding in creating the world’s most accurate trigonometric tables of the 15th century?
Qazi Zadeh Rumi
What Silk Road role made Samarkand historically important?
Trade crossroads between East and West
Which sweet treat is traditionally produced in Samarkand?
Qandolat (sugar sweets)
Bibi-Khanym Mosque was originally built by whom?
Amir Temur
Which ritual performance, historically practiced in Samarkand during agricultural seasons, symbolized invoking blessings for harvest and is connected to pre-Islamic Sogdian fertility customs?
“Bahor sayli” (spring procession), originating from Sogdian agrarian rites
During the Shaybanid era, which Samarkand qazi and philosopher opposed the dominance of Naqshbandiya tariqat scholars and promoted a more rationalist interpretation of Islamic law?
Burhaniddin al-Marghinoni the Younger (descendant scholar in Samarkand).
The Timurid Renaissance in Samarkand is known for which achievement?
Flourishing of science, astronomy, and architecture
Shivit oshi, a green noodle dish, originally belongs to Khorezm, but what version is popular in Samarkand?
Noodles made with dill (ukrop)
Which feature makes the Ulughbek Observatory world famous?
It included a giant sextant that allowed extremely accurate star measurements
What is the historical origin of the Samarkand “non tandiri” technique that produces extremely durable bread, and which ancient civilization’s cooking system influenced it?
It originated from Sogdian clay-oven traditions, influenced by Achaemenid-era Persian hearth designs
Which architect-mathematician introduced the double-shell dome technique used in the Gur-e-Amir and later perfected in the Sherdor Madrasa, combining Persian squinch engineering with Timurid geometry?
Muhammad ibn Mahmud Isfahani
Which Samarkand astronomer built the world-leading Ulughbek Observatory?
Ulughbek
What makes Samarkand plov unique compared to other regions?
The rice is steamed in layers, and carrots remain whole long strips.
Why is the Gur-Emir Mausoleum important in world architecture?
It is the burial place of Amir Temur and influenced Mughal architecture (e.g., Taj Mahal)
Which symbolic motif frequently found in Timurid Samarkand textiles represents both cosmic order and political legitimacy, and was directly derived from Uyghur-Turki shamanic cosmology?
The “ko‘k tangri spirals” (heavenly vortex motifs) representing divine mandate and cosmic power
Which Samarkand intellectual from the late Temurid–early Shaybanid transition critiqued the political fragmentation after Ulug‘bek’s assassination and wrote analytical notes on governance (siyosatnoma-sifatida) preserved in the Istanbul manuscript fonds?
Khoja Muhammad al-Havofi (rarely mentioned transitional-era political thinker)