Samarkand monuments

SAMARKAND MONUMENTS

Since the 9^th-10^th centuries, Samarkand became a cultural center of the Islamic East and the first capital of the Samanids. Ruins of the Samanid palace with carved panels were found in the western sector of Afrasiab. In the 9^th-10^th centuries the inner city occupied 220 hectares. The suburb with markets, mosques, baths and caravansaries adjoined it in the south. The city had lead water supply. Manufacturing of Chinese paper was developing. Numerous workshops using water mills aroused on the banks of the Siab.

At the 11^th-13^th centuries Samarkand became a capital of the western Qarakhanid state. It was newly walled. A palace of the Qarakhanids was built in the citadel. The tomb of Kusam ibn Abbas became a cultic place where mausoleum was built. At the beginning of the 13^th century Khorezmshah ad took Samarkand and built a new palace instead of the Qarakhanids'. However, the state of Khorezmshahs was soon conquered by the Mongols. Chinggis-khan took Samarkand after short siege. The city suffered much due to Chinggisid internal wars in the second half of the 13^th century. Afrasiab has been finally deserted.

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  Afrasiab
  
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  Ak-Saray Mausoleum
  
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  Bibi-Khanym Mosque
  
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  Gur-Emir Mausoleum. Tombs of the Temurids
  
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  Hazret-Hyzr Mosque
  
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  Imam Al Bukhari complex
  
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  Mausoleum of Khodja Daniyar
  
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  Ulugbek Observatory
  
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  Shahi-Zinda necropolis
  
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  Registan
  
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  Ruhabad Mausoleum
  

Samarkand Museum of History
The museum is situated on the site of the ancient settlement of Afrasiab, on the road leading from the mosque of Hazret-Hyzr to the bridge across the Siab river.
The museum displays exhibits illustrating the various periods of the city's ancient history: ossuaries, fragments of ancient swords, knifes, arrows, coins, ceramics and unique frescos from the 7-8^th century palace of the Ihshid of Samarkand.
Excavated in 1965 in the center of the medieval city behind the third fortification, the palace occupied more than 1 hectare.

The roof of its throne hall was supported by wooden columns, and its southern wall decorated with paintings of a wedding embassy to llshid Varkhuman (second half of the 7^th century).

The procession is led by the bride - the Chaganian Governor's daughter - riding on a white elephant and accompanied by friends and dignitaries on camels and horses. On the northern wall are scenes of horsemen fighting against predators, as well as boats with men and women.
The eastern wall shows young men swimming in the sea, birds and animals, The wall behind the llshid's throne shows a procession of the Chinese, Chaganian, Chach and East Turkistan embassies. The palace was reconstructed several times and destroyed in the 8^th century.