There are cities whose names alone are enough to spark the imagination. Samarkand is one of them.
Ever since childhood, its name conjured up images of caravans laden with silk and spices, conquerors sweeping in from the steppes, and blue domes shimmering beneath the Central Asian sun. Yet nothing truly prepares you for your first glimpse of Samarkand. When you encounter its monumental architecture, mosaics painted in a thousand shades of turquoise, and a heritage stretching back more than two millennia, you immediately understand why this city has become one of the most iconic symbols of the Silk Road.
… Continue reading