Samarkand
Last edited on August 24, 2023
Last edited on August 24, 2023
Samarkand, the Pearl of the East. An iconic city in Islamic history and one of the main locations on the ancient Silk Road. Visiting Samarkand is like entering a visual history book, as the picturesque architecture would leave you in awe with the amount of thought put into every detail. I personally fall in love with city the moment I step foot on it!
known for its mosques and mausoleums, Samarkand is a Persian city in the heart of Uzbekistan that was the capital of the Timurid Empire. Most of its local residents descend from the Tajiks, who are of Iranian origin, so you will find it’s common for people to understand and speak Persian, in addition to Russian and Uzbek.
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I visited Samarkand in August, which -as it turned out- was not a wise decision. Lol! The summer in Uzbekistan is very hot, with temperatures going up as high as 40 degrees Celsius at noon. Hence, it is best to avoid being outside between 1 PM and 4 PM. However, the upside of my visit at that time was the low-season rate I got, which made the accommodation cost less than usual.
The best time to be in Samarkand is March through May, or September through November. Otherwise, it will be either so hot in summer or so cold in winter.
Other historic cities, such as Bukhara and Khiva, can even have higher temperatures than Samarkand during the summer months.
Three to four days would be enough for the visit unless you are a photography-maniac who would definitely need a longer time to cover the city 🙂 As for what to visit, here are some of the main must-see attractions:
This is the biggest and most important attraction in the city, the unmistakable heart of old Samarkand. The square consists of three different buildings, each built as a school at different times to fulfill the continuous need for accommodating the increasing number of students at that time.
The square opens to the public at 8 Am in morning, which is considered the best time to visit in order to avoid the crowds and take your pictures fuss-free. Each of the buildings has its own set of architectural characters that distinguish it from the other two. However, all three of them were used for teaching as well as providing accommodation for the students during the academic year. The amount of detail is so astonishing that I would not blame you if you just sat down doing nothing but admiring the sight!
As the place comes to life every night with a beautiful light and sound show, you can buy a ticket to watch it inside, or you can watch it from the steps outside the square. You will find a lot of the locals hanging out there with their families and loved ones, as the place offers a popular social space.
Entry fee: 40,000 SOM (Credit card is accepted)
Another main spot with which you will fall in love at first sight. It is a mausoleum that houses the bodies of several royal figures, in addition to Prophet Mohammed’s cousin – Qathem bin Abbas. The site is very narrow with shrines on both sides of the passage, which makes the photography options very interesting.
Most of the entrances are very rich in detailed mosaic, which is reflected in the interior as well. However, there are some buildings that are adorned with modest details in comparison to the others.
Entry fee: 10.000 SOM (Credit card is accepted)
This would take a short walk from Registan or a two-minute ride in the electric car. It is the first big mosque in Samarkand that was built to hold Friday prayers (Jumma prayers). Bibi Khanum was the wife of Amir Temur, and he wanted to honor her by building this mosque. However, since the building was done in five years – a relatively short period of time for such a massive building- the mosque started to show signs of bad engineering and began to crumble. Since then, they tried to restore it for many years until they finally stopped 150 years later.
The place is relatively small and not all the buildings are open for visiting.
Entry fee: 12,000 SOM (you may expect to pay more if they see you holding a camera and a tripod)
If you have time, it would be best to visit Bukhara and Khiva, the other two main Persian cities. The same train that connects Tashkent with Samarkand would usually continue its journey to Bukhara and then Khiva. It takes around 4 hours between Tashkent and Bukhara using the premium train service (the fastest train).
Another place worth visiting in Shahrisabz, where you can see how authentic Persian carpets are made and even purchase one.
Since most of the attractions in the old city of Samarkand are close to Registan, it is very wise to find accommodation within a short walking distance from the location.
There are good accommodation options in the city, but make sure to book yours in advance to guarantee to find a place at a reasonable cost.
I personally had a pleasant experience during my stay in Samarkand. I picked a hotel less than a five-minute walk from Registan that had a beautiful cozy inner yard and a nice room. The city encountered a major power cut, which left us without water or air conditioning for over a day. The hotel staff was nice enough to charge my phone when possible and provide me with a water supply for the washroom. They even extended my stay and offered me a free ride to the train station upon departure.
As mentioned in the previous section, I had a pleasant experience with the people of Samarkand in general. However, the language barrier can be a real issue sometimes, since most people speak Russian, Uzbek, or Persian. For example, I had to order my food in a restaurant by searching for a kebab picture online since they did not have menus nor were they able to speak any language other than Russian! Gladly though, the food was good, albeit a bit too raw for my taste, but apparently, that’s how they like their meat there! Speaking of food, one of their main Uzbek dishes is horse meat, which was quite surprising to learn, but I did not get the chance to try it during my visit.
The people of Samarkand are generous, kind, and curious too. Be prepared to be asked where you are from, a lot! But I’m sure you wouldn’t mind it with their warm, welcoming tone. Moreover, do not be surprised if you see young boys approaching you to start a conversation in order to improve their English language. What got my attention was that they will always ask you if you are a Muslim, and they will get so excited if you are. It is like finding a connection they are missing with the outer world, especially that mosques are not usually open for prayers, except the Jumma (Friday) prayer.
One last thing you need to keep in mind is that you should haggle on everything, whether it’s getting a taxi or buying at shops, or even purchasing an entry ticket! Haggling seems to be part of their culture and you will always get what you want if you insist long enough. The country is generally not doing well financially, especially with the recent COVID crisis that led to reduced tourist turnout (a common issue everywhere, of course).
The best way to reach Samarkand from Tashkent is by the premium express train. You can find the schedule and book a ticket through this website e-ticket.railway.uz
There are available options in the first or second class that are all clean, fast, and convenient to use. It would take around two and a half hours to reach the destination in either direction.
Another way to get there is to take a domestic flight between the two cities, which would take less than an hour. However, the flight is not available frequently.
As for within the city, the most commonly used means for transportation is the taxi. In addition to that, you can order a cab using an app if you have an Uzbek mobile number. (You can use Taxi OK if you are in Samarkand and Yandex Go if you are in Tashkent). It is advisable to use the app since the rate is fixed. Otherwise, if you stop a taxi on the street and they figure out that you are a tourist, they may charge you a higher fare.
There are trams to be used but in the new part of Samarkand city, not the historic part.
The main Uzbek currency is called SOM and $1 is equal to around 10,500 SOM. I could not find any place that would convert money to Uzbek SOM before my flight from Dubai. Hence, it is best to keep US dollars with you and exchange them on your arrival.
There is an exchange outlet at the departure terminal where you can convert money. It is best to do that before leaving the airport so you will be able to pay for the taxi as well as paying for other services when needed. In case you happen to arrive after midnight, you can still manage to exchange money through their available exchanging machine.
Before your departure, check with the information desk about how much a taxi would charge to your destination. It is important to be aware of the rates since taxi drivers can take advantage of tourists. For example, a 20-minute ride in Tashkent should not cost more than 40,000 SOM. The cost drops relatively in Samarkand, where you can pay almost half the cost for the same distance.
It seems quite customary to bargain over prices in Uzbekistan, as at the market or in the taxi for example.
As for credit cards, they are accepted in some of the attractions like Registan, but they are not accepted everywhere, so it is wise to keep cash on you during your trip.
Samarkand is no doubt a sight for sore eyes and a city that’s worth visiting, even more so if you are a photographer or a history buff, so make sure to save this post in your bookmarks to go back to it when you’re planning your visit, hopefully soon!
I am Iman. A travel lover and a photographer with so much passion to learn new things and meet people! On this website, I will be writing about my travel and photography experience, and add what I learn here to be a useful guide to whoever needs it!
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