Uzbekistan the
Oriental Beauty
In Uzbekistan you can find the history from the time when it
was a center of empire, learning, and trade. Uzbekistan was an
important part of the overland trade routes known as the Great
Silk Road linking China with the Middle East and imperial Rome.
Because of the importance of the silk and trade, the Road and
surrounding cities were attractive for new conquerors, the area
owned with different nations and empires.
As a short history of Uzbekistan;
4th century BC: Alexander the Great set up at least 8
cities in Central Asia
2nd century BC: China opened its border to trade and the
caravans began traveling through the Silk Road.
7th-8th centuries: Arabs conquer Uzbekistan and introduce
Islam.
9th-10th centuries: Persian Samanid dynasty becomes
dominant and develops Bukhara as important centre of Islamic
culture. As it declines, Turkic hordes compete to fill the vacuum.
13th-14th centuries: Uzbekistan and the rest of Central
Asia conquered by Genghis Khan and becomes part of Mongol empire.
14th century: Uzbekistan part of Turkic ruler Tamerlane's
empire with Samarkand as its capital.
Especially during Islamic time and Samanid's period, many
mosques and Madrassahs were built in Uzbekistan cities of
Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. Most of the cities were destroyed
during the invasion of the Genghis Khan in 1220. His descendant
Timur, resurrected once famous cities by using the labor of slaves
and artists captured during successful crusades. Timur conquered
Persia, captured Baghdad, and lead expeditions to Anatolia and
India. Most of the architecture that is found in Samarkand was
build by Timur
Touristic Places in the Cities
