Samakand On Old Photos

Samarkand is one of the most ancient cities in the world: according to some sources it is as old as 2700 years. The city experienced times of great success and flourishing, as well as destruction by merciless conquerors or decline in economy.

Samarkand, View of Chaar-su from the police booth on a market day

From such rich history, Samarkand inherited wonderful monuments of architecture, science and culture. For a traveller who came to see the Registan Square or Bibi-Hanum Mosque, it may be of interest to see how these magnificent buildings survived the centuries.

This collection of photos comes from various sources, many are available elsewhere on the Internet. The photos were made, mainly, by Russians who lived, stayed or worked in Samarkand or visitors coming to Turkestan in late 19th or early 20th centuries.