One of the oldest cities in Central Asia, Samarkand was given the recognition it deserved in 2001 when UNESCO assigned it World Heritage Site status, acknowledging its importance as a crossroads of ancient cultures.  This unique city has played a seminal role in the development of Islamic architecture and the arts.  Empire after empire blew through, each leaving its mark.  Alexander the Great conquered the city in 329 BC when it was already the flourishing capital of Sogdia, known to Greeks as Marakanda.  It’s generally held that Alexander was so impressed that he said: “Everything I have heard about Marakanda is true, except that it is more beautiful than I ever imagined.”

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