Complete Guide To Samarkand – Uzbekistan’s Striking Silk Road City

Despite having not done too much research for my solo trip in Central Asia, there was one destination I knew needed to feature on my vague itinerary. That was Samarkand. Time and time again, I had heard fellow travellers describe it as one of the highlights of their journey, and a quick Google image search was enough to convince me. I was captivated by the dazzling turquoise domes, intricate mosaics and grand Islamic architecture that I would later learn from a local guide was inspired by that of Persia (modern-day Iran). Samarkand was the second stop on my Central Asia adventure, after Tashkent – the country’s capital city. Pulling up in a taxi close to Registan Hostel, I opened the door to the most spectacular sight – Registan Square. I knew my hostel would be close to this iconic landmark, but not this close. This enormous complex was far more exquisite than any image on Google I had seen, and I could not help but smile at the taxi driver and say, “Oh wow, it’s so beautiful”, to which he happily agreed. Up until then, Uzbekistan had already exceeded my expectations, and it was just the second stop of my itinerary. Little did I know this would end up being one of my highlights to...