Scotland-based "Lannie's food & travel" recommends visiting Samarkand - Heart of the ancient world

Samarkand - Heart of the ancient world

Samarkand is one of Central Asia’s oldest inhabited cities. This is mostly because of its location on the Silk Road. Archaeological sites in the area revealed that its earliest inhabitants were between the 12th – 7th millenia BC. Although there is no direct evidence when Samarkand was founded, scientists believe it to be between the 8th and 7th centuries BC.

In 329 BC, Alexander the Great conquered Samarkand. At that time, the city went by its Greek name, Maracanda. From then, a string of conquerors and empires ruled Samarkand. First, the Persian Sassanians around 260 AD. Then, the Turks and Arabs. Legends from this time tell a story of two Chinese prisoners from the Battle of Talas (751 AD), who revealed the secret of papermaking, leading to the foundation of the Islamic world’s first paper mill in Samarkand. The secrets of making paper then spread to the rest of the Islamic world, and onward to Europe.

https://lanniesfoodandtravel.com/2020/05/19/samarkand-heart-of-the-ancient-world/