History of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan sits at the crossroads of the Silk Road. Its cities have been trading, fighting, and building for over 2,500 years.

Ancient Silk Road

Samarkand and Bukhara were already major trading cities when Alexander the Great arrived in 329 BC. Caravans linked China with the Mediterranean through these oases.

Timur (Tamerlane) and the Timurid golden age

In the 14th century, Timur made Samarkand the capital of an empire stretching from Delhi to Damascus. His grandson Ulugh Beg built the great observatory that measured the year to within a minute.

Russian and Soviet era

The Russian Empire absorbed the region in the 1860s–70s. The Soviet Uzbek SSR industrialized the country, drained the Aral Sea for cotton, and built the Tashkent Metro.

Independence

Uzbekistan declared independence on 1 September 1991. Since 2016, sweeping reforms have opened the country to tourism, business and cultural exchange.