Abdiberun Ensemble

The siege of Samarkand (1220) took place in 1220 A.D. after Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire, had launched a multi-pronged invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire, ruled by Shah Muhammad II. The Mongols had laid siege to the border town of Otrar, but finding its defences obdurate, a large force commanded by Genghis and his youngest son Tolui detached from the vanguard and set off southwards, towards Transoxiana. Samarkand was the Shah's capital and the pivot of his defence — the city's garrison was large and its battlements were one of the strongest in the empire. Genghis, however, managed to isolate it by capturing and destroying Bukhara in a surprise manoeuvre, and then laying waste to the nearby Transoxianan towns. After repelling relief forces, the Mongol army, now reinforced after the capture of Otrar, ambushed and massacred a sortie by the town's defenders. The citizens of the city soon surrendered at the instigation of the Muslim clergy; most were however enslaved or conscripted in traditional Mongol fashion. A small force held out in the citadel for around one month, after which around half managed to break through the Mongol lines and escape over the Amu Darya. Although the city was then comprehensively looted and pillaged, it revived slowly under the Pax Mongolica, and then, in the late 14th-century, returned to worldwide prominence as the capital of the Timurid Empire.

The Khoja Ahrar Complex (Uzbek: Xoja Ahror majmuasi, Russian: Ансамбль Ходжа-Ахрар, Arabic: مجمع خواجة أحرار; also spelled as Khodja Akhror) is an Islamic religious complex located in the Ulugbek district in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It is made up of a mosque, madrasa and the tomb of Khwaja Ahrar, a 15th-century Muslim statesman. The present-day complex dates back to the 17th century and was built during the rule of the Astrakhan Khanate.

Gulobod (Uzbek: Gulobod, Russian: Гюлабад, romanized: Gyulabad) is an urban-type settlement in Samarqand Region, Uzbekistan. It is the seat of Samarqand District. Its population was 779 people in 1989, and 5,700 in 2016.

Abdidarun Complex is an ancient shrine located on the eastern side (inside, darun means inside) of the Samarkand fortress wall. Various buildings appeared and became an architectural shrine around the tomb of Allama Abd Maziddin, who lived in the 9th century. In the center, the largest building – the hall (15th century) stands out. Its facade, dome and wall decorations indicate that it is a product of the architecture of the Ulug Beg period. The shrine is a public building that served as a mosque. There is a mausoleum of the saint inside the hall. As a result of the renovation, the original appearance of the mausoleum building has changed. Since the pond in the middle of the courtyard is located on a spring, its water was kept at the same level in winter and summer, and it was considered healing among the population. The rooms around the courtyard and the mosque on the west side belong to the 19th century. Among the decorations of the mosque, the names of the masters have been preserved.

The Ishratkhana Mausoleum (Uzbek: Ishratxona maqbarasi) is an architectural monument-mausoleum in Samarkand, built during the reign of the Timurid Abu-Said (1451-1469).The building, apparently, was the burial place of the female members of the Timurid dynasty, as several female graves were discovered during the excavations in 1940. At present, the building is in ruins, and the dome and high drum were destroyed relatively recently - during the earthquake of 1903.

Samarkand State University (SamSU) (Uzbek: SHarof Rashidov nomidagi Samarqand Davlat Universiteti (SamDU); Russian: Самаркандский государственный университет имени Шарофа Рашидова) is a public university in Samarkand, Uzbekistan established by a government decree of the Government of Uzbekistan on 22 January 1927 in the city of Samarkand. The university is commonly known as Samarkand University (in Uzbek Samarqand universiteti)

The Oksaroy or Oqsaroy maqbarasi (Russian: Мавзолей Аксарай; Turkish: Ak Saray or "White Palace") is a fifteenth-century mausoleum in Samarkand, Uzbekistan that served as a burial site for a number of the Timurids. It is located 30 meters southeast of the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum.

The Gūr-i Amīr or Guri Amir (Uzbek: Amir Temur maqbarasi, Go'ri Amir, Persian: گورِ امیر) is a mausoleum of the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur (also known as Tamerlane) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It occupies an important place in the history of Central Asian Architecture as the precursor for and had influence on later Great Mughal architecture tombs, including Gardens of Babur in Kabul, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timur's Indian descendants, Turco-Mongols that followed Indian culture with Central Asian influences, Mughals established the ruling Mughal dynasty of the Indian subcontinent. The mausoleum has been heavily restored.

Zoological Museum of Samarkand State University named after Alisher Navoi is one of the largest history museums in Uzbekistan. It is a part of Samarkand State University named after Alisher Navoi, located in Samarkand. The scientific collections of the museum currently have more than 5,000 exhibits. Several thousand people visit the museum every year. It is part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the museum is located in the Department of Zoology.

The St. John the Baptist Church is the only Catholic church in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It depends on the Apostolic Administration of Uzbekistan based in Tashkent.

The Registan (Uzbek: Регистон, Registon) was the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand of the Timurid Empire, now in Uzbekistan. The name Rēgistan (ریگستان) means "sandy place" or "desert" in Persian. The Registan was a public square, where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes called dzharchis - and a place of public executions. It is framed by three madrasahs (Islamic schools) of distinctive Islamic architecture. The square was regarded as the hub of the Timurid Renaissance.

The Ulugh Beg Madrasa (Uzbek: Ulugʻbek madrasasi) is a madrasa (Islamic school) in the historic center of Samarkand, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uzbekistan. Together with other monuments, it forms the monumental ensemble of Registan, the old heart of the city. It was built between 1417 and 1421 by the then-Timurid governor of Samarkand, Ulugh Beg, Timur's grandson and prominent astronomer, who was later emperor between 1447 and 1449.The madrasa was an important teaching center of the Timurid Empire, where they taught some of the most outstanding scholars of their time, both religious and secular. It is the oldest building in Registan, the only one from the 15th century and the only survivor of a wider architectural ensemble, which included several mosques, caravanserais, a bazaar, and a khanaqah (inn of Sufis). At the site of the latter is currently the Sher-Dor Madrasa, located in front of Ulugh Beg Madrasa.