How to attract tourists to Registan Square in Samarkand

Registan Square. Now and then

It has been long since the moment of the first erection on the Registan Square up to now- already 6 centuries. In the end of the 17th century, Samarkand had gone through severe economic decline. The status of the capital city passed to Bukhara and merchants of the Great Silk Road would keep away from the city. There were only around 1000 families left in it at that time, and once wonderful buildings of madrassah were a shelter for wild animals. It was only in 1875 when Samarkand regained its past trading significance and the Registan Square was leveled and bridged.

However, in 1918 Samarkand faced changes again. The Soviet rule prohibited activity of any madrassah as religious schools. During this time, erections endured many natural damaging factors: earthquakes, harsh weather conditions. The larger part of the cladding of the building and the painting décor were lost. Nevertheless, it was the Soviet rule that had given the order to restore the entire Registan and give it the status of the significant historical monument on the Great Silk Road.

Restoration works had lasted many years and finished just before the fall of the Soviet Union. Scientists literally had to collect the whole interior and the exterior of the buildings and smaller façade fragments, restoring all elements.

The look that we can see on the Registan today is painstaking work of hundreds of restorers. If there was no decision taken during the Soviet rule to restore the unique monument, this beautiful ancient sight would never stand in front of our eyes.

Today different concerts, celebrations and other bright events of the city and the Republic are held on the Registan Square. Thousands of tourists’ daily flow to the square in order to see the grand beauty. Registan is a valuable gift that we had inherited from our ancestors, embodying the entire charm of the eastern architecture.

You can get to Samarkand both by air and by land. There is an international airport "Samarkand" connected by air ways with the largest airports in Russia and Kazakhstan. For example, there are direct flights from Moscow to Samarkand from Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo airports operated by Uzbekistan Airways (twice a week), Aeroflot (once a week) and Utair (3 times a week). From Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg you can take a flight to Samarkand, operated by "Uzbekistan Airways" and "Aeroflot", on Wednesdays and Fridays with a transfer in Moscow. The climate in Samarkand is dry and subtropical, winter is cold, summer is very hot. The average temperature in summer is approximately 35-40 degrees. Therefore, the best time to walk through the ancient city is the early autumn or spring, when there is no rain, the air smells of greens and a cool breeze wafts. If you decide to visit this city in the summer, a hat or other headdress is a must have accessory, and also do not forget about water, since summer is very dry there.