If it is said that a paradise is to be seen in this world, then the paradise of this world is Samarkand.
--'Ata-Malik Juvaini
Did you know that only 3 percent of world’s travelers chose to go to Samarkand for a vacation? (UNWTO, 2006) Have you ever thought of taking a trip to Samarkand? I personally lived very close to Uzbekistan but had never heard of tourist opportunities that the city of Samarkand or in fact a Silk Road adventure had to offer. This is while; there have always been opportunities to travel around Europe and to discover the Western culture. The romance of Eifel tower in Paris, the taste of Venice for a honeymoon and the mystery of many historical places in Europe has always grabbed my attention, but why not Samarkand? The Gur-e-Amir and the glistening azure dome of Bibi Khanym Mosque if not more, have nothing less than what the other parts of the world is proud of and it is disappointing that The Great Silk Road has became a forgotten route in mind of many travelers.
For this reason and many more to be mentioned, I would be analyzing the current situation of Samarkand in regard to travel and tourism and I will look at how the definition of tourism has changed over years, especially since the 1990s. This transformation has definitely affected many Eastern localities and has created a different reality for places like Samarkand.
Samarkant, shown on this 1575 map, was one of the greatest Central Asian cities on the Silk Road linking China with the Mediterranean. Through this ancient trading center passed caravans bearing spices, silks, and other longed for treasures of Asia.
Within the past century, international tourists have increasingly sought exotic destinations in their pursuit of relaxation, escape, and adventure. Recognizing the opportunity to earn valuable foreign currency, developing countries have catered to these desires by encouraging tourism development. However, the period of the 1990s and beyond is showing itself to be radically different from the previous decades. While technological change has been with us for some time, it continues to accelerate and its impact increasingly reverberates through out society. In addition, the dramatic political changes that have occurred in the recent years are only manifestations, which reflect changes in human priorities concerning the way the population of the world wishes to live (Ritchie, 1993).
Among these changes, the UNESCO project on an 'Integral Study of the Silk Roads: Roads of Dialogue’ (1988-1997) definitely played an imperative role in familiarizing the modern world with the Great Silk Road adventures.
Samarkand:
"A traveler who approaches the city sees only a mountainous height of trees and the houses embowered among them remain invisible", wrote Spanish envoy Ruy Gonzales de Clavijo who visited Samarkand in 1404. "Bogi Zagon", "Bogi Shamol", "Bogi Maidon", "Bogi Baland", "Bogi Dilkush": all names of gardens are kept till nowadays. And at present time Samarkand is one of the greenest cites of Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan Diary).
That is because Samarkand is situated in the valley of the river Zarafshan. Furthermore, it is the second largest city of Uzbekistan and is of the same age as the city of Babylon or Rome. The history of Samarkand is about 2,500 years old and has witnessed a lot of upheavals during the times of Alexander the Great, the Arabic Conquest, Genghis-Khan Conquest and lastly Tamerlane's. Hence, the culture of Samarkand was developed and mixed together with the Iranian, Indian, Mongolian and a bit of the Western and Eastern cultures. Majestic and beautiful city Samarkand has a marvelous and attractive power. Poets and historians of the past called it "Rome of the East, The Beauty of Sublunary Countries, and The Pearl of the Eastern Muslim World". Its advantageous geographical position in Zarafshan valley put Samarkand to the first place among cities of the Central Asia (Chuvin, 2001)
For all the mentioned facts, Samarkand kept many attentions over the past ten years and became one of the most visited cities in Uzbekistan. As part of a rather important mission in reviving the Great Silk Road is assigned to the World's Tourist Organization (WTO), which today is implementing long-term tourist project aimed at promotion of tourism in this region.
Furthermore, Samarkand office of the UNWTO (United Nation World Tourism Organization), "Tourism on the Silk Road" was established on the 22nd of October 2004. According to the agreement between the UNWTO and Government of Uzbekistan, their purpose was to create a unified database of tourist attractions and monuments on the Silk Road including Samarkand.
The main reasons behind this project was to serve as a connecting join branch between the Silk Road countries in order to develop tourism in this ancient road and to promote initiatives directed to the support of the participation of the governments and to expand tourist in the region (UNESCO, 2006). Connecting the West with the East can be counted as one of the most important reasons behind this project. Knowing the fact that the emergence of the United Nation was due to peace and a mediator between the West and the East; the presence of cultural and political reasons behind this project clearly shows its existence (Tucker, 2003).
By the same token, it is imperative to note that most change in tourism is evolutionary, and it fact it takes time to appear. What has made the period from the mid 1990’s of particular significance to tourism is the fact that much of the change which has taken place in the world during this period can be regarded as more revolutionary than evolutionary (Butler, 1995). This statement particularly applies to political events; the collapse of communism, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, impacts through out the Middle East, the Gulf war and at least temporary political realignments in that area (ibid). All of these to say the least have had or will have major effects on tourism.
An evident example of this change can be seen in Samarkand. The rise of tourism and the attention that the world has paid to The Great Silk Road now could nourish from the fact that the political system of Samarkand has changed over the past years and the world has realized the need for this ancient civilization. Hence, in recognition of Samarkand's rich multi-cultural, ancient history, travel to Samarkand is now encouraged by organizations such as the UN, UNESCO and the WTO. The government of Uzbekistan has also made tourism a priority, investing in the building and development of airports, leisure facilities, hotels and transportation. As a result, fine Samarkand service is now another attraction for travelers who tour Central Asia (Alkajer, 1990).
Today, as a result of all these changes, travel agencies offer tours that include visiting places such as:
The Registan Square:
The Registan Ensemble at the heart of Samarkand, restored to its original splendor, ranks first in Central Asia and among the greatest of all the grandiose and magnificent works of the Islamic world. It’s meaning, 'sandy place', after a stream that washed sand over the earth, does little justice to the architectural and decorative wealth on show.
The main remarkable sight of Samarkand is probably Registan (Al-Registan XV-XVII cc.), one of the most beautiful squares in the world, surrounded by so many majestic ancient buildings, minarets and mausoleums that the square seems to be a giant historical exhibition space. The sunrise on Registan creates inimitable combination of forms and colors, accentuating imperceptible at the first glance peculiarities of the filigree anaglyptic of the walls and portals that surrounds the buildings.
Tilya Kari Madrassah:
Tilya Kari Mosque declares its religious purpose with two stories of hujra, ventilated by panjara, carved plaster windows.
Bibi Khanum Mosque:
Bibi Khanum means ‘first lady’; the mosque was named by Chinese Princess, the favorite wife of Tamerlan. It was uniquely splendid structure of its time in Islamic world. By Amir Temur’s idea Bibi Khanum mosque had to eclipse all that he had seen before in other countries.
In conclusion, tourism is not just about the travel; it has much more to offer and the Silk Road, which used to be a trade route of values, cultures and knowledge should once again show its significance on human civilization.
Perhaps this poem best expresses the wonder of Samarkand:
"You can travel through the whole world,
Have a look at the pyramids and admire the smile of the Sphinx;
And kneel down reverently at the ruins of the Acropolis,
Be dazzled by Rome with its Forum and Coliseum,
Be charmed by Notre Dame in Paris or by old domes of Milan;
But if you have seen the buildings of Samarkand
You will be enchanted by its magic forever." (Kalter,2003).
For further review, please take a look at the clip posted below:
Reference:
Alkjaer, E. (1990) East meets West – Europe Changing Tourism, Tourism Management 11, 3: 174-175.
Butler, R & Douglas Pearce. Change in Tourism: 1st ed. London and New York: Routhledge, 1995. 34-66.
Chuvin, Pierre & George, Gerard. Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. Paris: Flammarion, 2001.
Kalter, Johannes, and Margareta Pavaloi. Uzbekistan:
Heirs to the Silk Road. 2 nd ed. New York: Thames Hudson, 2003. 345-360. Print.
Marefat, R. (1992). The Heavenly City of Samarkand. The Wilson Quarterly, vol. 16(3), 33-38.
Tucker, Jonathan. The Silk Road: art and history. 3rd.
London: Philip Wilson, 2003. 1-290. Print.
UNWTO: http://www.unwto.org/silkroad/
