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Samarqand — the Stone City

The name comes from the ancient Sogdian Smarakanda, often read as “stone city”. One of the oldest cities on earth, Samarkand stood at the heart of the Great Silk Road, where caravans from East and West met, traded and shared knowledge. Its blue domes still watch over the Registan — the square that greeted travellers for centuries.

The Registan — Three Madrasas, One Square

Three great madrasas face one another across one open square, their tiled portals and blue domes raised over two and a half centuries. Since 2001 the square has stood on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, as part of “Samarkand — Crossroad of Cultures”.

• Ulugh Beg Madrasa (1417–1420) — the oldest of the three, built under Ulugh Beg, the astronomer-ruler. It was a university of its age: astronomy and mathematics were taught in its lecture halls, and Ulugh Beg himself lectured there.
• Sher-Dor Madrasa (1619–1636) — raised opposite, as a mirror of Ulugh Beg’s. Its name means “the one with tigers”: above its portal, two tiger-like creatures chase deer beneath suns with human faces — a rare sight in Islamic architecture, which usually avoids picturing living beings.
• Tilya-Kori Madrasa (1646–1660) — the centre building that completed the square. Its name means “gilded”: its prayer hall glows with gold ornament, and it served the city both as a madrasa and as its main mosque.

Amir Temur and the Golden Age

In the 14th century Amir Temur (1336–1405) made Samarkand the capital of his vast empire and filled it with gardens, libraries and master builders. From his age stand the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum, the Bibi-Khanym mosque and the Registan as the world knows it — a city built to honour learning and craft.

Imam al-Bukhari

Imam al-Bukhari (810–870), born in Bukhara, spent his life travelling in search of knowledge and gathered the hadith collection known as Sahih al-Bukhari, honoured across the Muslim world. He rests at Hartang, near Samarkand, where a memorial complex keeps his name alive for every visitor to the region. In March 2026 the complex reopened in a new form: 45 hectares of grounds, a new mosque for 10,000 worshippers, four minarets of 75 metres and an innovative museum of nine pavilions — it can now receive up to 65,000 visitors a day.

Al-Khwarizmi — the Father of Algebra

Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (c. 780–850) came from Khorazm, the land of Khiva in today’s Uzbekistan. His book on al-jabr gave algebra its name, and the word “algorithm” — used by every computer today — comes from his. A son of this soil whose ideas reached the whole world.

Uzbekistan — a Land of Welcome

Uzbekistan lies at the crossroads of civilizations: Silk Road cities, mountain valleys and generous tables. Independent since 1991, it is a land where a guest is received as a blessing — mehmondo’stlik, hospitality, is a way of life. That welcome is what we try to bring to our store every day.

Uzbekistan & America — One Table, Two Homes

The United States was among the first countries to recognise Uzbekistan’s independence in December 1991; diplomatic relations followed in 1992, and the two countries work together as strategic partners. Our store is a small, everyday part of that friendship: the breads, fruits and flavours of Uzbekistan, shared with our neighbours here in Ohio.

Samarkand’s own loaf is the great round Gala Osiyo non: large and thick, baked on the wall of the clay tandir, with a glossy golden crust and a centre stamped with the baker’s chekich pattern. It keeps well, so travellers have carried it home as a gift for generations — and it is the bread we are glad to share at our table here in Ohio.