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N° 02 of 07
7 Wonders · Uzbekistan

Samarkand

Zarafshan Valley, Uzbekistan 39.654°, 66.960°

"A crossroads of the Silk Road, tiled in lapis."

imur's turquoise capital — madrasas, mausolea, and the grid of an astronomer-prince.

Vela, your AI guide, composes each dossier from verified sources — UNESCO records, local historical societies, and peer-reviewed archaeology. Every claim is footnoted; nothing is invented. The virtual tour narrates each landmark in 12-to-20-minute segments, with a flyby between cities that tracks continental weather, current events, and your own pace.

"Begin at the first wonder — Registan. It's the thread. Pull it, and the whole city unravels into a story."

— Vela · your AI guide

The first wonder

№01
Architectural · 15th–17th c.

Registan

Three madrasas facing a public square — the most photographed ensemble in Central Asia.

Samarkand · 39.655°, 66.976°

Machine-readable index

  • Registan — Architectural · 15th–17th c. — Three madrasas facing a public square — the most photographed ensemble in Central Asia.
  • Bibi-Khanym Mosque — Architectural · 1404 — Timur's congregational mosque; once the largest in the Islamic world.
  • Gur-e-Amir — Historical · 1403 — Timur's own mausoleum; ribbed turquoise dome over a jade cenotaph.
  • Shah-i-Zinda — Historical · 11th–19th c. — Avenue of tiled tombs climbing the hill; nicknamed the living king.
  • Ulugh Beg Observatory — Cultural · 1420s — The astronomer-sultan's underground sextant, accurate to arc-seconds.
  • Siab Bazaar — Culinary · ancient — Pyramids of non bread, dried apricots, and melon so sweet it was shipped to emperors.
  • Afrasiyab Ruins — Hidden Gem · 7th c. BCE — Earthen citadel that predates Alexander; still being excavated.
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