From Alexander to Genghis Khan

Ancient High Cultures

The region of present-day Uzbekistan — historically Transoxiana (Persian: Mawarannahr, "beyond the river [Oxus/Amu Darya]") — is one of the oldest cultural areas of humanity. Samarkand (ancient: Marakanda) was founded over 2,750 years ago. The region was part of the Persian Achaemenid Empire and a center of Zoroastrianism.

Alexander the Great (329 BC)

Alexander the Great conquered Samarkand in 329 BC and was overwhelmed by the city's splendor. Here he married Roxane, a Sogdian princess — one of his most significant political marriages. The Greek culture left traces in the region that endured for centuries.

Islamic Conquest (8th Century)

In the 8th century, Arab conquerors brought Islam to Central Asia. Bukhara became one of the most important centers of Islamic scholarship. Here, Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna) worked, whose medical work "The Canon of Medicine" was the standard in Europe for over 600 years.

Genghis Khan (1220)

The Mongol invasion under Genghis Khan in 1220 was the greatest catastrophe in the region's history. Bukhara and Samarkand were razed to the ground, the population massacred or enslaved. Genghis Khan is said to have ridden into the Friday Mosque of Bukhara and proclaimed: "I am the scourge of God." The destruction was so complete that the region took decades to recover.