By Corina Tan
The city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. Its historical importance dates back to 130 B.C. when China opened trade with the West, beginning a network of routes connecting it to the Far East, Middle East and Europe. Samarkand was an important centre located at the junction of trading routes which become known as the Silk Road. Although 600 years have passed since the Silk Road has been used for international trade, these routes have had a lasting impact on commerce, culture and history that resonates even today.
In 2022, the Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Centre will be unveiled in a grand opening set to become a unique tourist complex. This extensive complex will combine cultural, entertainment, medical and business tourism facilities. Recreational and entertainment spaces like parks, restaurants, cafes, bars, and sports areas will be featured along with an international congress hall and sites of cultural interest. The name of the centre was selected to represent the historical route of the Silk Road of ancient Samarkand. Located in the eastern part of the city, the centre covers approximately 260 hectares and centres around the affluent waterway of the Samarkand rowing canals.
The massive complex encompasses a Business Cluster housing eight hotels in tall exquisite buildings with 1200 rooms and suites. All hotels have conference rooms, meeting rooms, restaurants, bars, gyms, SPAs and swimming pools. The International Congress Hall features a multifunctional hall as well as a presidential and VIP hall with a banqueting room and exhibition hall. The Medical Cluster houses four boutique hotels, each specialising in a specific type of medical services, namely preventive medicine, detox, joint and spine treatment, and pulmonary medicine. In addition to medical and treatment rooms, guests may also select various therapeutic services such as massage therapy, mud therapy, infrared sauna, pressure chambers, therapeutic showers and cosmetology, all packaged in programs developed for 3, 7, 10 and 14 days of stay.
The Eternal City is a resort experience built over more than 10 hectares of land. The image of the ancient city recreated with a magical atmosphere and authenticity will be showcased through outstanding Uzbek cuisines, colourful folk shows and street performances. Artists, artisans, and craftsmen will have the opportunity to peddle their wares on the narrow streets of traditional bazaars where masterpieces of wood carvings, pottery, mulberry silk-paper, carpets and hand-made jewellery will be sold. The Eternal City will provide guests with an opportunity to find themselves at the border of Parthian, Hellenistic and Islamic cultures whilst observing the diversity of bygone centuries first-hand. The author and curator of the project is the famous modern Uzbek artist Bobur Ismoilov.
Some other attractions in this vast complex include a planetarium, a waterfall with a lake, a tropical garden with exotic birds and plants, an eco-village, an amphitheatre, parks and nature recreation areas, bike parks with bicycle rentals, outlets with fashion brands for shopping, a winery and multiple restaurants and cafes.
“Samarkand was a major stop on the Great Silk Road, a place where entire civilizations crossed. We believe that Silk Road Samarkand will become a centre of international tourism, where residents of the city, tourists, travellers and businessmen from all over the world will be able to spend time with pleasure and benefit. I am sure that the opening of the complex will launch a new era in the history of tourism in Samarkand,” said Artiom V. Egikian, CEO of the managing company of Silk Road Samarkand.
The state-of-the-art project developed by an international team of architects and engineers combines a balanced architectural ensemble that is set to become a multifunctional, modern attraction welcoming tourists from Central Asia and beyond. The scale and significance of Silk Road Samarkand are to make it a worthy follow-up to the fine monuments of the past and a driver of tourism development in the region.
