Bukhara–Samarkand Silk Road cities

Timeline

1. c. 700–850Transoxiana · TransoxianaAfter the Arab conquest, Samarkand and Bukhara gradually Islamized; mosques, madrasas, and market districts were established within the urban fabric, becoming trade nodes linking Persia, India, and the steppes.
2. c. 900–1000Bukhara · UzbekistanThe Samanids made Bukhara their capital and Samarkand an important secondary capital; the two cities brought together Persianate administration, Islamic scholarship, and Silk Road caravans, forming a highly urbanized oasis civilization center.
3. c. 999–1089Samarkand · UzbekistanIn 999 the Karakhanids occupied Transoxiana and ruled independently until around 1089; in the early 11th century both cities were under Karakhanid rule, with Seljuk suzerainty imposed only in the later 11th century. Bukhara lies on the lower Zarafshan, not on the Syr Darya.
4. c. 1370Around the Registan square, Samarkand · SamarkandTimur and his descendants built palaces, mosques, and madrasas on a grand scale; landmarks such as Samarkand's Registan made the two cities once again visual and political symbols of Central Asia, a legacy that endures to this day.