From antiquity to today

History of Uzbekistan

Over 2 700 years of unbroken civilisation — from the Achaemenid Empire to the modern republic. Every city is a chapter of the great Silk Road.

Antiquity · VI–IV century BC

Achaemenid Empire

The territories of modern Uzbekistan were part of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. The cities of Maracanda (Samarkand) and Bactra were already major trade centres on the ancient routes.

Antiquity · IV century BC

Conquest by Alexander

Alexander the Great conquered Sogdiana and Bactria. He founded Alexandria Eschate (modern Khujand) and married the local princess Roxana. The region became a crossroads of Greek and Eastern cultures.

Ancient Period · III century BC – II AD

Greco-Bactrian Kingdom

After Alexander's death, the Seleucid governors established the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom — a unique fusion of Hellenistic and Iranian civilisations. The Silk Road began to take shape.

Silk Road Era · I–V century AD

Kushan Empire

The Kushan Empire connected China, India and the Mediterranean. Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Hinduism coexisted on this land. Termez became a great Buddhist centre.

Medieval · VII century

Arab Conquest

Arab armies brought Islam to Central Asia. The cities of Bukhara and Samarkand became major Islamic scholarly centres. A new era of culture, science and architecture began.

Golden Age · IX–X century

Samanid Dynasty

The Samanid state became the cradle of Persian-Tajik literature and science. Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and al-Biruni were born in this era. Bukhara — the cultural capital of the Islamic East.

Medieval · XIII century

Mongol Invasion

Genghis Khan's hordes devastated the cities of Central Asia. Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench were largely destroyed. But the region recovered and flourished again.

Timurid Era · XIV–XV century

Empire of Timur

Timur (Tamerlane) created a vast empire with his capital in Samarkand. He transformed it into the most beautiful city of the era — the Registan, Gur-e-Amir, Bibi-Khanym Mosque were built. His grandson Ulugh Beg was a great astronomer.

Early Modern · XVI–XIX century

Khanates of Central Asia

After the fall of the Timurids, the Bukhara, Khiva and Kokand Khanates emerged. Rivalry and trade flourished on the Silk Road. Khiva's Ichan-Qala was built in its current form.

Imperial Era · XIX century

Russian Conquest

From the 1860s Russian forces conquered the khanates. Tashkent became the capital of Russian Turkestan. Railways, schools and European urban planning appeared alongside traditional life.

Soviet Era · 1924–1991

Uzbek Soviet Republic

The Uzbek SSR was proclaimed in 1924. Collectivisation, industrialisation, the cotton monoculture and the Aral Sea ecological disaster shaped the Soviet decades. Education and literacy grew rapidly.

Independence · 1991 — present

Republic of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan declared independence on 31 August 1991. Since 2016 major reforms have opened the country to the world. Tourism, investment and cultural heritage have become national priorities.

Touch history in person

Historical tours of Uzbekistan

Walk the streets where Timur and Avicenna walked. Our guides bring history to life.

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