Timurid era in Samarkand (1370-1506)

Semerkand city has held significant political and commercial importance for numerous empires throughout history. Particularly with the arrival of Arabs and the spread of Islam in the region, it came under the control of the Umayyads, Abbasids, Samanids, Karakhanids, Ghaznavids, Seljuks, and Mongols. However, the city's true development began during the Timurid period. Timur, who embarked on several expenditions to various regions throughout his life, settled scholars, artists, craftsmen, and religious figures brought from those areas in Semerkand, thus creating a foundation for the city's development in all aspects. Even during the reign of Timur's successors, Semerkand continued to rise as a center of knowledge and art. Especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, the city the has become one of the center of sicence, becoming renowned as a "corner of paradise" and a hub of scholarship. This study examines Semerkand during the Timurid period from social, commercial, agricultural, economic, academic, cultural, and architectural perspectives. The research aims to highlight the details relevant to the subject matter while emphasizing the innovations specific to this era. This thesis considers the distinctive characteristics of the city while also evaluating the approaches of the rulers toward the discussed topics. In this study, the general state of Semerkand during the Timurid period (1370- 1506) is explored, including its initial establishment, the social and religious structure during the Timurid rule. Additionally, the commercial, agricultural, economic, academic, cultural, and architectural aspects of the city during the Timurid period are evaluated from various angles, aiming to present an overview of Semerkand's state during this specific era. Keywords: Semerkand, Timur, Timurids, Ulugh Beg, Architecture.