Uzbekistan Samarkand – A tribute to mother

My late mother Sarah was a teenager when together with her family and a quarter of a million Polish jews fled to the interior of the Soviet Union when the second world war erupted. In retrospect it was the luckiest opportunity to survive the Holocaust genocide of European Jewry. For years she fled from one labor camp to another in central Asia moslem regions. Years passed and when I was her age in the 1970s independent Israel she spoke about the most beautiful town she witnessed during that time – Samarkand.

For years I heard the name but never imagined that 85 years after the beginning of the deadliest disaster of the jewish people I will make my way to this intriguing town far far away in independent Uzbekistan.

This April ‘Centrum Air’, a young Uzbek airline on the rise, announced it would operate a bi-weekly route from Tel Aviv to the capital city, Tashkent. With attractive rates it was the golden opportunity I was waiting for and tickets were purchased.

8 hours before departure a message hit the mailbox. The return flight was cancelled and in the reality of spring 2025 flight disruptions it was a tremendous disappointment. Hoping to get a refund and since the outgoing flight was soon due to takeoff without disturbances, my spouse and I decided not to give up and bought a return flight with the veteran airline ‘Uzbekistan Airways’. The landing in this country is to become real.

A 5 hours comfortable night flight in an empty aircraft and we landed in Tashkent airport. The view from a taxi, ordered via the Yandex Go app (highly recommended for extremely cheap rates) was of a modern impressive city. Wide boulevards highlighted by its iconic Independence Square with vibrant fountains, impressive park and spacious walkways. But our minds are with the arrival at our desired destination 300 kilometers away. Samarkand.

Uzbekistan offers modern transportation, including flights, fast high-speed trains and regular trains. Unfortunately getting tickets to the faster options is not that easy. Online tickets are sold-out a long time in advance. Frustrated, we booked the 4 hours slow train. The Tashkent hotel concierge came to the rescue and business class tickets on the fast train were found at the last minute with an affordable price. This 250 km/h high-speed train, the Afrosiyob, was fast and convenient. Curious , I had a long conversation via our google translate devices with a fellow passenger. Orif Shermatov, an Uzbek astronomer who was on his way to a paragliding festival in Samarkand. His Jewish friends that left for Israel, or the reason why we eat Matzah on Passover were the topics. ‘How did you get a ticket for this train?’, I asked him. His reply was straightforward: “Travel agencies buy all the tickets at wholesale prices in advance and a few hours before the train’s departure they are forced to sell the remaining tickets. It is often easier to buy 1-2 hours before the train’s departure and this is exactly how I got my ticket”, he reveals.

The 2 hour ride passed quickly and unexpectedly we found ourselves in a Samarkand time tunnel to the 14th century. The city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited in Central Asia. It is known as a crossroads of culture and trade. Samarkand flourished under the rule of empires. Its strategic location on the Silk Road made the city a melting pot of diverse cultures, fostering advancements in science, art and particularly in astonishing architecture.  It is home of the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. Widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders of Central Asia and the Uzbek national hero, Amir Timur. The beautiful structure Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum with its incredible huge azure fluted dome contains tombs of Timur, his sons and  grandsons. Surely a visiting point not to miss.

The ancient Registan Square ensemble of Madrasas is the main highlight here. Due to time and lack of resources it was neglected over the years. However major restoration works were undertaken between 1967-1987 and the outcome is jaw dropping. We are left speechless facing this grand architectural collection that has earned Samarkand global fame and status as a monument of oriental engineering. I couldn’t help thinking about my late mother as a teenager admiring the unmaintained sites in the 1940s during the war, before the restoration. Pictures from those days are seen in the history rooms of the impressive madrasas. Even in a sad period and circumstances to be impressed by Samarkand, she still thought it was the most beautiful city she saw in her life.

The old town is gigantic insize. Much bigger to what I imagined. Together with our young knowledgeable guide Jahongir, we explored endless additional breathtaking structures, monuments, Mausoleums and the famous Bibi-Khanum Mosque, named after the emperor’s wife. At the time it was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world. Bibi-Khanum Mosque is considered a masterpiece of the Timurid Renaissance and left us tongue tied.

A visit to the colorful bazaar by this astonishing historical mosque is refreshing. A must to enjoy local agricultural goods and atmosphere. Numerous restaurants are offering Uzbek delicious cuisine. We tried the Plov, the national dish of Uzbekistan with carrots, rice and lamb. Tasty and definitely the ultimate social food here that brings people together.

For our stay we had a dilemma. Should it be a hotel by the attractive monuments in the old town part, or to prefer the recently opened Hilton Regency in the newly impressive silk road compound, half an hour away. The intriguing new Hilton was our choice. A tower that dominates the skyline in a countryside environment, by an impressive artificial canal from the soviet times. The 220 room hotel offers a breathtaking design with specious decorated pubic areas. The lovely comfortable pampering suite we enjoyed on the 11th floor was equipped with the latest sophisticated surprises the hospitality industry offers. Sensor controlled toilets, or a pampering shower with electronic buttons to choose your favorite water spreads. Certainly just two examples of many. This might be a model for the future luxury hospitality, combining advanced technology combined with local architecture heritage. However if one is used to sleeping after sunrise, it is recommended to have an airline eyes mask handy, as the electronic curtains unfortunately do not block daylight. We woke up earlier than anticipated. All in all the team members are friendly and eager to assist. Reception staff advised us to have our dinners in the Eternal City compound that offer a variety of Uzbek restaurants. It was definitely a good recommendation. We skipped the hotel dining room during our stay, except the famous Hilton Breakfast we had outside daily, enjoying the canal front view. A truly recommended 2025 hotel to enjoy.

Overlooking the canal, this Hilton is part of the Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Center with additional hotels and a congress hall.  The recommended ‘Eternal City’ here (free entrance) indeed a jaw dropping highlight. It is a version of ancient Samarkand, complete with domes and mosques, restaurants and bazaar-style shops. This is certainly an oriental fairy tale: with turquoise domes, mosaics on palaces and high minarets that pierce the sky. Enjoying the architecture we definitely imagined here the versatile heritage of bygone centuries and dined as well. The trade routes of the Great Silk Road paved the way to Samarkand paper manufacturing. The silk paper process-making is one of the most impressive presentations here. Thousands of years of astonishing technology by Samarkand craftsmen.

With these magical landmarks and cultural heritage, Samarkand will certainly stay in our hearts forever. We felt completely safe here, surrounded by the friendly Uzbek people. A breathtaking journey to link to my late mother’s stories of my childhood.

• In memory of Sarah Migdal-Verses (1926-2009)