To many, the very name Samarkand rings like a dream. Echoes of ancient history and epic tales resound in our collective imagination. It is the only city three great leaders fought over: Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Emir Timur all coveted this pivotal point, which in the 15th century became part of the Silk Road, that vast network that enabled the exchange of knowledge, riches, materials and arts between the great cultures of Europe and Asia. When I arrived in Samarkand, it truly felt...
