Samarkand, the Silk Road City of King Shah Zaman

Samarkand is a real city in Uzbekistan, in Central Asia. In the Arabian Nights it is the kingdom of Shah Zaman, the younger brother of King Shahryar.

It is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. Some historians think it was founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. For hundreds of years it was the main city of the Sogdians, traders who carried silk and other goods along the Silk Road between China and the West.

In the time of the Sasanian kings, when the opening story is set, old Samarkand stood on a hill now called Afrasiyab, behind thick mud-brick walls. Our picture shows it like that, with a camel caravan arriving. The famous blue-tiled buildings people visit today were built much later.

In 2001, UNESCO added Samarkand to its World Heritage List as "Samarkand, Crossroads of Cultures".