About Samarkand with Bakhtiyor Fazilov

Samarkand, one of the most famous cities of the East in general and Central Asia in particular, today is becoming a center of attraction not only for historical and pilgrimage reasons, but also for business and leisure tourism. With the advent of new opportunities, the recently rebuilt Samarkand International Airport and the Silk Road Samarkand tourist complex have added to a city of historical attractions and a city of forums of the highest level - from economic to environmental. What are the new opportunities of the Face of the East, what is it ready to provide to guests today and where does it aspire to be tomorrow? Bakhtiyor Fazilov, one of the main investors and patrons of the ancient city, talks about these points in an interview.

- Mr. Fazilov, first of all, why do you pay so much attention to projects in Samarkand?

- This is the city where I grew up and formed as a person, and my parents still live here. Samarkand brought me up, and I always wanted to support it with my sons. So today, I am happy that the time has come, and with the support of the state, I am able to implement truly large-scale projects in my hometown, to increase visitor numbers and investment into this magical city and region.

- You are really very proud to talk about Samarkand. And what is your pride among the completed projects?

- You know, people from all over the world – those who have heard of our city - dream of visiting Samarkand, seeing its famous architectural monuments - Registan Square, the tomb of Amir Timur ‘Gur-Emir’, the Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the mausoleums of Shakhi-Zinda and more. However, in order for not only ancient but also modern Samarkand to leave the best impression on guests of the city, it needed the most modern traveller-friendly infrastructure and, above all, the ‘gates of the city’ – a modern airport. Therefore, we began our large-scale investment projects with the construction of a magnificent new terminal at Samarkand International Airport, which was opened in March 2022. We set ourselves the task of creating not only a modern terminal, but also one of the most beautiful anywhere. And this goal has been achieved! The terminal building is made to appear from the sky like an open book, which symbolizes the main work of the great scientist Mirzo Ulugbek, ‘The New Astronomical Table of Kuragoni’.   On the roof of the terminal there are luminous constellations, which are the first things seen by passengers on aircraft during take-off and landing.

- Why was this decision made when developing the design of the renovated international airport?

- Because this is our history. Modern flights of long-haul airliners originate from here - from the research of the great astronomer Mirzo Ulugbek, whose star maps and tables form the basis of the most modern knowledge of astronomy and aeronautics. And our airport now serves as a reminder of these origins of aviation thinking, of which we are tremendously proud!

We also ensured that the highest of international standards were adopted during the construction of the new terminal, to ensure that we could optimize passenger traffic flows going forward. After all, due to the growth of regular flights, from 40 to 120 flights per week in the near future, our annual passenger traffic at Samarkand airport will reach two million people per year very soon, having doubled in both 2022 and 2023 to exceed one million for the first time last year.

As statistics show, Samarkand was visited by 1.2 million foreign tourists in 2022, and this figure increased to 2.15 million in 2023. The potential growth of our city is boundless.

-And these are only international tourists.  Samarkand is increasingly visited by many Uzbekistanis, so taking into account domestic tourism, more than 4 million domestic and foreign tourists visited our famous city last year. Do you know why? Because now there is another attraction in Samarkand - beautiful and precious heritage is now partnered with modern five-star facilities. I am talking about another of our large-scale projects – the Silk Road Samarkand tourism complex.

This ‘city within a city’ grew up in the desert area around a former Olympic rowing canal and now covers more than 260 hectares. There are 14 villas in the Eco Village, eight four and five-star hotels, as well as four hotels specialising in health and wellness.

This project demonstrates that our ancient city has the opportunity to create the most modern conditions for both large tourist groups or participants in large-scale business forums, and independent travelers. The very opportunities that dictate modern trends in the development of tourist infrastructure, have now been created – and continue to develop further. And I am proud that we were able to invest our efforts in such a transformation of this famous city.

To underline the opportunity Silk Road Samarkand now has 1,198 comfortable rooms equipped according to the most modern standards. In addition, the complex has 14 presidential suites, which is a record for Central Asia. Hilton Hotels & Resorts recently opened the doors to the Hilton Samarkand Regency, a 232 room five-star facility that is the latest of six hotels trading under three of its brands.

Silk Road Samarkand also houses an international congress center, which is itself already being extended, and the Eternal City historical and ethnographic complex, which has accommodated groups from around the world.

Since the beginning of 2023, more than two dozen international events have already been held at the Silk Road Samarkand complex. One of the most significant was the annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), when more than 2,000 guests from 70 countries were accommodated in the hotels of the complex. Silk Road Samarkand has also hosted the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CIS, the Asian Triathlon and Paratriathlon Championships and many other large-scale and high level events.

To date, there are about 30 restaurants, bars, cafes and nightclubs in the complex, and each of them has its own atmosphere: fascinating views from the balconies, original cuisine, authentic interior design. I could go on and on about the Silk Road Samarkand complex, but it's much better to see it all with your own eyes – by visiting it and taking advantage of its amazing facilities.

The opportunities that exist are being recognised by many international partners, and in 2025 Silk Road Samarkand will be honoured to host the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference – the first time this very significant global event will be held outside of Paris in 40 years. Conference events will be centred in Samarkand, but also feature in the other Uzbek cities of Tashkent, Bukhara, Khiva and Shahrisabz.

The event will take on extra significance because UNESCO will establish the State Museum of the Great Silk Road in Samarkand, restoring Amir Timur’s historic gardens and the Bibi-Khanum complex, while also unveiling a master plan for protecting the historical center of Bukhara, which features on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of 14 historic cultural sites in Uzbekistan that have been added to UNESCO heritage sites since 2017.

- Many tourists are enthusiastic about the ethnographic park "Eternal City", created in this tourist complex. What's this idea?

- The Eternal City has become a favorite place to visit for both tourists and locals. Here, within a 17 hectare square, the spirit and architecture of ancient cities and regions of Uzbekistan are recreated: Samarkand, Bukhara, Fergana, Tashkent, Khorezm, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Karakalpakstan. On the traditional narrow streets there are shops for artists, artisans and masters of applied arts, art boutiques, as well as traditional iwans and restaurants where you can taste exquisite national cuisine. The prototypes for these pavilions and restaurants in the Samarkand ‘Eternal City’ were real houses and picturesque squares described in old books.

This place is a symbol of eternity, which immerses you in the atmosphere of the enchanting East. All the creations presented in the workshops are clear proof that the culture, art, crafts and wisdom of our ancestors who lived in antiquity continue to be passed down from generation to generation. The Eternal City has absorbed the achievements gained and perfected over the centuries.

I am very pleased that domestic and international experts have repeatedly noted the importance of the Silk Road Samarkand complex in terms of renewal and development of the tourism potential of Uzbekistan and even the entire Central Asia region.

The facilities of the complex allow each guest to enjoy cultural, health and gastronomic tourism. From the beginning of 2023 to today, Silk Road Samarkand has already received more than 40,000 guests from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan and beyond, including many from Europe, the United States and China.

- What, in your opinion, is the secret of Samarkand's attractiveness for tourists from different countries?

- Samarkand will always attract visitors given its rich history, incredible monuments of antiquity and its authenticity. There's something for everyone.

Today, the ancient city has even more opportunities to combine business meetings with tourism. It is important to emphasize that the new facilities are located along the most convenient route for those coming to Samarkand. So, from the International Airport to the Silk Road Samarkand complex, the travel time by car will take no more than 15 minutes, and just 25 minutes by rail.

Samarkand is a historical city, it is pleasant to walk around, look at the bazaars (markets), taste the famous Samarkand pilaf and other delicious dishes of national cuisine. The city is now becoming a platform for holding different formats of events, where you can combine ancient antiquities with modern city facilities, while at the same time attending cultural and public events.

And Samarkand has become more affordable for visitor arriving by air, with growing airline competition. On March 21, the first scheduled flight of our new airline, Air Samarkand, took place on the Samarkand-Istanbul route. It is a new domestic airline based at Samarkand International Airport, with a modern fleet of Airbus A330, A321 and A321 aircraft.

- What plans for the development of tourism are currently being implemented or will be launched in the near future in Samarkand?

- We are  implementing a project for a large-scale reconstruction of the area surrounding another historical monument - the tomb of Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, which is located in the village of Khartang, 25 kilometers from Samarkand. The project involves a complete renovation of the 48,000-square-meter site and will include a new large mosque accommodating more than 9,000 worshippers, as well as magnificent landscaped gardens of 4,400 square meters. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2025. I am sure that this development will also become one of the main places to visit in the Samarkand region in the future.

- How would you like Samarkand to be in 10-15 years?

- I believe that our ancient and eternally young city has huge potential and a great future. We are making our contribution to the prosperity of Samarkand so that it will attract more and more attention of tourists and business visitors from different countries. And the greatest value of Samarkand is its people. I want the residents of the city and its guests now and in future to be fascinated by Samarkand, to love and appreciate it. For my part, I plan to make every effort to ensure that my city develops and is even better known to the wider world community.

About Samarkand with Bakhtiyor Fazilov

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