Samarkand
From History's Greatest Cities by History Extra
March 30, 2026 · 29 min · Season 5 · Episode 2
About this episode
Travel writer Paul Bloomfield and author Bradley Mayhew explore the rich history and culture of Samarkand, a key city on the Silk Roads.
Travel writer and history buff Paul Bloomfield is joined by author Bradley Mayhew to explore Samarkand, the ancient Uzbek city and major hub on the Silk Roads. Together, they trace more than two millennia of history, from its ancient origins in the seventh century BC through conquest by Alexander the Great, destruction by Genghis Khan, prominence under Timur and later incorporation into the Soviet Union. Along the way, they meet major historical figures, try the local cuisine and share top advice for visitors to the city today. History’s Greatest Cities is produced by HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Listen to our other podcasts History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, History’s Greatest Scandals, History’s Greatest Battles, HistoryExtra Long Reads and the HistoryExtra podcast at historyextra.com/podcast. For more fascinating stories from the past head to HistoryExtra.com. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus…
People in this episode
Guests: Paul Bloomfield, Bradley Mayhew
Topics covered
- history
- travel
- Silk Roads
- cuisine
- historical figures
Keywords
- Samarkand
- Silk Roads
- Uzbekistan
- history
- travel
- cuisine
- Alexander the Great
- Genghis Khan
- Timur
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Samarkand, Uzbekistan
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