Samarkand, Uzbekistan’s cultural capital, all set to host its fourth SCO summit

Samarkand: Uzbekistan's cultural capital Samarkand is all set to host the Shanghai cooperation organization or SCO summit from 15th to 16th and the city has been spruced up to host 15 world leaders including PM Modi, Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi. Uzbekistan is hosting the SCO Summit ( 2004, 2010 and 2016) for the 4th time, but this is for the first time the city of Samarkand is hosting the summit. 

Also Read: India accords a lot of importance to the SCO, says Indian Envoy to Uzbekistan Manish Prabhat

The city has got a new airport which is been seen as a synthesis of the past and present and is shaped like an “open book” symbolizing the main work of Mirzo Ulugbek “Zizhijadidi Kuragoniy” or the New Astronomical Table of Kuragoni”. The width of the building is 175 meters, and its height is 25 meters with the constellations depicted on its roof. The Airport can handle 800 people per hour and up to 120 flights per week. Equipped with modern technologies, luggage check-in firmly puts the ancient city of Samarkand on the world tourist map.

Ulugbek was the grandson of Timur and the oldest son of Shah Rukh. The Timurid Sultan was well known as an astronomer and mathematician and was notable for trigonometry. His observatory in Samarkand, built in 1449, can accurately measure the sun from the horizon, the altitude of a star and other planets with phenomenal accuracy.

To make the city more tourist-friendly,  Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Center has been built to welcome SCO guests as it plans to host many events during the summit. The main construction occupies 135 hectares.  A Congress Hall has been created where meetings of the SCO leaders will be held and is located on the two banks of the famous Samarkand Rowing Canal. Its area is 2800 square meters, and the area of the main hall, where the meetings of the SCO leaders will be held, is 65x65 m, and its height is 14 meters. 

For incoming guests, 8 international-level hotels, with a total of about 1,200 rooms have opened their doors. Two of them correspond to the 5-star category, and one of them – “Samarkand Regency Amir Temur” - is the first and so far the only hotel in Central Asia, which is included in the Leading Hotels of the World association.  

Also Read: PM Modi, Russian Prez Putin, China's Xi to attend SCO Samarkand summit: Uzbekistan

Another local attraction, Samarkand Rowing Canal has been built. The canal is 2,180 meters long and over 150 meters wide. Remember Uzbekistan will host the Asian Youth Olympic Games in 2025, and the rowing tournaments will be held in Samarkand.