What is Samarkand famous for, where the SCO Summit 2022 was held?

Samarkand hosted the 22nd Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for its member states and Council of Heads which ended on Friday. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the SCO Summit was cancelled in the last two years.

Samarkand, which hosted the SCO Summit 2022 this time, is famous for its cultural significance, dating back to ancient times. Keep reading to know the importance of Samarkand.

Cultural Significance Of Samarkand

The name Samarkand is derived from the Sogdian civilisation, where Samar means stone or rock and Khand means fort. Thus, Samarkand means a town or fort of rock or stone. The city of Samarkand is a storehouse of natural resources spanning Central Asia.

Since ancient times, Samarkand has been famous for its craft production with a castle and robust defence. Even today’s major industries are silk weaving and the production of textiles. Like the entire region of Uzbekistan, the official language of Samarkand is Uzbek. However, the second official language is Russian.

In a UNESCO article, it was mentioned that the old city of Samarkand looks like having tribulations for religion and culture. Afrasiab, an archaeological reserve in the northeast of Samarkand, holds many proofs, indicating Samarkand was once a diverse medieval society.

Members Of The SCO Summit 2022

Different countries will participate in this year’s SCO Summit. Mongolia, Belarus and Afghanistan will attend the SCO Summit 2022 as Observer Nations this year. Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia will attend the Summit as dialogue partners. Turkmenistan is the sole Central Asian Republic, which is not an SCO member. SCO has decided to sign a memo with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to designate them as dialogue partners.

FAQs

Where is Samarkand located?

Samarkand is located in the Zarefshan River valley in the Southeastern region of Uzbekistan.

Samarkand is the country’s cultural capital and has always been an intrinsic part of the world culture for more than two and a half millennia.

In central Asia, it is one of the oldest cities to be inhabited.

Inhabitation in Samarkand started almost in 1500 BC.

Samarkand is a central point for trade due to its easy route access to China and the Mediterranean areas.

Who are the members of the SCO Summit 2022?

The SCO Summit 2022 was first held in Shanghai in June 2002. There are eight members, out of which six are founding members. The last two countries joined as full members in 2017.

• China
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Russia
• Tajikistan
• Uzbekistan
• India
• Pakistan