Samarkand (Uzbekistan) will become the cultural capital of the CIS in 2024. This decision was made by the Heads of State of the Commonwealth at a meeting.
The Presidents instructed the Council for Humanitarian Cooperation, the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation, the Council for Cultural Cooperation of the Commonwealth Countries, other interested bodies of industry interaction and the CIS Executive Committee to consider the possibility of supporting cultural events in Samarkand.
Samarkand is a city in Uzbekistan, famous for its mosques and mausoleums. The Great Silk Road, a trade route that connected China with the Mediterranean countries, ran through Samarkand. The most important attractions: Registan Square with three madrasahs of the 15th and 17th centuries, richly decorated with majolica, and the Gur-Emir Mausoleum — the majestic tomb of Timur (Tamerlane), the founder of the Timurid Empire.