High Middle Ages · Central Asia · Politics

1222

Samarkand slowly rebuilt under Mongol administration

1222

A decade after its sacking, Samarkand began a slow recovery under Mongol governors who resettled deported artisans and reopened the bazaars. The city's population was a fraction of its former size, but its position on the Silk Road guaranteed commerce. A century later, Timur would make it the world's most beautiful city again.