Samarkand Celebrates 2,750th Anniversary

(RFE/RL) August 26, 2007 -- Music, dance and fireworks were in order in the Uzbek city of Samarkand this weekend as the 14th-century capital of Tamerlane's empire celebrated its 2,750th birthday.

The city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001.

The city celebrated its 2500th birthday in 1969, until archaeologists found old texts revealing it was even older than originally thought.

Part of the festivities paid homage to Tamerlane, a 14th-century conqueror whose empire extended from the current borders of Iraq to China.

The celebrations were not open to the general public and a visible police presence remained among the shuttered shops.

(AFP)