a city in E Uzbekistan: under Tamerlane it became the chief economic and cultural centre of central Asia, on trade routes from China and India (the "silk road"). Pop: 289 000 (2005 est)
Uzbek spelling: Samarqand. Ancient name: Maracanda
Samarkand in American English
(ˌsæmərˈkænd; Russian sɑmɑʀˈkɑnt)
city in E Uzbekistan: capital (as Maracanda) of Tamerlane's empire (1370-1405): pop. 371,000