Samarkand is a historic city in Uzbekistan. UNESCO includes its historic area on its World Heritage list. But people also live and work here. Schools, shops, and places for making things stand near famous old buildings.
The head of the city's tourism university estimates that about seven million tourists visited Samarkand in 2025. More than 10 million came in the first nine months of 2026. The city expects about 14 million by the end of the year.
The university works with UN Tourism. It plans to open a center to study tourism. The center will count visitors and study changes in jobs, the city environment, and local people's daily lives.
Housing is another important issue. Builders put up more than 1,100 apartment buildings in the Samarkand region over eight years. UN-Habitat and the national government are studying housing needs. The city's plan to 2040 includes more homes and improvements to existing ones.
UN-Habitat's Katja Schaefer says the city should improve old homes and services, not replace them. She also wants residents to help make decisions about their neighborhoods. New building should take place outside the historic center.
