Dil Ve Tarih Coğrafya Fakültesi

Amīr Timur who took the stage of history in Turkistan
geography in 1370, following the collapse of Chagatai
State that reaches out to Transoxania terrorities from East
Türkistan, waged many battles against many sultans and
emperors in order to sustain his dominance, revived the
trades of the terrorities which he conquered and built cities.
He annexed many countries notably such as
Mawara'unnahr, Iran, India and Anatolia. Timurid State
that reached its widest borders during the reign of its
emperor Amīr Timur (1370-1507) exercised sovereignty in
a very large geography that stretched out notably from
Transoxania, East Türkistan, China, Khurasan, Iran,
Khorezm, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Syria, Anatolia and to North of
Black Sea. Moreover, it impressed important economic,
social, cultural and artistic traces in these regions.

Samarkand has been an important cultural and commercial center of Central Asia throughout history. It plays an important role especially in the Islamic world and is known as one of the centers of Islamic civilization in Central Asia; Playing an important role in Islamic art, architecture, literature and science, Samarkand became the center of trade due to its strategic location on the Silk Road. In this context, Samarkand paper (Samarkandi Paper) stands out among commercial and cultural activities. Samarkand s paper technology is unique and it is stated that the production of paper was learned from Chinese craftsmen. So much so that, as of the 9th century, Samarkand paper replaced pergament and papyrus in Islamic states. Samarkand paper reached Damascus, Cairo and Europe, and paper production became an important industry in this period. Samarkand craftsmen used a variety of techniques to produce good quality paper. These techniques include pulping, grinding and drying tree bark and plant fibers. The produced papers are used for writing texts, making pictures and binding books. Paper production in Samarkand contributed greatly to the intellectual and cultural development of the Timurid State. Books enabled the dissemination of knowledge and literary works. Timurid rulers encouraged the accumulation of knowledge by establishing large libraries and educational institutions in Samarkand, which contributed to Samarkand becoming a city where knowledge was intensively produced. In addition, the papers produced in Samarkand allowed the creation of important manuscripts reflecting the art and culture of the period. Manuscripts enabled the preservation and dissemination of works in many fields such as poetry, literature, history, philosophy and science, which increased the importance of Samarkand as a cultural capital.